The goal of this project is to work with local schools and community members in the Santa Cruz area in Northern Trinidad to sensitize participants to their environment and local biodiversity whilst recognizing the global environmental benefits and impacts of local actions. In this way we hope to raise awareness that a healthy environment leads to a healthy lifestyle?every element within the environment, the relation of earth to trees, the air, the sea are intertwined and we should embrace them equally.

At the end of this project, participants will have a better understanding of the connection between their actions and the outcome of those actions on the ecology thus giving them tools needed to protect their environment therefore protecting their own inheritance

Activities:

The main activity will be the planting of trees (fruit and forest) which will be carried out by the children of the local schools and the local community. These trees will be planted along the Northern Range, Maracas/Santa Cruz and surrounding the Upper Gasparillo community.

Additional and supporting activities:

? Setting up of small home nurseries to encourage vegetable production.

? Setting up a Compost heap to encourage natural fertilization

? Demonstration of paper-making using leaves and twigs

The expected benefits of the project would be a greater awareness of the local biodiversity of our Santa Cruz environment; sustainable use of natural resources without hurting the environment and the protection of indigenous wild life.