Trini Eco Warriors began as my personal outlet to discuss serious environmental issues I was witnessing around Trinidad and Tobago in the course of my work as a commercial diver. Those of you who clicked ‘like’ back in October, November of 2010 will recall just how close I came to having to defend myself in court due to a very aggressive, very public response from a powerful industrial player in T
&T. To sum it up, I was forced to remain silent for injustices perpetrated against my dive crew and myself. Around the same time that was taking place, I was sent by my company to perform a one day dive, a simple repair was needed on one of NGC’s platforms in Guayaguayare. During the short pirogue ride back to shore I was asked and helped the boat owner, (a local fisherman) to pull in his nets. I discovered there and then that it was still legal to hunt turtles in T&T…
Back home in St. Augustine, I began writing down these two events with the intention of showing them on Facebook. I contacted very creative friend of mine, who happened to be in Russia at the time, and she agreed to design a logo for me to use. x
Armed with the unique “Trini-Turtle” design, I created the page, posted my two stories, along with some photos of the five turtles in the fishing boat, and the Facebook feedback started to come in…
It wasn’t too long after that I was contacted by Marc de Verteuil who was eager to get involved, so I called him the next time I had to go to Mayaro for my company. He met me at my home, and off we went. It was on this trip that Marc and I filmed the turtle slaughter video that really got the attention of the local social networkers. Soon thereafter, Stephen Broadbridge also became part of TEWs in an official capacity. Since then, the TEWs page has continued to provide a forum for anyone to discuss, debate, showcase or simply visit to read about real local ‘green’ issues being discussed 24/7… The exchanges are lively, often humorous, and really do encourage debate. Marc, Stephen and myself each have poured our passion, our sweat, and on more than one occasion, our blood, to develop the Trini Eco Warrior’s Facebook Forum into what many say is possibly the most refreshing environmental development seen in Trinidad and Tobago for years. We have agreed that Trini Eco Warriors is the result of our combined efforts and styles, and as such will continue to serve as a repository for whatever aspects of our individual environmental works or projects we want to share with the TEWs followers. So please don’t forget to check out Trini Eco Warriors on Facebook. To visit, click: https://www.facebook.com/EcoForum – and please don’t forget to click ‘Like’
While Trini Eco Warriors is a roaring success, one thing it cannot do is provide paid employment…
Enter EarthWise Ltd. You will notice that EarthWise Ltd is a “For Profit” Company, formed with the specific goal of producing a quality environmental television series, one tailored specifically to address the issues that affect us right here in T&T. The series is carded to begin airing sometime in March, 2012. It will play simultaneously on Sankhya Television on the Green Dot network, Gayelle Television on the Flow network and finally it will also be streamed live on all three of our company’s web-sites. Supporters can view archived episodes, which will be available on-line as well. The EarthWise Team, acknowledges that in our chosen field, it is easy to get mired down focussing on the many negatives. Our mission includes trying to encourage people to make the switch to a more sustainable mindset on their own. We hope to act as facilitators of this switch by providing in-depth looks into the endless green stories that develop every day, right here in T&T. It is the goal of the EarthWise Team, to provide enough visual stimuli, in the form of video clips and still photography, coupled with verified ‘facts’ about the local environment and it’s non-human inhabitants. There are many, ‘deeply ingrained’ misconceptions and beliefs that are held by significant sections of Trinidad and Tobago’s communities. We hope to attract sponsorship as a direct result of our work, and in so doing, earn income for the employees of the company. The entire team at EarthWise hopes that by promoting the things that Trinidad & Tobago has that are worth protecting, more people will choose to help safeguard our unique islands and their fantastic ecosystems. If not for themselves, for the good of their descendants. We believe that if people aren’t shown how the day-to-day activities and choices we make, impact the world around us, (and have it presented in a way that doesn’t require a doctorate to understand it), they are less likely to understand the need to make the adjustments toward a more sustainable lifestyle. Until you know the reason why a particular thing needs protection, and why, you’re not likely to consider it, until it’s too late…
The Earthwise Team hopes that many other Trini’s agree with our approach to conservation and education, and choose to help us spread our message. Please be sure to check our site occasionally for new articles, and updates to our stories and projects. www.earthwise-trinidad.com
To learn more about our new NGO, Reef Doctors, please click:
http://www.earthwise-trinidad.com/coming-soon/
