Fourth Annual Conference 2021

2021 – Connecting the Dots…Becoming Agents of Change.

This year’s Annual River Conference was held virtually for the first time, prompted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which has necessitated that new and more innovative ways are sought to continue and enhance public engagement. This approach proved to be both challenging and exciting and was certainly a process of discovering and navigating new territory as the AARP plunged into the world of virtual gatherings.

Having established a trademark catch phrase of “Connecting the Dots” as part of each year’s theme, the identifiable and pivotal theme for this year was “Becoming Agents of Change”. The aim was to focus on individuals, groups and
organisations that are consciously and actively conducting activities geared toward protecting and enhancing our watersheds and the environment in general. We invited persons from varying fields to participate through video presentations, where their knowledge and experience, processes and projects were shared, providing invaluable information to our audience.

These sentiments were echoed by the Honourable Minister of Public Utilities Mr. Marvin Gonzales who, in his address to Conference participants, stated that events like this provide all stakeholders with the invaluable opportunity to
share information, adjust focus and realign efforts towards our common goal. Further, the Minister stated that all participants can come away from this event with renewed vigour as they return to their various spheres of influence with additional knowledge and tools to help in protecting our rivers and watersheds and by extension, our environment.

The process of collecting video footage and presentations of our Agents of Change in their operational spaces, took us to various locations in Trinidad and Tobago. From Shaw Park in Tobago to Matura in the east, Diego Martin in the west, Cashew Gardens in central and Moruga and Penal in the south. One of the featured videos came from AARP’s 2020 Youth Ambassador Luke Pounder who is an artist, an environmental activist and co-founder of TROD 868 which is an environmental NGO aimed at reducing our waste deposits and improving waste disposal. He highlighted numerous activities that can be conducted by the nation’s youth and other citizens alike, in protecting our waterways and our environment.

Dr. Dave Cassie of the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), the keynote speaker, gave insight as to the role of educators in fostering mental and behavioural changes among our students and the wider population in reducing our carbon and water footprints. A good example of these theories in action came from the presentation of Moruga Hill Rice farmer Mark Forgenie, who spoke to the importance of good water management in the agricultural sector, the importance and positive impact of employing organic systems in farming and encouraging youth and women into the sector as a viable livelihood, while improving our country’s food security.

The conference proceedings also included a vibrant panel discussion on ‘Valuing Water’, the theme of this year’s World Water Day. Participating in the panel discussions were Dr Dave Cassie of the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC); Dr Angelle Bullard-Roberts also of USC; Mr. Denny Dipchansingh, Conservator of Forests, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries; Mr. Juan Andrade, Director at Flying Tree Environmental Management; Mrs. Sian Cuffy-Young, Founder/CEO Siel Environmental; Ms. Daphne Parris, Education Officer of the Cashew Gardens Community Council and moderator Ms. Avril Alexander, Project Manager of the Adopt A River Programme. Panelists shared their vision for a water secure Trinidad and Tobago and endorsed the need for education, raised awareness and action by all stakeholders for the protection and improvement of our water resources and by extension, our environment.