About the Wetlands

The Belle Garden Wetland

Our wetland is located between the village of Belle Garden and the Atlantic coast, approximately four kilometres south west of Roxborough.

It covers an area of 1 square kilometre including marshes, mangroves, pasture, some marginal farming areas, two small rivers, bamboo patches, and a beautiful beach with sea grapes and sea almond trees.

The wetland is characterised as riverine and ephemeral; meaning that it is fed by the two small rivers and the level of flooding is seasonal depending on rain fall.

Currently the wetland is used by our and the surrounding communities for recreation on the beach, small scale farming and collection of fruits and medicinal herbs.

Crabbing and hunting have decimated the population of animals, but with our new effort and the support of the crabbers and hunters we have agreed on a five year hunting ban for the wetland. This will tremendously help for the wildlife population to recover and be used sustainably thereafter.

The major threat for the wetland is pollution with solid and liquid waste from the village, our awareness programmes, beach clean ups and presence at the wetland have already shown positive results; we are convinced that the Belle Garden Wetland will be one of the most clean and beautiful wetlands in Tobago in the near future.