www.asawright.org Tel: (868) 667-4655 Email: [email protected] May 2014 human population of the value in A Pawi at Morne Bleu keeping our wildlife, and especially Photo by Colin Smith the Piping Guan, alive. Funding through the UNDP/ GEF Small Grants programme between 2010 and 2012 enabled the Trust to engage in hands-on field training and research collaboration with participants in key rural communities where historical sightings of Pawi had been made. These included Grande Riviere, Brasso Seco, Blanchisseuse and Matura, which all benefitted from the landmark appointments of community members as Pawi Guardians, and whose efforts served to build sustainability of project efforts within our forests. Cynics among us may question whether any environmental initiative The Trinidad Piping Guan (Pipile pipile) in Trinidad can bring positive results, or Pawi is one of Trinidad’s endemic given our cavalier neglect of our THE RETURN birds. This large, black bird featured natural heritage. But we are really in our February issue once inhabited pleased to acknowledge that in most of Trinidad’s forests. But habitat recent months, several of our visitors OF THE PAWI loss and hunting have taken their toll have enjoyed the opportunity of By Peter O’Connor on this special and, beautiful creature, seeing and photographing the Pawi and over the years, sightings had at Morne Bleu, just five minutes drive become rare. up the mountain from the Lodge. For a meaningful chance of seeing They return in time for breakfast, the “Pawi Bird”, our guests would proudly showing their pictures leave Spring Hill at 3:00 a.m. to be of one of Trinidad’s rarest birds taken to Grande Riviere on the north returning home! coast, where dawn sightings are The return of the Pawi to our fairly common along the back roads neighbourhood is an exciting and leading into the forests. meaningful development for birders The bird’s pending extinction inspired and naturalists, and should provide the “Pride in Pawi” campaign— a encouragement to all who may wish to movement led by the Guardian campaign for the preservation of our Life Wildlife Trust to educate the forests and wildlife. Congratulations to the Save the Pawi people! The driveway to the Tower Photo by Mukesh Ramdass Design and Layout courtesy Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Ltd, a friend of the Asa Wright Nature Centre MAY • PAGE 2 May 2014 Who Wants To Be An Artist? By Denise Etienne Most of us would love to be able to sketch or draw some of the things we see, and this is especially true with those of us who are close to nature. Participants listen carefully to Mr. Martinez So, to make our wishes come true and with the help of GEF Small Grants Programme, Asa Wright Nature Centre recently conducted a three-day art workshop, where the focus was on drawing. This workshop was in collaboration with our ongoing projects with our neighboring communities. The tutor for this workshop was Richard Martinez, who has over 45 years experience as an artist. He has extensive knowledge with a variety of media including pastel, watercolour, charcoal and acrylic. Richard was born in Arima and grew up in London. He represents Trinidad and Tobago in 18 countries with his beautiful artwork. Over the three-day period, some of the topics covered included line exercises, structural drawing, pencil-shading techniques and pencil portraits. For most of the participants, it was their first experience with drawing and shading. He explained the value of each of the pencils HB, 4B and 6B. It was amazing to see vertical, horizontal, diagonal and inverted lines Mr. Martinez shows a participant his drawing technique. come alive by simple shading techniques. By Photos by Denise Etienne the end of day one, each person was creating his/her own masterpieces! Design and Layout courtesy Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Ltd, a friend of the Asa Wright Nature Centre MAY • PAGE 3 May 2014 Participants at a Leaf-cutter ant nest Photo by Denise Etienne While you may not notice them at first, the orders of scorpions, spiders, TERRESTRIAL arthropods, small as they are, may be found pseudoscorpions and harvestmen. everywhere – lurking beneath leaf litter, Professor Starr and Dr. Sewlal shared crawling on tree trunks or on the wing. On interesting facts about species in each May 20th, the Asa Wright Nature Centre one of these orders. Did you know ArthropoD was delighted to host Professor Christopher that Scolopendra gigantean, which is Starr and Dr. Jo-Anne Sewlal of The found in Trinidad, is one of the largest University of the West Indies for a Terrestrial centipede species in the world? Or that WORKSHOP Arthropod Workshop. the spider Nephilia clavipes spins silk By Johanne Ryan The workshop gave us invaluable that is stronger than Kevlar, a fibre used information on the classes of truly terrestrial for bullet-proof vests? While scorpions arthropods (myriapods, insects and glow under ultraviolet light, the arachnids) that can be seen at Springhill. It much smaller false-scorpions, do not. especially taught us about those that may Webspinners are intriguing insects. be of interest to the eco-tourists who visit They live under little silk tents that are our centre. often spun on tree trunks and rock Arthropods are the largest animal phylum. faces. Fireflies are actually beetles and Of all arthropods, you may be most familiar while there are no Black Widow spiders with insects, which boasts more species here, Trinidadians must be wary of the than any other class of Arthropoda. In Brown Widow. Trinidad and Tobago alone, it is estimated The trail walk, which was led by Dr. that there may be between 200,000 to Starr, revealed to us several creatures: 300,000 insects. stingless bees, turtle ants, tents of There are several orders of insects. Among webspinners, cotton stainers, an orb- them are the Odonata (dragonflies and weaving spider and a jumping spider damselflies), Lepidoptera (moths and among others. butterflies), Phasmatodea (stick insects) and We would like to thank Professor Starr Coleoptera (beetles). The class Myriapoda and Dr. Sewlal for such an enlightening includes the orders of centipedes and experience and hope to see them millipedes, while Arachnida includes again in the future! Design and Layout courtesy Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Ltd, a friend of the Asa Wright Nature Centre MAY • PAGE 4 May 2014 Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) By Johanne Ryan The Northern Waterthrush is one of the many migrant species that can be seen in Trinidad and Tobago. This visitor, measuring approximately 12.5 cm, is easily recognised by its gait: a bobbing tail as it toddles its way across the ground. The Northern Waterthrush belongs Northern Waterthrush, a ‘chink’, is and early May. It may be at a river near to the family Parulidae, the Wood seldom heard. This can probably you! be attributed to its habit of calling Warblers. Most Wood Warblers forage Photo by LeRoy Tabb on plants for insects and this bird is no most frequently during the breeding different. It will search for insects and season. This Warbler breeds in North References: Hilty, Steven L. Birds of other arthropods among twigs and America. Venezuela. 2003. leaves on or near the ground. The Northern Waterthrush likes Kenefick, Martin, Robin Restall and The thrush can be recognized by its wetlands and is regularly found in Floyd Hayes. Field Guide to the Birds brown head and upperparts and an bogs in North America. After its of Trinidad & Tobago. Yale University ‘eyebrow’ that ranges from cream south-bound journey, it can be found Press. 2008. to yellow in colour. Its underparts near mangrove edges, rivers and in Robbins, Chandlers S. et al. A Guide are cream with dark-brown streaks. forests in Trinidad and Tobago and to Field Identification Birds of North Its legs are described as brownish- South America. America. 1983. pink. During its visits to our nature Look out for the Northern centre, the metallic call of the Oliver L. Austin Jr. Birds of the Waterthrush between late September World.1961 YOUNG ENVIRONMENTALIST OF THE MONTH If you think your child has done something helpful to preserve the environment, please feel free to share it with us. Either write a short story, or send a few pictures to [email protected] He/she may be selected as our Young Environmentalist for the month! Once your child is featured in our monthly newsletter, he/she and two adults will be given a complimentary day visit to Asa Wright Nature Center, which includes viewing birds/animals on the verandah, a nature tour and use of the clear-water pool. Ages 5-16. Design and Layout courtesy Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Ltd, a friend of the Asa Wright Nature Centre.