OECS ILM Project Management Team Launches Documentary on Forest Management

The Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) Project Management Team of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission is pleased to announce the release of a documentary, "The OECS Forestry Management Training Initiative," launched on June 17, 2024, which coincided with the observance of the 30th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNCCD) under the theme, "United for Land. Our Legacy."

This documentary is in line with the strategic goals of the OECS ILM project funded by the European Union (EU), which aims at increasing capacities and rehabilitating degraded lands within the OECS. The focus of the documentary is the training initiative in Management and Conservation of Forestry, Wildlife, Parks, and the Environment at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), which seeks not only to ensure the sustainability of the interventions of the OECS ILM Project, but also help to build a cadre of competent professionals committed to building the resilience of the OECS Region.

Featured in the documentary is the Honorable Minister Alfred Prospere of Saint Lucia, who holds the government portfolio for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Rural Development. Minister Prospere, a former student of the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, now part of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), underscored the need to build knowledge and skills in forestry management as a critical way of attaining resilience to the impacts of climate change.

The documentary relates the experiences and aspirations of eleven students from seven OECS Member States —Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, The Virgin Islands, and Anguilla. Their stories capture the essence of their journey and the transformative impact of the training initiative.

This launch took place at the OECS headquarters in a hybrid format. Present were the Honourable Minister Prospere, the OECS Director General, Dr. Didacus Jules, representatives from across the OECS Member States, students, senior staff from the OECS Commission, and lecturers from the UTT program.

The documentary was scripted and produced by the OECS Commission's Communications Unit headed by Ms. Loverly Anthony. Speaking about the production, Ms. Anthony said,

“With the production of this fuller length documentary, we are are charting new territory for the Communications Unit in providing deeper insights and a more compelling narrative of the direct impact of the work of the Commission with Member States.”

Mrs. Delamine Andrew-Williams, Senior Technical Specialist of the ILM Project, said that the initiative and documentary highlight the need for such continued support, given that the individual career investments would be too burdensome to go alone against the current salary scales within the region. The documentary is now available for viewing online, extending its reach to a global audience interested in sustainable environmental practices and OECS regional development.