It's been a while but we are still at it! Thanks to all of your great contributions, the various Caribbean island projects have grown considerably, especially this one!

Additionally, we have held a stingless beekeeping workshop at Wa Samaki Ecosystems, with a pollination workshop to hopefully follow soon. The NGO Caribbean Alliance for Pollinator Conservation (CAPoC) has now also been registered and we are in the process of sorting out some details in that regard, with lots of activities in the works, such as a bee rescue network, a stingless bee identification and rearing project, and lots and lots of education initiatives. Stay tuned!

This is the second in a series of Pollinator updates (Pupdate) on the things we said we will do or things related to the implementation of the Trinidad and Tobago Pollinators Action Plan.

Activities completed to date (22nd September to 15th November 2018)

1. Promoting the iNaturalist TT project page on pollinators and pests at the Inception Workshop in Tobago for the 6th National Report to the CBD hosted by the Environmental Policy and Planning Division, Ministry of Planning and Development (EPPD).

2. Promoting the iNaturalist TT project page for citizen science inputs through personal and institutional networks (LD, DP, FH, EPPD)…123 observations, 48 species, 23 observers as at 15th November 2018.
   https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/pollinators-and-pests-of-trinidad-and-tobago

3. Orientation on the key findings of the IPBES Pollinators Assessment, the T&T Pollinators Conservation Action Plan and the iNaturalist TT project page to All Trinidad and Tobago Apiculture Cooperative Society Ltd., Extension; FAO World Food Day Exhibition in central Trinidad; staff of the Training and Information Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture (FH).
4. Revision of the T&T Pollinations Conservation Action Plan to also include activities of the All Trinidad and Tobago Apiculture Cooperative Society Ltd (ATTAC).
5. Presentation on the Importance of Pollinators to Agriculture and Biodiversity in T&T at the FAO World Food Day Exhibition (LD)
6. Awareness on benefits of bees and beekeeping by the All Trinidad and Tobago Apiculture Cooperative Society Ltd at the FAO World Food Day Exhibition.
7. Presentations on pollination and the iNaturlist TT project page to the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists Club and the University of the West Indies Biological Society (LD).
8. First Meeting with key government agencies to discuss actions to address the negative impacts of insecticides on honeybees (EPPD).
9. Second Meeting with key government agencies to discuss actions to address the negative impacts of insecticides on honeybees (EPPD).

Floyd Homer
19th November, 2018

This is the first in (hopefully) a series of Pollinator updates (Pupdate) on the things we said we will do or things related to the implementation of the TT Pollinators Action Plan. Please send me details of your activities related to our collective commitments at any time convenient to you…email is preferred, but short notes on our group whatsapp could suffice.

Activities completed to date (10-21st September, 2018)

1. Report on the Trialogue with recommendations prepared and submitted to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Planning and Development (DPersaud).
2. Setting up of iNaturalist project pages for T&T, GND and SLU (LDempewolf).
3. Design of flyer promoting the iNaturalist TT project page (MGowrie).
4. Promoting the iNaturalist TT project page at the Inception Workshop for the 6th National Report to the CBD (EPPD).
5. Promoting the iNaturalist TT project page through personal and institutional networks (LD, DP, FH, EPPD).
6. Orientation on iNaturalist TT project page to Dept of Agricultural Extension, UWI staff (FH).
7. Orientation on iNaturalist TT project page to UTT Staff (DP).
8. Discussion and agreement with the FAO Forest and Protected Areas Project to include several presentations on pollinators at their World Food Day Exhibition 16-17th October, 2018.
9. The iNaturalist TT project page promoted by UNDP on their project tracking site (UNDP).
10. Draft article on the Trialogue featuring LD and the iNaturalist TT project page to be finalized and posted on the UNDP BES-NET website (UNDP).
11. Draft memo to PermSec Ministry of Agriculture on results of the Trialogue and seeking cooperation in promotion of the T&T Pollinators Action Plan and the iNaturalist TT project page (FH&DP).

21st September, 2018
Floyd Homer