At the Aripo Savannahs, located in Northeastern Trinidad, quarrying began in the 1940s to meet the national demand for aggregate materials by the building and road construction industries. The Aripo Savannahs, a designated Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and Strict Nature Reserve, includes unique habitats, rare and endemic biodiversity, and is of great scientific importance. However, poor regulation over the years led to indiscriminate quarrying, resulting in severe land degradation. The clearing of existing vegetation and topsoil led to the loss of habitat, wildlife, and plants. Watercourses became polluted by large quantities of sediment from erosion and wash plants, which eventually transported to the sea, adversely affecting coastal water quality. This is just one example of a quarry degradation site in Trinidad and Tobago.
Close the Loop Caribbean is on a mission to transform abandoned quarries into thriving ecosystems, breathing new life into the lands of Trinidad and Tobago. Every tree planted is a promise for a greener, more sustainable future. The commitment goes beyond planting; there is a strong focus on education and awareness to promote sustainability. Each tree is nurtured and cared for until it stands tall and proud, enriching the soil and enhancing the environment but also improving the community.
According to Trinidad and Tobago Extractive Industries Initiative (TTEITI), the quarrying sector in Trinidad and Tobago is plagued by issues of irresponsible management and lack of accountability on the part of quarry operators. The report states, “There are many challenges facing the sector such as inadequate royalty (revenue) collection, inadequate production verification, illegal quarrying, and unlicensed quarry operations. These obstacles not only reduce the amount of money available to the Government to spend on public services, but they also have a negative impact on the environment and on people’s livelihoods.”
As a result, Close the Loop Caribbean specializes in restoring quarries to their natural glory. Through the careful application of organic inputs for topsoil regeneration to support tree planting, the organization creates biodiverse habitats that benefit both nature and local communities. This organization is dedicated to sustainable growth by maintaining trees until maturity to ensure higher survival rates and guarantee success, making a tangible impact on reforestation efforts. Neglected trees often struggle to survive due to harsh growing conditions, lack of water, and overgrowth. However, with Close the Loop Caribbean’s ongoing care, your contribution thrives. Additionally, the approach involves planting a diverse range of fruiting and hardwood trees. This agroforestry practice not only promotes ecological balance but also supports livelihoods through sustainable agricultural practices.
The organization continues to deliver excellent work with a variety of stakeholders, not only the government is key, but people, the business sector and the community are central to the Close the Loop Caribbean approach. Residents in and around target areas learn about ecosystem restoration and conservation, becoming leaders in the implementation of reforestation and maintenance activities. They will also benefit from the results of these initiatives in the future.
Speaking to Vandana Mangroo, Co-founder and Director of Close the Loop Caribbean, she shared some insights on how Close the Loop Caribbean is restoring our quarries one tree at a time:
1. Can you provide an overview of the "Close the Loop: Caribbean" initiative and how it specifically addresses quarry restoration in Trinidad and Tobago? What inspired the focus on land restoration and reforestation as a key component of this effort?
A: Close the Loop Caribbean is a consortium of organizations dedicated to climate solutions, carbon offsets, community education, and land regeneration. Driven by the need for circular economic models in the Caribbean, we focus on minimizing waste and maximizing resource use—more specifically by diverting organic waste away from landfills in Trinidad & Tobago and rehabilitating degraded quarry lands with this waste.
By partnering with stakeholders, we identify organic waste streams and channel them into value-added activities like composting and topsoil regeneration. This approach “closes the loop” on organic waste, transforming it into valuable resources while restoring degraded lands and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Inspired by Trinidad and Tobago’s Land Degradation Neutrality Targets, ratified by the Ministry of Planning and Development’s Environmental Planning and Policy Division through T&T’s Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Close the Loop Caribbean specifically addresses land rehabilitation by repurposing organic waste to produce compost and topsoil, which are essential for restoring degraded lands.
2. What challenges have you encountered in implementing tree planting and ecological restoration in former quarry sites, and how have you worked with local communities, stakeholders, and authorities to overcome these obstacles?
A: Numerous challenges have arisen throughout the process of implementing restoration projects in former quarry sites. These include having a plant nursery capable of nurturing enough young trees to execute our reforestation activities sufficiently, access to quarry lands, and maintaining funding for the initiative to remain sustainable and profitable.
3. How do you measure the success of the tree planting interventions, and what long-term environmental and social impacts do you expect the restoration of these quarry sites to have on both the local ecosystem and the communities around them?
A: To ensure the success of these initiatives, tree planting and land rehabilitation are thoroughly planned, coordinated, and tracked with our Quarry Rehabilitation Team through both pre-planting and post-planting activities. Rigorous monitoring of trees by our team ensures that plants are nurtured or replaced where needed, and their physical measurements are taken to determine the level of carbon sequestered by each tree, thereby determining their overall sequestration rate.
By moving food and compostable waste away from landfills and producing nutrient-rich compost for quarry rehabilitation activities, the initiative reduces soil depletion and enhances land fertility. This makes previously unproductive areas viable for reforestation and sustainable agriculture. This can provide long-term environmental and economic benefits such as removing carbon emissions from the atmosphere, mitigating erosion, improving groundwater retention, providing habitats for native biodiversity, and offering sustainable income opportunities to local communities through quarry rehabilitation, agroforestry, and ecotourism activities.
Conclusion
This organization was established in 2022, continuing the quarry rehabilitation work started by co-founder IAMovement in 2018 through the GEF-IWEco (Integrating Water, Land and Ecosystems Management in Small Island Developing States Project) and currently operates on about 12 hectares of former quarry lands in Turure, with a plant nursery that has a 2000 tree capacity. Additionally, it executes over 10 sub-projects and partnerships through consortium members such as Hello Green, IAMovement, Tucana T&T Ltd, Thomson’s Soil and Garden Materials Ltd and Vetiver TT which support the overall model of organic waste diversion, treatment and valorization.
The efforts of Close the Loop Caribbean in restoring quarries in Trinidad and Tobago demonstrate a powerful commitment to environmental sustainability and community empowerment. By transforming degraded lands into thriving ecosystems, the initiative not only addresses the ecological damage caused by quarrying but also fosters economic opportunities through agroforestry and ecotourism. The success of these interventions, supported by rigorous planning and community involvement, highlights the potential for positive change when innovative solutions and collaborative efforts are prioritized. As we look to the future, the continued dedication to reforestation and sustainable practices promises a greener, more resilient Trinidad and Tobago.
Comments