Tucker Valley, Trinidad & Tobago — 2.83 hectares under active conservation
A Forest Worth Protecting. A Plan Built to Last.
The Arboretum Conservancy executes native forest conservation protocols across 2.83 hectares in Tucker Valley, Chaguaramas, Trinidad & Tobago. Operations are supported by the CCRIF SPC to evaluate adaptive agrivoltaic infrastructure and agricultural crop performance under changing regional climate risks.
We work alongside the natural rhythms of Tucker Valley's forest landscape — including the Covigne River corridor — combining native reforestation, root-engineered soil drainage, and community stewardship to demonstrate what sustainable land use in Trinidad and Tobago can look like.
$25,000
CCRIF SPC grant
2.83 ha
Land under conservation
Aerial view of the forested valley and Covigne River corridor, Tucker Valley
Safeguarding pristine local spring-water sources and optimizing root-engineered soil configurations.
Flood Mitigation
Deploying sustainable softscaping strategies designed to actively reduce flash-flooding risk.
Restoration & Education
Empowering communities through restoration projects, micro-refugiums, and environmental stewardship.
Biodiversity & species protection
A globally significant pocket of biodiversity
In a 24-hour survey of Tucker Valley in November 2012, researchers from the University of the West Indies Zoology Museum and the Trinidad & Tobago Field Naturalists' Club recorded 685 species — among them mantled howler monkeys and green parrots, still regularly seen and heard along the Arboretum's trails today.
685
Species recorded (UWI/TTFNC Bioblitz)
98
Bird species identified
11
Mammals, incl. howler monkeys
210
Plant species documented
Source: Tucker Valley Bioblitz 2012, UWI Zoology Museum & Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club — a point-in-time survey, not an annual count.
Howler monkeys are among the resident species whose canopy habitat depends on standing forest cover.
Pollinators like this hummingbird link the forest's health directly to the wider ecosystem it sustains.
Global impact
Aligned with international conservation frameworks
15UN SDG 15 — Life on LandGEF PrioritiesUN Global AgendaCCRIF SPC
Land under conservation2.83 ha target
Help us protect another hectare of Tucker Valley
Every donation funds native tree planting, spring-water monitoring, and trail stewardship in Tucker Valley.
Building a more sustainable and resilient Trinidad & Tobago.
Who we are
A place for nature, learning & community
The Arboretum Conservancy is a non-profit organization being developed to advance environmental conservation, biodiversity, education, and sustainable development in Trinidad and Tobago.
We work to conserve and promote indigenous flora and fauna while creating opportunities for research, education, horticulture, and community engagement.
Through partnerships and community participation, we aim to encourage greater appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of our natural environment.
Our founder
Hayden Als
While training at a premier landscape construction institution in the United Kingdom, Trinidadian Hayden Als encountered his first arboretum — a place where trees are grown for educational and artistic purposes — and the idea stayed with him.
On returning home, he leased six acres on Trinidad's North-West peninsula and began shaping it into an arboretum of his own, drawing on skills gained at Merrist Wood Agricultural College in Surrey, England, and more than 40 years of landscape projects across Trinidad and Tobago.
Sculpting the existing forest and adding further planting where needed, the result is a garden of covered and sheltered spaces, solid walking surfaces, and stands of bamboo and trees set against the backdrop of the Northern Range. The Arboretum has been a work in progress since 2000 and opened to the public in 2003 — fed by spring water from the adjoining higher elevation, with nature trails fanning out from the site in every direction. Its bamboo stands and forest canopy are a haven for birds, butterflies, and wildlife, including howler and capuchin monkeys.
Our purpose
Where conservation meets community
We seek to provide a space where conservation, education, horticulture, research, and community engagement work together to support a sustainable future.
Our work is focused on increasing public awareness, encouraging participation, and creating opportunities for people to connect with Trinidad & Tobago's natural heritage.
Vision & mission
Where we're headed
Our Vision
To become a Caribbean leader in sustainable environmental conservation and biodiversity — creating a future where people and nature thrive together.
Our Mission
To build the Conservancy into a commercially sustainable organization — growing through business development and by partnering with collaborators to expand knowledge and drive action in tree cultivation, environmental education, and research, while drawing technical and financial support from the local, regional, and international donor community.
Strategic focus
Aligned with national & global goals
The Conservancy's work supports Trinidad and Tobago's efforts to reduce the nation's carbon footprint, in keeping with the United Nations' Global Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals — particularly SDG 15: to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss.
Mandate: to pursue the organization's long-term sustainability while supporting the Government of Trinidad and Tobago's SDG agenda for environmental conservation.
Various species of plants, trees, and flowers are being developed and cultivated to support research, education, environmental conservation, health and wellness, and related activities — for the public's enjoyment and knowledge of agriculture and horticulture, and to secure the country's sustainable future.
UN SDG 15 — Life on LandGEF PrioritiesUN Global AgendaCCRIF SPC
Our board
Leadership & governance
Governance is established through a Board and a Management/Operational structure. The Board of Directors is constituted with a minimum of five and a maximum of seven members, providing leadership, governance, and strategic direction for the organization.
Collectively, the Board brings experience across business management, finance, agriculture and horticulture, education, research, tourism, and related fields.
Together, the Board works to support the organization's vision while guiding its development, partnerships, and long-term sustainability.
Hayden Als
Controller
Stuart Als
Secretary
Donald Baldeosingh
Director — President, ENMAN Group & Carbon Zero Institute of T&T
Mino Dimaggio
Director
In partnership with
Landscape Designs
The Arboretum's grounds are shaped and maintained by Landscape Designs, a landscaping and conservation management company operating for more than twenty years across public and private sector projects in Trinidad and Tobago — specializing in landscape architecture design, maintenance of gardens and outdoor spaces, and the cultivation of plants, trees, shrubs, and small crops.
Be part of the journey
Conservation is stronger when communities, organizations, and individuals work together.
The Conservancy has begun laying the groundwork for its first Agrivoltaics Demonstration Project — a small-scale site exploring how solar arrays and crop rows can share the same acre of Tucker Valley land. Early planning covers thermal shading for dry-season soil, water-retention strategies, and low-flow irrigation.
"This initiative aims to show that energy transition and agricultural preservation can move forward hand-in-hand." — The Board of Directors
Stewardship Spotlight
Community Development Legacy
Building the business case for sustainability in Tucker Valley
A look at how local advocates are shifting community conversations toward sustainability — connecting public engagement work with practical, on-the-ground conservation goals for Trinidad & Tobago.
Trail & Watershed Restoration
Tucker Valley, Trinidad & Tobago
Restoring trails and managing watersheds in Tucker Valley
Tucker Valley's trails are used daily by hikers, mountain bikers, and nature lovers. Heavy tropical rainfall and natural debris frequently block water channels, and when that happens, trail surfaces erode and the surrounding ecosystem takes the damage. Our team recently carried out hands-on trail maintenance and waterway clearance across several multi-use corridors to reduce seasonal erosion risk.
What we did
Cleared blocked waterways — unblocked and reshaped natural water channels that were backing up onto footpaths, hiking trails, bike tracks, and dirt roadways.
Restored drainage lines — reopened drainage along the trail shoulders to redirect pooling water away from walking and riding surfaces, reducing rutting and topsoil loss.
Reopened trail corridors — cleared heavy bamboo falls and dense brush to restore safe, clear passage for visitors and the community.
When trails flood, people are naturally forced off the designated path to avoid mud and standing water — widening into informal "social trails" that trample sensitive plant life and disturb habitat. Left unmanaged, the same water turns dirt roads into fast-flowing gullies, washing sediment into habitats downstream. Keeping water moving cleanly off the trails protects the forest floor, trail integrity, and water quality alike.
Reopening the trail corridors
Fallen bamboo had collapsed across the main route, blocking it completely. The team cut back the blockage and cleared the margins to restore safe, full-width passage.
BeforeBamboo fall blocking the main route.AfterThe corridor cleared back to full width.
Unlocking natural drainage lines
Tangled woody debris in a hillside ravine was acting like a dam. Clearing the low-lying brush exposed the natural drainage line so rainfall can bypass the trail entirely.
BeforeA ravine choked with fallen branches and brush.AfterLow-lying tangles cleared to expose the drainage line.
More from the trail day
Another stretch of the bamboo blockage before clearing.A cleared bamboo tunnel, reopened for foot and bike traffic.The crew clearing cut bamboo, with equipment on hand.Cut bamboo repurposed on the slope to help control erosion.A cleared trail margin bordering the forest understory.Trail edge cleared near the heliconia and banana stands.
Get involved
Trail and watershed stewardship is ongoing, especially ahead of the heavy rainy season. We rely on community support to keep Tucker Valley's trails safe and accessible.
Agrivoltaics brings renewable energy and agriculture together on the same land — creating a chance to explore how one acre can support multiple environmental, agricultural, and energy functions.
Food
Explore climate-smart agricultural production and crop performance under partial shade.
Energy
Generate renewable electricity while maintaining agricultural activity below the panels.
Water
Investigate relationships between shade, microclimate, soil moisture, and water needs.
Resilience
Explore practical approaches to climate-smart land use and community resilience.
Crop selection
Planned crops for the demonstration
The initial planting plan for the agrivoltaics unit focuses on short-cycle culinary herbs and leafy vegetables, selected to evaluate crop performance under partial shade.
Fine-leaf Thyme
Chadon Beni
Parsley
Celery
Kale
Chive
Where things stand
Inside the demonstration plot
The facility combines a shade-covered growing structure with elevated, soilless growing channels, a rainwater harvesting system, and on-site solar power generation — the agrivoltaics system now running at Tucker Valley.
Shown here: the shade structure and elevated growing channels that make up the facility's growing area.
Site stabilization
Protecting the Covigne River bank
The Covigne River flanks the Arboretum site, and its bank has been subject to ongoing erosion. The Conservancy has carried out bank-stabilization work along this section using tightly packed, soil-filled tires to reduce further soil loss and support natural regrowth.
Erosion-control work along the Covigne River bank, using repurposed tires as low-cost retaining structures ahead of revegetation.
Education · Research · Demonstration
A living laboratory for the Caribbean
A practical learning environment where farmers, students, researchers, community members, and other stakeholders can observe the interaction between agriculture, renewable energy, and the environment.
Demonstrate
Show how renewable energy and agricultural production can be integrated on shared land.
Research
Generate observations and data from a practical, working demonstration environment.
Educate
Translate lessons into practical knowledge for farmers, students, and communities.
Community & stakeholders
Who benefits
Farmers
Explore climate-smart agricultural approaches.
Students
Gain exposure to agriculture, renewable energy, and environmental science.
Researchers
Explore opportunities for observation and collaboration.
Communities
Learn about food, energy, and environmental resilience.
Partners
Support innovation and knowledge-sharing.
The demonstration
How it works
01
Sunlight
Solar energy reaches the site.
02
Solar PV
Panels generate renewable electricity.
03
Shade
Panels modify light and microclimate conditions.
04
Crops
Agricultural production continues beneath the array.
05
Data
Observations and measurements are collected.
06
Learning
Results inform future decisions and education.
Evidence & monitoring
Measuring what matters
The objective is not simply to demonstrate technology, but to collect information that helps people understand its potential, limitations, and practical applications.
Solar Energy
Renewable electricity generation.
Crop Growth
Plant development and agricultural output.
Soil Moisture
Water availability under the array.
Climate Resilience
Lessons for climate-smart land use.
Explore further
Learn more about the project
Why is agrivoltaics important?
It offers a way to meet renewable-energy and food-security goals on the same limited land, which is especially relevant for small island states like Trinidad & Tobago.
What will the demonstration investigate?
Crop performance under partial shade, soil moisture and water use, energy production, and the practical trade-offs of combining agriculture with solar infrastructure.
Who can participate?
Farmers, students, researchers, educators, and community members are all welcome to learn from and contribute to the project as it develops.
Can organizations partner with the project?
Yes — we welcome discussions with organizations, institutions, and donors interested in supporting or collaborating on the demonstration.
Be part of the demonstration
We welcome individuals and organizations interested in learning, participating, researching, supporting, or partnering with the project.
Get involved
Put your hands in the soil
You don't need to be an environmental scientist to make a difference. Plant trees, monitor wildlife, share a skill or back the work. There is a place for you in Tucker Valley.
The Arboretum Conservancy reports on every grant it receives to the funder's own standard, and reviews its finances with the Board on a regular cycle as the organization's formal accounting practices continue to mature.
Total project cost to date: TTD $92,000. A specific tree-planting target for the Agrivoltaics demonstration is still being finalized.
Financial updates are submitted to CCRIF SPC at the close of each project phase, using CCRIF's required reporting form. The Board of Directors reviews financial updates every two months, and the Controller oversees the organization's annual budget. An independent external audit is not yet in place.
Contact us
Let's connect
The Arboretum Conservancy welcomes communication from individuals, communities, researchers, educators, environmental organizations, businesses, donors, volunteers, and potential partners.
