A Global Initiative at Charlotteville Tobago
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My
experience of research stations include Carmabi in Curaçao and Heron Island
research station in the Great Barrier Reef, as well as those I’ve visited in Belize,
Bermuda and Hawaii. These stations are usually set up in remote tropical
locations, focused on facilitating and supporting academics doing research on
an ecosystem or organism in a natural environment; away from people. In many
cases, any discoveries made by the scientists are often taken with them when
they leave; local communities may not know that the study took place. Today, more
tropical research stations have begun to include community engagement and
outreach programmes linking the local population to the science so that information
can be passed on and applied locally; even though the primary focus may still
be the science. ERIC – Environmental Research Institute of Charlotteville – is
a modern research institute in which the community is intrinsic to the
scientific process.
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| ERIC Reef Check surveys in action at King’s Bay. Photo provided by ERIC |
ERIC
has a focus on the communities in north-east Tobago and their connection with
the natural environment – both marine and terrestrial. The community is
integrated into the process of environmental monitoring and management of their
ecosystem. Through capacity building programmes, residents of Charlotteville,
Speyside and other villages in the area learn basic skills such as snorkelling
and diving. They are involved in planning and designing underwater surveys and trained
to work with specialised underwater equipment. All of these interactions also
automatically enhance personal skills in communication and teamwork. Local and
international scientists then have the opportunity to collaborate with the
community-based field technicians and resident scientists of ERIC to set up
research projects. ERIC acts as a connector of science and conservation with
society and culture on the ground. Eventually, the institute – including local
and international members - may be seen as a trusted advisor to the community
on matters of the environment and effects on their well being.
“I hope that ERIC would
provide substantial facilitation in the co-management of natural resources in north-east Tobago by building and sustaining a long-term working
relationship with the local community.”
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| Aljoscha Wothke, Director of ERIC |
This
is what Aljoscha Wothke (pronounced Al-yo-sha), head of ERIC, hopes can be
achieved in the next five years. Aljoscha feels very much at home living in a
small community like Charlotteville. Growing up in a rural town of Germany in
the 1960s, he was connected to the idea of tropical paradise and the marine
world through weekly television documentaries - The Under Sea world of Jacques
Cousteau or exploring the Caribbean Reefs with Hans Hass, an Austrian diver and
underwater filmmaker. However, he quickly made it part of his life by studying
zoology in high school and at university. During his undergraduate degree, he
learned to dive in Germany, then became a dive instructor and led marine
biology excursions to the Red Sea. He spent six months in the Maldives working
as a dive instructor. He was pursuing his master’s degree (MPhil) in biology
and longing for another adventure in the tropics when he learned about the island
nation, Trinidad and Tobago.
Aljoscha’s
first trip to Trinidad and Tobago was for his Master’s thesis. This turned into
the first of a series of visits, when he started coordinating diving excursions
for foreign students to Tobago, and the start of his PhD. Twenty-three years later, he has made
Trinidad and Tobago his home, building a family here. Over the years, he has
worked on a variety of eco-based projects and built his skills in applied
science, sustainable tourism and project management, working as consultant for
his own company - Eco Project Ltd –
undertaking projects based in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as further up the
island chain.
In
2014, Aljoscha returned to live in Charlotteville, Tobago with his family. He took over a dive shop (Charlotteville
Adventure Dive Centre) and co-founded ERIC – Environmental Research Institute
of Charlotteville - together with local and international sustainability experts.
All his skills could now be put to good use on this project. By coincidence,
the UN Global Environmental Facility was investing in protecting areas of
global significance. For Trinidad and Tobago to qualify, a restructuring of the
current protected areas in Trinidad and Tobago needed to be done. Aljoscha was
hired to assess the possibility of a marine protected area in north-east
Tobago, including both Speyside and Charlotteville. He would assess the biological conditions and
viability of surrounding marine areas, as well as the community’s connection
and reliance on these areas, economically and inherently. In current
environmental surveys, the community’s opinion and understanding of their
surroundings must be considered. After all, they are the most familiar with the
history of the area and must take on the roles of guardians of the protected
area.
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| ERIC Marine Biologist, Lanya Fanovich, discussing the biology of the invasive lionfish at the University of Trinidad & Tobago Marine Science Showcase. Photo provided by ERIC. |
Aljoscha’s
aim is to connect the community to their environment, and allow them to take on
the responsibility for monitoring and maintaining healthy practices. Current marine
monitoring projects include long-term monitoring of coral reef health using the
standardised Reef Check method: data collected feeds into the larger database
where reef health can be assessed locally and compared to regional and global findings.
Other marine collaborative projects include the Global FinPrint project, an initiative
aimed at assessing the population of shark and rays worldwide. For this project,
sharks are lured to baited remote underwater cameras; as they come close, it is
possible to identify the species and to estimate size. Apart from the marine
monitoring, ERIC sustains itself economically through the dive centre, where
recreational divers have the opportunity to take part in eco-dives and to
be actively involved in the science and data collecting.
ERIC’s
founding group includes scientists from Trinidad and Tobago, Germany and Canada
anchored by members of the community of Charlotteville and north-east Tobago.
The diversity and expertise of the group, together with the local knowledge, work
well towards well-balanced views of any situation.
“ERIC
is still young and has a lot to prove. It will be challenging, but at the same
time has been very fulfilling, since everyone at ERIC – local or international
members – shares an appreciation for the land and marine environment and the
communities of north-east Tobago,” says Aljoscha.
For
more information about ERIC, please go to: www.eric-tobago.org. You can
also connect with them on facebook and twitter: @ERICTobagoWI
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