Protecting places on earth we call home

The Editor: Everything in the creative, intelligent, evolving universe is completely connected. We are one with a Great Mystery and it is good.

Within this reality it stands to reason that we human beings are inseparable from the community of life on earth. Every species from plant and animal micro-organisms to hump back whales and silk cotton (Ceiba) trees has a vital part to play in maintaining the integrity of the living web that is the biosphere of the planet. Each of us inhabits an eco-system (f. Greek, oeco: home) that we share with a particular mix of plant and animal species unique to the climate, geography and human history of the place. As a result of a series of factors, eg the use of phonetics based languages; belief in a humanity that is both superior to base matter and at the same time innately flawed and in need of salvation and being surrounded by the man made world of concrete, glass, pitch, plastic and the electronic media; our “civilized” culture has lost touch with our natural ability to communicate with those beings we perceive as other.

In the future this year, 2003, will stand out in our minds as a turning point in our relationship to the “environment” (where does it begin and where does it end?). By joining with neighbours across artificial, manmade barriers of class, race, gender and species and taking responsibility for the soil our food comes from, the water we drink, the air we breathe and for the control of fire in our home places we are empowered to change the world. The last time we had such a severe dry season with its consequential bush fires was 1987. Out of this crisis was born the Caribbean Forest Conservation Association (CFCA) and later, the Tropical Re-Leaf Foundation.

These visionary organisations with strong activist records were some of the earliest NGOs to take an interest in the activities of the grassroots initiative that came to be known as the Fondes Amandes Community Re-forestation Project (FACRP). In the early 80s a small group of Rastafarians began planting on the slopes above the WASA filter bed in Fondes Amandes. This fire climax ecosystem of grasses and palms continued to burn every dry season leading one of the group, the late Tacuma Jaramogi, to adopt the strategy of planting tree crops, cutting fire traces and fighting the fires. Akilah Jaramogi and their children have maintained this tradition with the annual fire trace cutting gayap in March to commemorate Tacuma’s passing and have kept the Project fire free since 1997. I met Tacuma in 1993 when he led members of CFCA on an exploration of the Fondes Amandes River following the devastating October flood. I met Akilah a couple of years later and was introduced to the Project.

Since one of the main reasons I was inspired to return to Trinidad was the vision of seeing the ridges of my home watershed covered again in a healthy canopy I threw my energies into supporting this effort. On behalf of the FACRP and all the species that continue to flourish here, I would like to extend my heart felt thanks to all the government and corporate bodies who have recognised the importance of our Project. In particular, WASA, Forestry Division, Fire Services, the Community Development Fund (CDF), Guardian Life Wildlife Fund, BPTT, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and all the NGOs and individuals who have supported us in the past. We have proven that with all of your help and a dedicated core of half a dozen people who will be out there, in the bush, facing down the flames we can protect the places on earth we call home.
All Our Relations.

John Stollmeyer
St. Ann’s Avenue