Maracas Valley is a valley in

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

that is separated by two mountains between Maracas–Saint Joseph and Maracas Beach. Maracas valley is part of the biodiverse

Northern Range The Northern Range is the range of tall hills across north Trinidad, the major island in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The hills range from the Chaguaramas peninsula on the west coast to Toco in the east. The Northern Range covers approx ...

mountain range. The region was once inhabited by the Amerindians. There is a rock outcrop that features petroglyphs created by the valley's earliest inhabitants. Historically, the Maracas valley had often attracted many settlers, due to its cool climate and well-watered soil. Cocoa and coffee plantations were established. During the peak of the Great Depression, the valley's agrarian society supported the nation's economy, which was based on agriculture at that time. The valley is home to the nation's tallest waterfall, Maracas Falls, which towers over the valley with a height of 91.5 meters (300 ft) and is the source of the Maracas River, which provides water for the surrounding communities. It is also the location of the main campus for the Seventh Day Adventist

University of the Southern Caribbean The University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) is a private university owned and operated by the Caribbean Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The main campus is located on of land in the Maracas Valley on the island of Trinidad of the ...

. Trinidad's second highest mountain peak, El Tucuche, towers over the lush valley and bounds it to the north. Due to this geographic location, the valley is usually cool, compared to the

Caroni Plains On the island of Trinidad in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Caroni Plain is a lowland area between the Northern Range and the Central Range. The lowland areas to the south of the Central Range are the Naparima Plain on the west and th ...

and other surrounding lowlands. Being one of Trinidad's major watersheds, the Maracas valley is under serious threat from

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then land conversion, converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban area, urban ...

and human development.

Conservation efforts

The Maracas Valley Action Committee (MVAC) was formed in 2002 due to resident concerns about

slash-and-burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. The downed veget ...

farming damaging the valley. Residents have protested the opening of a quarry in the valley due to concerns of deforestation, water pollution, and habitat destruction for birds and wildlife.

References

{{Coord missing, Trinidad and Tobago Landforms of Trinidad and Tobago Valleys of North America