Tobago / Special Interests / Conservation

Environment Tobago, was started in 1996 and focuses on the protection and restoration of Tobago’s natural and living environment through education and sustainable use. This includes the establishment of protected areas and legislation, the protection of flora and fauna and promotion of sustainable tourism. Their interest covers many issues on the island, including turtles and eco-systems such as the rainforest and the reefs, but also less well known environments such as mangroves and wetlands.

The Tobago rainforest is a key focus of conservation efforts on the island. The 14,000 acres of mainly lower montane forest that make up the Tobago Forest Reserve are unique in the world and also have an interesting and extraordinary history, see below. There are over 300 varieties of trees and over a dozen wild orchids. Recently the forest and its conservation has received international interest from the World Bank and the UN’s Climate Change Committee.

The Tobago Forest Reserve is the oldest area of protected forest in the world. 14,000 acres of Crown lands were protected in 1776 by order of King George III. It was one of the earliest official moves of conservation, but there was nothing altruistic about it. It was a precaution against the possible reduction in rainfall caused by forest’s destruction, ultimately designed to protect the plantations that were the island’s livelihood. A scientist had recently made the connection between transpiration in the rainforest and rainfall in the area. Uses have changed over the years and now the problems that face the forest are mainly logging and hunting.

Another of Environment Tobago’s conservation efforts is a programme to protect the island’s turtles (between them Trinidad and Tobago have the world’s fourth largest colony of nesting leatherbacks). SOS Tobago, Save our Sea Turtles, works to conserve sea turtles and their marine and coastal habitats. Both the animals themselves need to be protected (they are incredibly vulnerable when they crawl onto the beaches at night to lay their eggs) and their nests need to be protected. For more information, see the turtle watching guide under Tobago Eco/Nature.

The Buccoo Reef Trust, has been going since 1999 and aims to protect the reef and the area around it through the education both of Tobagonians and visitors in the need to protect it. Officially Buccoo Reef has been a Marine Park since the 1970s, but it has suffered considerable destruction over the years, from pollution from run-off, from fishing and yachts but particularly from the visitors that come in glass bottom boats. Some of them actually walk on the corals which can destroy hundreds of years growth in a few minutes. There are wardens and they have established the Tobago Marine Research Centre to provide research facilities and education for marine conservation.

Finally there is an issue in Tobago with ‘wild’ or ‘bush meat’, which is prized by some islanders, who like to hunt and eat wildlife. Do use your discretion if you are offered exotic fare (cocrico, turtle, cayman/caiman, agouti, iguana, opossum, armadillo and sea birds). They may feature during the Harvest Festivals.

Non-profit organisations and Government links:

Environment Tobago, 11 Cuyler Street, Uptown Scarborough, t 660 7462 | envirtob@tstt.net.tt | www.environmenttobago.net

The Buccoo Reef Trust, Cowie's Building, Carnbee Junction, Auchenskeoch Road, Carnbee, Tobago, t 635 2000/631 1623/660 8250 | office@buccooreef.org | www.buccooreeftrust.org

Save our Sea Turtles Tobago (SOS Tobago), 125 Black Rock Main Road, Black Rock, Tobago, t 290 3797 | info@sos-tobago.org | www.SOS-Tobago.org