www.asawright.org Tel: (868) 667-4655 Email: [email protected] January 2015 Support for Conservation Generous contribution from grandma Buechert In December, we learned with great joy that Mrs. Arlene Buechert of California had donated the sum of US$10,000.00 to support the Education and Conservation work of the Asa Wright Nature Centre. Arlene, who had never visited the Centre, was inspired to make this contribution because of the enthusiasm of her 13-year old-grandson Nicholas, who had visited Asa Wright in 2013. She was captivated by the history, education team and guides of the Centre as relayed to her by Nicholas. Managing Director of ScotiaLife, Robert Soverall (right) presents a cheque to Peter O’Connor. Arlene is a retired veteran schoolteacher with a passion for supporting fellow teachers, science programmes and By Peter O’Connor helping children understand the As Christmas rolled into the new year, we were delighted to welcome world in which they live. And two new benefactors to our growing list of supporters of our Mission to how appropriate it was that a preserve and protect our natural habitat. In previous issues, we told you youngster would tell her of what about our Education, Conservation and Outreach Officers, who carry our he had learned and experienced message to the schools and communities of our valleys and beyond. Their here. important work is funded by the Centre and supported by donations and Thank you Arlene Buechert grants from concerned individuals and corporations. for your support, and Nicholas We were therefore delighted to hear from Scotiabank Trinidad and Tobago for what you shared with your Foundation in December, when they advised us that they had chosen grandmother. the Asa Wright Nature Centre as one of their awardees of a donation towards our Education and Conservation goals. On January 28th, 2015, we attended their Annual Awards Function, and were presented with a grant of $10,000.00 to help with our work. Design and Layout courtesy Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Ltd, a friend of the Asa Wright Nature Centre JANUARY • PAGE 2 January 2015 Trinibats and the Organisation for Bat Conservation visit the AWNC Guests gather for the Trinibats presentation. Bats Show and Tell. Photos by Kimberly Chu Foon By Kimberly Chu Foon The mythology that has been surrounding bats over the years has been very entertaining but also very misleading. The recent popularity of vampire movies and television shows have added fuel to these myths. They have thus, over the years, developed a somewhat bad reputation A female Trinidadian and are often identified as bloodsucking animals that Guests take a look at the AWNC Whiskered Bat, Cheroniscus carry rabies. The fact is, however, that these creatures are bats poster done in collaboration minor, with her young quite gentle and intelligent, and contribute significantly to with Trinibats and GEF SGP. attached. our ecosystems. It is unfortunate that they are one of the animal kingdom’s most misunderstood group of species. diet is varied and includes fruits, insects, nectar and pollen. As Frequent readers of our newsletter may recall our article last amazing as this find was, it was even more thrilling to realise year on Trinibats’ visit to the Centre. It was such a fantastic that we had come across a female bat of the same species experience that we arranged to have them return in with her young attached. January for another survey. They brought along with them Upon return to the Centre, Geoffrey Gomes of Trinibats and the Organisation for Bat Conservation, an organisation Rob Mies of the Organisation for Bat Conservation treated our well-known for its bat research and educational outreach. guests to a fascinating “show and tell” of a variety of species It is quite the experience venturing onto our Discovery Trail found in our forest. They relayed many interesting facts about in the dark of night but the research crew was able to set up these night creatures and gave guests the opportunity to see their equipment in no time. Our survey of bats that night them up close. Naturally, there was a sense of excitement in led to the capture of a particularly noteworthy species, the the air and many questions followed the presentation. It was Trinidadian Whiskered Bat, Cheroniscus minor. This bat is another memorable activity at our Centre and we hope to rarely encountered and its habitat is poorly known. Their have many more similar visits in the future. Design and Layout courtesy Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Ltd, a friend of the Asa Wright Nature Centre JANUARY • PAGE 3 January 2015 A country by any other Suri-name would not have as many antbirds A Spangled Cotinga Photo by Mike Rutherford By Robyn Bath-Rosenfeld it means to be a birder in South occasional Purple Honeycreeper that Many people consider Trinidad to be America; it’s really really challenging! I could identify with confidence. the perfect place for beginner birders; From my first morning in the hotel I came to realize that this feeling of there are only so many individuals parking lot, I was overwhelmed by complete bewilderment and birding in each family, and you can identify the number of birds I had never confusion must be what visitors at most birds by shape and colour seen before, and slightly frightened Asa Wright go through during their alone. I’ve watched new birders by the size of the guide book that first attempt at birding in the tropics. come to Asa Wright, and by the end could possibly help me identify them. Everything is new and you rely on of the week they know almost all of Amongst the amazing biodiversity of your guide to show you the new the birds that frequent our feeders, Brownsberg, I learned an important species, point out the calls, and tell not an easy task for someone new lesson: if you want to know what a you whether or not the bird you are to Neotropical birding. Whenever I bird is, stick close to your local guide. seeing is as common as a Bananaquit successfully identify a flycatcher as Serano Ramcharan of Suriname could or as rare as an Ornate Hawk Eagle. It something other than a little brown successfully identify eight types of makes me appreciate all of the guests job (LBJ), I thank goodness for island antbirds while I was still attempting and new birders who come here biogeography. to distinguish the difference between with the patience and excitement to frog and bird calls. There was amazing My newly found appreciation for learn about so many new species. No species richness on the Brownsberg matter where you go, birding opens Trinidad birding comes following a plateau (see photo of male Spangled six-day trip to Suriname with the field the doors for new discoveries, new Cotinga), and while attempting to friendships and a greater appreciation course for the University of West Indies’ find birds, I would often focus my MSc in Biodiversity Conservation of the biodiversity of the natural world binoculars on a monkey instead. By around us. and Sustainable Development in the the end of six days I could recognise Caribbean. Here at the Brownsberg a few new species of birds by their Until the next birding mishap. Nature Park, I came to realize what calls, but I was still grateful for the Design and Layout courtesy Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Ltd, a friend of the Asa Wright Nature Centre JANUARY • PAGE 4 January 2015 Wrapping up our two-year gift! By Denise Etienne Asa Wright Nature Centre has been a recipient of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), which is a Corporate GEF Programme implemented by United Nations Developmental Programme (UNDP) to provide financial and technical support to communities and civil society organisations. The goal of this two-year project was to enhance and strengthen the capacity and capabilities of Asa Wright Nature Centre and to engage in on-site conservation education, integrated engagement with communities and development and marketing of community products and services. Some of the favourable outcomes included strengthened relationships with our neighbouring communities, enhanced capacity of both staff and community members, continuous engagement within our Valley Schools Outreach Programme plus external schools, and increased awareness of conservation issues. Asa Wright Nature Centre is very grateful to GEF SGP and looks forward to future endeavours. Participants at the ‘Bean to Bar’ Workshop Photo by Denise Etienne 2014 Christmas Bird Count Update By Kimberly Chu Foon As promised in last month’s Bellbird Newsletter, the 2014 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) results are in! There was a total of 183 bird species and 10,185 individuals recorded on the day. One highlight was the Crested Caracara, two of which were spotted at the Aripo Livestock Station. This was the first recording of this species in the CBC since it started in Trinidad and Tobago in 1969. There was a total of 37 A Pinnated Bittern seen at Aripo Livestock Station participants and the youngest was only two years of age. Photo by Vishnu Debie Design and Layout courtesy Lonsdale Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Ltd, a friend of the Asa Wright Nature Centre JANUARY • PAGE 5 January 2015 Reptile enthusiasm slithers into Asa Wright: Meet Brandon Ramnath By Robyn Bath-Rosenfeld Brandon Ramnath, appears as any other guide on the verandah at Asa Wright; he enthusiastically helps guests, identifies birds, finds hawks in the spotting scope, and leads natural history tours along our Discovery Trail. Having worked with Asa Wright for four months now, you get used to seeing Brandon around the Centre in his uniform with his binoculars.