The Arena Forest Reserve
Trinidad and Tobago
The Arena Forest Reserve of 3797 acres of tropical evergreen forest.
Until the 1970’s the reserve was largely used for thatching and basket weaving materials, and also for firewood and timber when the Caron Arena Dam (the largest water source in Trinidad and Tobago) was built. Following the construction of the dam, forest management objectives shifted to environmental and conservation concerns with a large focus on forest propagation.
The Reserve is managed by the Forestry Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries for the benefit of stakeholders that include the Water and Sewerage Authority for the extraction of water from the Caroni Arena Dam, University of the West Indies and Research Institutes, surrounding communities and environmentalists.
