Main Ridge Forest Reserve 243rd anniversary celebrations

In recognition of the 243rd anniversary of the declaration of the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, the Department of Natural Resources and Forestry and Environment Tobago jointly undertook two activities. 

The first activity took the form of a "Main Ridge Forest Fitness Challenge" in which the public was invited to take part in a run/walk/cycle challenge across the main road which runs through the Main Ridge Forest Reserve.  Participants either chose to undertake a 14 km full challenge or a 7 km half challenge, which ended at the Bloody Bay Visitor Facility.  All finishers were rewarded with medals and the fastest finisher in various age and gender categories received prizes. 

The second event was a "Kids' Jamboree" hosted for pre-school students from the surrounding area.  The youngsters enjoyed sing-alongs, stories and skits on environmental themes, as well as a petting zoo. 

The keen interest and participation from the public in these events has encouraged the organizers to consider hosting these as as annual undertaking.  A brief report on the anniversary celebrations is available at this link.

Report on survey for ESS in Tobago

The White-tailed Sabrewing Hummingbird is listed locally as an Environmentally Sensitive Species (ESS) and is globally near threatened.  The bird has been recorded at two locations in Venezuela and also in the Mian Ridge Forest Reserve, Tobago.  Over the three month period December 2018 - February 2019, a survey on the presence and distribution of the bird was done in the Main Ridge Forest Reserve with the assistance of data loggers and tour guides.  The information gathered makes a key contribution to the development of  a management plan for the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, a key deliverable of the "Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago" project.  The report is available at this link.

Results of Survey on Protected Areas in Tobago

A knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey was undertaken in communities surrounding two pilot protected area sites in Tobago in August 2016.  The survey polled residents on the protected status of the Main Ridge Forest Reserve and the proposed North East Tobago Marine pilot protected area (the latter site located around the north eastern tip of the island from the northern village of Castara to the village of Roxborough on the southern side of the island).

The survey revealed that most persons are aware of the Main Ridge Forest Reserve and its value as a watershed in replenishing the island’s supply of freshwater. While the North East Tobago Marine area is a proposed site, residents attached an important economic as well as environmental value to the site.  The survey also revealed that people in general are not aware of the boundaries of these sites, nor the flora and fauna found there; some are also uncertain of who are the managers of these sites.

The results of the survey contribute important information about people’s general knowledge about these two sites and will assist in the development of a targeted communication strategy that can address knowledge gaps and curb negative practices that impact on the management of these protected areas.  

The report on the knowledge, attitudes and practices survey can be found at this link.

Results of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey in Tobago

During the month of August 2016, a team of survey enumerators visited the villages surrounding the two pilot protected areas in Tobago, in order to carry out a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices

(KAP) survey.  The information was collected from over 400 respondents generally in the northeastern half of the island.

The results of the survey were presented to the stakeholders representing various organizations on the Tobago Subcommittee for the two pilot sites – the Main Ridge Forest and the proposed North East Tobago Marine pilot protected areas.

These stakeholders then took part in a facilitated discussion of the results, to propose strategies for public communication to improve on areas where knowledge is lacking, where positive attitudes and behaviours need to be stimulated and to support existing programmes where positive actions with successful impacts are already underway.

Please click here for a summary of the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey results.