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.

Squirrel Appreciation Day January 21st 2020

Sciurus granatensis found in Trinidad and Tobago and also found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Venezuela. Sciurus granatensis is found in habitats ranging from tropical forests to croplands. They are terrestrial animals and are found both on the ground and in trees but are more common in trees.

The red-tailed squirrel is a medium-sized tree squirrel with a conspicuous orange-red tail. Fur is short and colour varies. Fur colour is usually reddish brown but some squirrels have darker coloured skin and may be black. Their tail colour is rusty red or orange and some have a black coloured tip. These squirrels have a broad skull with a long rostrum and nasals.

They are solitary animals and are rarely seen in groups, they are social only during breeding seasons. Social behaviour is also exhibited when mothers are with their young. Groups may be observed at feeding aggregations however a large space of several metres is maintained between squirrels.

As diurnal animals most of their activity occurs above ground on trees. These include feeding and travelling. They feed approximately 30 metres above ground. Tree trunks and vines are used to travel throughout the forest. They travel by running along trees and vines and leaping from tree to tree

Their diet includes fruits, hard nuts, twigs, flowers and leaves as well as tree frog eggs. They feed on as many as 58 species of plants. Fruits include mangoes, avocados, bananas, guava and coconut. Insect larvae are also fed on occasionally.

Foraging occurs between sunrise and sunset from approximately 6:30 am to midday. They resume foraging in late afternoon till sunset. They forage by breaking large, decaying tree trunks and vines to reach insect larvae inside. They crack the hard shells of nuts by gnawing through the shell and feed on the inner seed. When fruits are taken from the ground, the squirrel climbs up several metres above the ground to feed.

Sciurus granatensis are generally silent animals. They do have several distinctive calls and communicate vocally. They make short, hoarse notes when frightened or as an alarm of predators. They also have distinct vocal mating calls. These include grunts, chucks and squeals. Visual communication is done by tail gestures. They use their tails as signalling devices to communicate with other squirrels. They do this by tail-flicking. This is also done to ward off predators. They also mark regular routes travelled with urine. This is a method of territory marking as well as to attract mates during breeding season.

The gestation period of Sciurus granatensis lasts less than two months. Females give birth to two or three young. Babies are reared by mothers with no assistance from males.

Meetings of the CBD; Montreal, Canada, November 20th – 29th, 2019

The 11^th Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions and the 23^rd Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-23) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held in Montreal, Canada, during the period November 20^th – 29^th, 2019. The Government of Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was represented at the meetings by Ms. Candace Amoroso, Biodiversity Specialist of the EPPD.

Ms. Candace Amoroso, Biodiversity Specialist

The meetings addressed a range of issues, with the main item under discussion being the contributions to the development of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

The Working Group on Article 8(j) focused on the role of indigenous peoples and local communities, and addressed links between nature and culture for the development of the post-2020 framework. The Working Group further conducted its thematic dialogue; addressed recommendations from the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; and discussed progress towards Aichi Target 18 (traditional knowledge).

SBSTTA-23 focused on the scientific and technical base for the Post-2020 Framework, gathering ideas on the 2030 mission and relevant targets. It further focused on biodiversity and climate change, technical and scientific cooperation, and sustainable wildlife management, approving relevant recommendations to the Conference of the Parties (COP).

Approximately 600 participants attended the meetings, representing governments, international organisations, academia, and civil society.

Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Officer-in-Charge of the CBD Secretariat meets with delegates from Small Island Developing States (SIDS)