World Wetlands Day - "Celebrating My Caroni"

Under the theme "Celebrating My Caroni", the Caroni Swamp Subcommittee of the Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago project shared the observance of this year's World Wetlands Day.  The actual date of the observance being 2nd February annually, the Subcommittee staged two major activities with target audiences of artists/photographers and Primary  School students, which were all held at the Caroni Swamp, one of our more well-known wetland sites.

On Sunday 2nd February 2020 - 02.02.2020 - some thirteen artists and photographers accepted the invitation to embark on a guided tour of the Caroni Swamp, assisted by Ravi Kalpoo of Kalpoo tours, and local naturalists.  After a short briefing at the Visitor Centre, the group explored the various channels of the swamp with instructions to capture "what stands out and inspires", including the "awesomeness", "the good, the bad, the ugly" and "the value and challenges" of the Swamp. 

On Thursday 6th February 2020, it was the turn of seventy-one (71) Standard Three students of four schools from communities which surround the Caroni Swamp to explore "The World of Wetlands".  In four rotations, students undertook: (i) an interpretive walk of the wetland at the Visitor Centre; (ii) a virtual tour of the Caroni Swamp's flora, fauna and associated livelihoods via a PowerPoint presentation; (iii) a hands-on activity on food chains and food webs of the Caroni Swamp; and (iv) an exploration of biodiversity of swamps and introduction to plants found at the Caroni Swamp.

It was then the turn of artists and photographers again on Friday 7th February 2020, to regroup at the swamp for "an evening corn soup lime" to close the celebration of "My Caroni" by reviewing all the pieces captured through the lens of the photographer and the brushstokes and hands of the artists.  With brief comments delivered by the Project  Coordination Unit, a representative of the National Parks Section of the Forestry Division, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, the oohs and aahs echoed through the cool evening breeze of the Caroni Visitor Centre, as the beautiful pieces were revealed.

Both audiences were greatly appreciative of the activities and recommended that these be repeated regularly to build awareness and appreciation for protected areas, while sharing accurate information about the sites.  It is hoped that these recommendations meet fertile ground, as the mantra often repeated at the event was "another occasion, a different location", to enhance local knowledge of these sites.