Shenelle Ramkhelawan is the new Miss Supranational Trinidad and Tobago.
The 29-year-old beauty from La Romaine triumphed over 17 other contestants to claim the national title over the weekend.
Ramkhelawan is a Senior Network Engineer at Republic Bank Limited. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Project Management at the University of the West Indies.
She will represent Trinidad and Tobago next month in Malopolska, Poland, where she will compete against more than 80 women from around the world in hopes of succeeding Harashta Haifa Zahra of Indonesia as Miss Supranational 2025.
Meanwhile, Le Vaun Oliver is the new Mr Supranational T&T.
Oliver hails from Arima.
He competed against  Richard Noel – Mister Valencia and Cryss Downes – Mister Rio Claro to succeed Anderson Subero as Mister Supranational Trinidad and Tobago.
The Mister Supranational competition is set for 28 June 2025 in Poland.
(Source:The Loop, May 6, 2025)

With the global rise in popularity of our national instrument, the sweet sounds of the steelpan have become increasingly familiar, thanks to faithful members of our diaspora who act as good stewards of the culture to ensure that it is preserved and shared.
One such individual is Wanda Atkins, president of Calyps’Atlantic, a steelpan ensemble based in the Western French city of Nantes.
The isolation of the pandemic pushed Atkins to start thinking about using the internet as a medium to foster camaraderie between the disparate groups, and thus, the French Panorama was born.
Now in its fourth year, the online event is still going strong and on April 26, roughly 300 players from eight bands across different cities show their skills and compete against each other with original arrangements and evaluated by a panel of esteemed judges both from T&T and abroad.
This year’s lineup of judges includes Panorama’s first female title holder, veteran pannist and arranger, Michelle Huggins-Watts, former National Steel Symphony Orchestra (NSSO) artistic director and conductor Akua Leith, Northern Illinois University School for the Arts Steelband Director Yuko Asada and steelpan recording artist, Yoshihiro Harada, the first Japanese national to play in a T&T band. In previous years, American-born jazz musician and steelband arranger Andy Narell, Panograma founder Nevin Roach and half of DnK Steel, Danielle George were among those on the judging panel.

Atkins spoke of the pushback she initially received after floating the idea to some colleagues in the French pan fraternity, saying that while they seem to love playing the instrument, getting the French players to associate music-making with competition was another thing entirely. The French, she explained, don’t view music as a competitive activity in the way that they do with sports.
“People were against it,” she admitted, surmising that she “must have talked to the right people,” as everything started getting off the ground not long afterward.
The members of the French bands, while mostly from mainland France with a few hailing from the French West Indies, are not all newcomers to the instrument. Although many of them learned to play the instrument by rote, others are more seasoned musicians who have visited Trinidad and played with local bands—including Hadco Phase II Pan Groove and WITCO Desperadoes, among others—over the years.
Keeping close to the culture
The bands, although based in France, do not operate in a creative vacuum; rather, they remain very much connected to pan culture, keeping their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in Trinidad and Tobago, which allows them to ensure that their repertoire is up-to-date. Collaboration with veteran Trinbagonian arrangers and pan tuners is part of this effort. Multiple Panorama title holder, pannist and arranger Duvone Stewart is one such collaborator—he’s served as the band’s artistic director since 2003 and facilitates in-person workshops a few times a year. (You can read more about Stewart’s work with Calyps’Atlantic here.)
For the love of pan
With the event still in its nascent stages, there are no cash prizes for the winners; rather, the champions take home a trophy and earn bragging rights as those who managed to make the best impression on the experienced judges. But the event’s small budget aside, there’s more to the prize not being a monetary one—the French Panorama wasn’t created with the aim of fostering a competitive spirit around pan-playing, but rather to encourage cultural exchange and ambassadorship, build inter-group camaraderie and offer a virtual bridge for members of the various groups to share their love of the instrument where city lines and the business of transporting the instruments present logistical and financial hindrances.
Atkins and the team at Calyps’Atlantic managed to pull off an in-person meeting of the bands only once so far, last May. In the cool warmth of spring, some 14 bands assembled for Pan’Fest, a free, open-air event that offered eager audiences arrangements of soca, calypso, as well as pop and soul numbers, showcasing the versatility of the instrument. Stewart attended as a guest of honour and spoken word artist and poet Anthony Joseph and his band wrapped up the evening.
Good weather, delicious food—including a doubles stand run by Paris-dwelling Trini couple Carla and Justin Audroing—and sweet music made the day a success, however, it was an expensive, herculean undertaking to get all the bands in the same place. Atkins hopes to repeat this in subsequent years, perhaps even to have an in-person Panorama in the coming years.
Her goal is to ensure that the French overseas territories are also included. It’s been more of a challenge to get the bands from the French West Indies to participate, however, this year, Reunion Island will be represented, and Atkins considers that a great start, considering the level of coordination across different time zones and cultures.
In the end, an aspect of the French desire for non-competition remained in the concept, and the event has two categories, judged and non-judged, with participants free to choose which they enter.
“A lot of people feel very intimidated to do it,” Atkins said. “So it would be a shame not to actually give them the possibility [to participate].”
A bridge back home
The first American-born child in a Trinbagonian family, Atkins spent most of her childhood in Connecticut, where she was introduced to music at a young age.
“Piano saved me,” she said, recalling her school days in the US when she was faced with bullying and turned to the piano and the clarinet, among other instruments, as an escape.
Leaving the music behind in early adulthood, it caught up to her when she relocated to Nantes in 1993 after her uncle sent her a tenor pan.
“After I received the pan, everything changed,” she shared.
The unique gift pushed Atkins to go in search of community in her new home, and with her musical background, she couldn’t accept such a gift and not use it.
“I couldn’t just keep it in a box somewhere.”
Atkins soon reawakened her musical side, joining the ranks of Calyps’Atlantic and finding community with the group that she is still a part of some 15 years later.
She said that playing pan serves as a bridge back to the place she calls home, which, interestingly, isn’t Connecticut, but Roxborough and Arima, the places that have given her an appreciation for culture, a love of music, and the identity she wears with pride. She makes an effort to visit every year, immersing herself in the large families that welcome her with every trip.
Through her work with Calyps’Atlantic and her organisation of the annual event, Atkins continues to maintain that bridge, expanding it a little further each year.
She is proud of the work she’s done and is grateful to the many collaborators who join her in celebrating her home culture, who believe in the project and continue to help bring it to fruition. She revels in the atmosphere of community encouraged by the love of the instrument.
“I see all the connections being made,” Atkins said, “It’s tradition, it’s identity. I can’t leave this behind.”
The French Panorama will be broadcast live on their YouTube channel on April 26 at 2pm (Trinidad)/8pm (France) and will be available for viewing afterward.
Check out the channel for interviews with the judges and performances from previous years and their Instagram page for updates.
(Story by Tevin Gall, The Loop, April 3, 2025)

​Nelson Island is one of a cluster of size small islands called the Five Islands located in the Gulf of Paria approximately 2.5 kilometres due south of Chaguaramas. Nelson Island holds so many stories of our historical past.
Firstly, the island was supposedly used as a trading post by the First Peoples before the 15th century trans-Atlantic contact period
From the 1820's, the islands were given out as grants for holiday homes for the British elite living in Trinidad. It was named after Dr. Neilson, who was granted the land. The island was previously known as Stephenson's Island and was used as a garrison in the early 1800s . According to an article posted by National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago it was eventually renamed for Dr Neilson, when the grant was taken back.
Later on in the in the 19th and early 20th century the tiny island served as disembarkation point and quarantine station for East Indian indentured servants to Trinidad. On arrival at Nelson Island everything,including the ship, immigrants their belongings and foodstuff were inspected and fumigated. The East Indian immigrants who were brought to serve as indentured servants on sugar estates in Trinidad after the quarantine period were then transported in small boats to Port of Spain and then dispatched to various sugar estates.
Did you know that the first ship to enter Nelson Island was the Humber on Wednesday December 26, 1866? The Humber brought 473 immigrants from India which brought 473 east indian immigrants: 329 men, 84 women, 32 boys and 14 girls ? Records pertaining to that voyage indicates that of this number 25 immigrants unfortunately, did not survive the journey. Nelson Island, a limestone islet in the group known as the Five Islands off Port of Spain harbour became to Trinidad what Ellis Island was to New York City- a gateway to a new life for an alien people.( Angelo Bissessarsingh , 2010)
In World War Two, the island served as a naval station for the United States Navy, an internment camp for enemy alien internees and a detention centre for labour leader Tubal Uriah Buzz Butler. The island was again used as a detention center 1970 to house 50 individuals associated with Trinidad’s Black Power Revolution. '
Today Nelson Island is listed as one of our heritage sites by the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago who offer tours to interested persons wanting to visit this historical site.
Photo : Nelson Island circa 1940
Credit to following sources:
Nelson Island- Indentureship’s Gateway to Trinidad. Author : Angelo Bissessarsingh
Nelson Island and Indian Indentureship in Trinidad.” The National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Five Islands article written by LESLIE-ANN PAUL of the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago published in Newsday Wednesday 29 April 2020

After a year-long hiatus, the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (TTFF), one of the Caribbean’s most influential platforms for regional cinema, is making a dynamic return in 2025 under new leadership – and it’s calling on Caribbean filmmakers to submit their work for this year’s showcase.
In a media release, award-winning filmmaker and new festival director, Mariel Brown says she is heartened by the response to the festival’s return from filmmakers, audience members and supporters of the TTFF. “It feels like there is genuine excitement and energy around this year’s festival,” she said, remarking that supporters have been reaching out to her and the TTFF Advisory Group to express their excitement at the festival’s presence.
“We’ve had a phenomenal response so far. Submissions are up by 40 per cent compared to the last submission period in 2023,” Brown said. “We’re on track to receive over 340 submissions, a clear sign that Caribbean storytelling is burgeoning.”
Under the management of Savant Ltd, the revitalised TTFF is placing a bold emphasis on regional identity and diversity. A new programming team has been appointed, with a clear mandate to spotlight films from the English, Spanish, Dutch and French-speaking Caribbean, the release said.


“We are unapologetically Caribbean,” Brown affirmed. “It’s a declaration which underscores the chutzpah and dynamism of the developing Caribbean film scene over the last decade and a half and the festival’s role within it.”
Brown stressed the importance of representation and visibility for Caribbean people, noting that local audiences have long consumed international content without seeing themselves reflected on screen.
“There’s something deeply powerful about seeing – and hearing ourselves, our language, our music – our lives portrayed in authentic ways.
“That’s what TTFF has always championed: telling our stories to our community, for our community.”
This year’s festival, its 19th edition, will feature 80 films, each screened at least twice to maximise audience engagement and ensure filmmakers receive the exposure they deserve.
The festival will run from September 24-30 in Woodbrook, Port of Spain.
In a move to deepen its regional and international impact, TTFF has also brought on an advisory group comprising leading creative and industry professionals, including: Melanie Archer – award-winning designer and curator (TT), Leslie Fields-Cruz – executive director of Black Public Media (USA), Kareem J Mortimer – executive producer and award-winning filmmaker (The Bahamas/ USA) Renee Robinson – international film industry expert and former film commissioner (Jamaica) and Donna N Thomas – senior business consultant (TT), the release said.
“These are people with deep roots in film, design, business, and international markets. Their expertise is helping to shape the future of the festival,” Brown said.


Since its founding in 2005 by film historian, academic and producer Dr Bruce Paddington, TTFF has remained committed to showcasing Caribbean cinema. It has been instrumental in launching the careers of many of the region’s acclaimed filmmakers, such as Jamaica’s Storm Saulter and Gabrielle Blackwood; Kareem Mortimer and Maria Govan from The Bahamas, Bruno Mourral (Haiti), Vashti Anderson (TT/ USA), Ian Harnarine (TT/ Canada) and Damian Marcano (TT).
“In a very real way, the TTFF has served as a launchpad for the Caribbean film industry. It has spotlighted the region as a hub for creativity and cinematic excellence,” said Brown.
Filmmakers interested in submitting their work can do so via FilmFreeway by May 12.
Follow TTFF on social media: @ttfilmfestival (Instagram, Twitter and Threads); ttfilmfestival.com.
(Source: Newsday May 9, 2025)

Each year in May, we shower our mothers with flowers, gifts, and gratitude but how much do we really know about the origins of Mother’s Day? Beyond the greeting cards and brunches lies a rich and sometimes surprising history.
Here are six fascinating facts about Mother’s Day that might just change how you see this heartfelt holiday.
1. Mother’s Day has ancient roots
Although the modern celebration of Mother’s Day as we know it began in the early 20th century, the idea of honouring mothers dates back thousands of years. Ancient civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans held festivals dedicated to mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele celebrating motherhood and fertility. These festivals involved offerings, feasts, and rituals to honour maternal figures.
2. The modern Mother’s Day was started by a peace activist
The Mother’s Day we know today was championed by Anna Jarvis in the early 20th century. After her own mother’s death in 1905, Jarvis campaigned to create a national holiday to honor mothers for their service and sacrifice. Interestingly, her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, had organized “Mother’s Day Work Clubs” to improve health and sanitation, and even promoted peace after the Civil War.
3. Mother’s Day was initially a religious observance
Before becoming a secular holiday, Mother’s Day was originally a religious observance. In the United States, it was linked to church services and prayer. Anna Jarvis herself wanted Mother’s Day to be a day for churchgoing, prayer, and quiet reflection on the importance of motherhood, rather than commercial festivities.
4. Anna Jarvis later fought against the holiday’s commercialization
Ironically, Anna Jarvis grew to despise the very holiday she helped create. She was dismayed by the commercialization of Mother’s Day greeting cards, floral arrangements, and candy sales felt like an insult to the sincerity she intended. She even filed lawsuits and organized boycotts, hoping to return the holiday to its original purpose.
5. Mother’s Day became official in 1914
After years of campaigning, Anna Jarvis finally saw her dream realized when President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914, declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in the United States. It quickly gained popularity and was adopted in various forms around the world.
6. It’s celebrated differently around the world
Although the sentiment is universal, Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates and in unique ways across the globe. In Ethiopia, families gather for a multi-day festival called Antrosht, filled with food, dancing, and storytelling. In Thailand, Mother’s Day is observed on August 12, the birthday of Queen Sirikit, and includes parades and public ceremonies.

​White Hall, originally called Rosenweg, the largest of the private homes on Maraval Road, was built in 1904 by Joseph Leon Agostini, a cocoa planter. Construction commenced in 1904 in accordance with Mr. Agostini’s own design, influenced by a Moorish Mediterranean style and reminiscent of the architecture of Corsica from where the Agostini family originated. Construction took three years.
After J. L. Agostini's death in 1906 his family remained in residence until 1910. Unable to meet mortgage payments, the mortgagee, William Gordon Grant, foreclosed. Thee property was then sold to Mr. Robert Henderson, an American businessman from Venezuela. During his ownership, a delightful variety in the furnishings of the interior was added to the refined dignity of the exterior. The Henderson family renamed it White Hall after the white coral stone from which it is built.
During the Second World War, with the arrival of the United States Forces in Trinidad, White Hall was commandeered from the Siegert family, heirs of Robert Henderson, as the headquarters of the Air Raid Precaution. In 1944, the British Council rented the building as a cultural centre. Later, the Trinidad Central Library, Regional Library, National Archives, Government Broadcasting Unit, Trinidad Art Society and the Cellar Club all rented or occupied space in the building. From 1949, the building remained empty until 1954, when it was purchased by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
In 1957 White Hall was occupied by the Pre-Federal Interim Government prior to the establishment of the West Indies Federation in 1958. In 1963, it became the Office of the Prime Minister occupied by the Hon. Dr. Eric Williams, Trinidad and Tobago's first Prime Minister after Independence.
Restored in 2000, White Hall continued to be occupied by the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago until 2009.
Further restoration was completed in August 2019 . (Source: Angelo Bissessarsingh's Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, May 10, 2025. Credit to author Geoffrey MacLean)

Trinidad and Tobago’s junior athletes wrapped up their campaign at the 2025 Carifta Athletics Championships on home soil with a total of 25 medals.
Over the course of three days, the athletes secured nine gold, six silver, and ten bronze medals—just shy of last year’s tally of 27 (four gold, 11 silver, and 12 bronze).
Trinidad and Tobago’s best finish at the regional athletics championships came in the 2005 edition, held in Tobago, when the team captured 13 gold, 14 silver, and nine bronze medals.

Jamaica finished atop the medal table with 78 medals, including 30 golds, while The Bahamas claimed 37, mirroring last year’s top three standings.
Some standout performances for Team TTO included Christopher Sammy, who claimed gold in the Boys Under-17 1,500 metres and 3,000 metres. Tobagonian junior distance runner Oshéa Cummings won gold in the Girls Under-17 1,500 metres and bronze in the 3,000 metres.
Tyrique Vincent made history by becoming the first Carifta champion in the Boys Under-20 decathlon. He amassed 6,522 points across ten events, narrowly edging out Grenada’s Jurel Clement, who earned 6,510 points for his efforts. 
Vincent’s sister, Tenique, also delivered a strong performance, winning the Girls Heptathlon Open with a total of 4,019 points.
Dylan Woodruffe stormed to a silver medal in the Boys Under-20 100 metres, clocking a personal best of 10.30 seconds.
In the 4×100 metre relays, Trinidad and Tobago earned three bronze medals and one silver. (Source: The Loop, April 22, 2025)

The Caribbean is bracing itself for an intense hurricane season. A fragrant plant could help limit damage from extreme weather in Trinidad.
In the early hours on a Saturday morning, deep into the dry season, Mary Romany-Constantine makes her way down the steep hills of Paramin – a village on the northern coast of the Caribbean island of Trinidad – to a farmer's market in Diego Martin, with her wares in tow. Homemade wines, bars of soap, bundles of fragrant roots, all displayed on delicately woven mats and in decorative baskets – also for sale.
Romany-Constantine makes this wide variety of items all from a single plant that is now responsible for protecting much of the hilly land across Paramin. Its unique root system can function like a retaining wall for areas prone to land slippage when it is planted correctly. Around the world it is known as vetiver grass, but in Paramin the older residents who grew up using the plant call it "metiver".
The hillsides of the agricultural community are covered in beds of aromatic "green seasoning": chives, thyme, basil, parsley, mint, rosemary. But the roots of these plants are no match for the heavy rains of the June to December wet season, and every year communities like Paramin lose precious fertile topsoil to erosion and landslides. While locals give anecdotal information on the damage done over the years, there's a dearth of research on exactly how severe the problem is.
"Whenever we had a lot of rain, the farmers would have landslides and would lose some of their crops," says Romany-Constantine. She says she has long been connected to the greenery around her. In her garden, she grows perfumed vetiver, which is able to withstand the extreme weather that the islands are facing – primarily heavy rainfall which leads to flooding and landslides.
Climate change is dramatically increasing the risk of powerful hurricanes in the Caribbean and the region is currently bracing itself for a super-charged season. Early forecasts are estimating that 2024's Atlantic hurricane season could be among the most active on record.
The islands of Trinidad and Tobago lie on the edge of the "hurricane belt" and hurricanes rarely make landfall, but the islands are vulnerable to increased flooding and hillside erosion. Flash flooding and above-normal rainfall is predicted for this year.






​The most destructive hurricanes to hit the Caribbean
Hurricane Maria, 2017: Maria hit Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles while they were still recovering from Hurricane Irma, killing more than 3,000 people and reaching windspeeds of up to 175mph (280 km/h).
Hurricane Ike, 2008: Flooding and mudslides killed 74 people in Haiti and two in the Dominican Republic.
Hurricane Wilma, 2005: Wilma killed 22 people across the Caribbean and caused $16.8bn (£13.2bn) in damage.
Hurricane David, 1978: David caused more than 2,000 deaths and $1.54bn in damage. Waves as high as 30ft (9.1m) were recorded and mudslides killed hundreds.
For the past decade, the Paramin community has been working with IAMovement, a local non-profit organisation, to enable young people to plant vetiver along vulnerable hillsides to help protect the land from the flooding and landslides that come with more extreme weather in the rainy season.
Non-native, but not invasiveVetiver grass itself is not native to the Caribbean, although there is anecdotal evidence of it growing here for at least the past 50 years. The plant is endemic to India, but the more commonly used types of vetiver have been introduced into many tropical countries, where it can thrive without becoming invasive – it requires human intervention to spread. 
When removed from the ground, the fragrant roots can be used to produce an oil for perfumes and cosmetics or woven into mats and other crafts. But in the ground is where the plants really shine.
The word vetiver comes from the Tamil word vettiveru, meaning "root that is dug up" – and it is the vetiver roots that make it such a vital tool for soil protection and rehabilitation. A study on vetiver use in Australia and South Africa found the plant to be highly effective for land stabilisation and for revegetation of contaminated sites due to its tolerance for "extreme soil conditions including heavy metal contaminations".

Instead of building a wall I’m going to plant vetiver – Mary Romany-ConstantineThe fibrous roots are thick when mature, and can extend down to 3m (10ft) deep within two years of planting – eventually reaching over twice that depth in suitable conditions. A hedge of vetiver creates a network of roots holding the land in place. The roots are incredibly strong. A study published in 1996 measured the tensile strength – the maximum stress a material can bear before breaking – of vetiver roots, with the average root strength being about one third of the tensile strength of steel. The roots also have the added impact of strengthening the soil that surrounds the roots.
Rehabilitating the landscapeFor Jonathan Barcant, founder of IAMovement, the high rate of land slippage in Paramin – and the community's historical use of vetiver grass – made this community the ideal space to launch the vetiver education and planting programme. "I was desperately looking for green solutions," he says.
Barcant, who hails from the nearby town of Maraval and previously worked as an engineer on mining projects, found himself overwhelmed after witnessing the destructive impact the industry had on the environment around it.
Barcant's work involves rehabilitating the land that has been damaged by quarries, where vetiver can be planted to help make the soil more fertile for less hardy plants that are native to the region, unlike vetiver. Barcant's project has already seen success. The initiative is currently engaging community members from the Turure area of Sangre Grande, where quarrying has left land in need of remediation. The participants learn how to work with vetiver grass, sargassum seaweed for mulching, and reforestation with native trees to rehabilitate the landscape. The IAMovement's "Me We Green" programme has helped establish over 158,0000 vetiver plants in nine communities across the country.
Romany-Constantine is one of several residents involved in Barcant's vetiver project. She hopes to use the plant to stabilise the land around her house.
"It makes such a difference," says Romany-Constantine. "It's been helping a lot of people… It actually works like a wall – where I'm building my house, instead of building a wall I’m going to plant [vetiver]."
The grass also helps water from rainfall to infiltrate the soil more widely rather than just flowing over the top of the land and taking the top layer of soil with it. A 2019 study in Ethiopia found that the tight mesh of a vetiver root system slows water flow and helps it to seep deeper into the soil.
For Aidan Farrell, senior lecturer in plant physiology at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, vetiver is one of several plant "tools" that can help alleviate the issues of flooding and erosion on a smaller scale.
"The scientific community is on the lookout for these nature-based solutions more than ever when it comes to climate change," says Farrell. "As a solution, [vetiver] is more of a limited scale – it's not a whole habitat; it's one species."
Trinidad and Tobago is slipping into the hurricane …There could be massive destruction in the country – John Agard
The importance of protecting slopes matters not only to the people who live there, but also the communities in the nearby valleys. "Areas such as Port of Spain are surrounded by slopes where the native vegetation has been removed," says Farrell. He notes that flash flooding and landslips have been associated with extreme weather like tropical storms making landfall in Trinidad. "Restoring vegetation would help retain moisture in the soil and hold the soil together, reducing the risk of flooding and landslides."
But solving the problem requires ongoing care, says Farrell. "Planting is easy, but keeping healthy vegetation throughout the tropical dry season is difficult."
Holding up the communityAnother of Barcant's projects works with communities in Laventille, a town just outside the capital city of Port of Spain. Unlike the rural Paramin, Laventille is a densely populated area.
Jennifer Cumberbatch, a long-time Laventille resident, watched as the house where she was raised collapse and slid down the hillside. "From childhood growing up, that area used to slip," she says, adding that underground springs nearby made the soil unstable.
In 2022, the entire side of the hill fell away. After the landslip, Cumberbatch says, her daughter did some research and found out about IAMovement's local "Me We Green" programme.
While on a site visit to Cumberbatch's house, Barcant is shown the remains of a road nearby, which is now a thin strip of asphalt with two gouged-out cliffs on either side. While the land around Cumberbatch is falling away, the slopes around her plot is holding firm with curving rows of dense vetiver.
The first batch of over 700 vetiver plants took about an hour or two to plant, with the Cumberbatch family working the soil alongside four members of the IAMovement team. Within four months, they had a flourishing row of hedges.
Not all vetiver planting projects are a resounding success. Further north, Mary Romany-Constantine's sister Julie, known to family and friends as Erlyn, has also been a part of the vetiver planting programme. The mountain wall overlooking her house is layered with thin vetiver. But unlike the hearty bushes at other locations, these have not grown as full. Because of their position on the mountainside, they are shaded from the sun for most of the day.
This is one of the limitations of working with vetiver – Barcant notes that he has observed the grass needs a great deal of direct sunlight to thrive. For it to be an effective solution, it needs to be planted in a structured manner to achieve the underground root wall effect provided by the hedgerows. In addition, vetiver growth can be slow. In situations where a piece of land is in urgent need of support, Barcant says, it may be better to use other options like a retaining wall, as the plants need at least two years to grow to an effective depth.
Shifting hurricane pathsLike many of the mountainous parts of Trinidad and Tobago, Paramin has always been susceptible to the landslides and soil erosion that accompany the region's rainy season, although data on exactly how affected the area has been is sparse.
Romany-Constantine recalls how farmers across the hillsides have lost many crops over the years to landslips. As climate change alters the Caribbean's rainy season, solving this issue becomes more urgent. The Caribbean Regional Climate Centre has noted that this year could see an intense wet season.
Trinidad and Tobago's position just outside of the main passageway for hurricanes has offered some protection. Though hurricanes have only made landfall in Trinidad and Tobago twice in recorded history, the devastation was intense. Hurricane Flora hit in 1963, and subsequently destroyed 2,750 of Tobago's 7,500 houses, caused massive landslides, felled 75% of Tobago's trees, and killed 20 people across the two islands. 
But the climate crisis may be altering that trajectory, according to John Agard, professor of tropical island ecology at The University of the West Indies. Hurricanes thrive on warmer waters, and climate change affects sea-surface temperatures across the globe.
"Trinidad and Tobago is slipping into the hurricane zone because of heat development," says Agard. "There could be massive destruction in the country."
Habitat-wide restorationUltimately, to see a widespread rehabilitation of Trinidad's landscapes, Farrell stresses it is important to look to large-scale reforestation of native vegetation. Farrell points to the success of the country's other main island, Tobago, and the effect of protecting the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, a mountainous forest across the spine of the island and the oldest legally protected forest reserve in the world.
Walking through one of the trails across the reserve, you can feel the difference in moisture – the soil is damp even during the scorching dry season affecting the rest of the island this year. According to Farrell, this protection means older, more resilient root systems across the ridge, which help protect the land from landslides in the rainy season and forest fires in the dry. He says that in the mountains of Trinidad's northern range, where large swathes of tree cover have been removed, replanting is vital to rehabilitating the landscape – and vetiver is just one of many tools in a wider arsenal.
As the islands prepare for the possibility of intensified wet seasons and perhaps a future of hurricanes reaching the shores of Trinidad and Tobago, it is important that community projects like this one work in tandem with a range of other nature-focused responses to the issues surrounding climate change, says Farrell.
"People are looking for nature-based solutions," he says. "That includes bringing agroforestry intro agriculture, maintaining mangroves on the coast to avoid coastal erosion, and trying to maintain native forests."
With such incredible biodiversity at their fingertips, he says, that the island has many natural tools to reach for, and vetiver is just one of them. (Source; BBC.com, June 2024)