The Trust Celebrates It's 40th Anniversary

Started in the early 60s as a response to the perceived threat of extirpation of several species of local wild ducks and other wildfowl through over-hunting - by Johnny Cambridge and Richard Deane, an Englishman locally employed by the oil company, Trinidad Leaseholds. The Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust formally became a Trust in November 1966 with five (5) acres and two (2) lakes. Mr. Deane retired in 1976 In 1977, Molly R. Gaskin re-activated the Wild Fowl Trust, The company was managed by Texaco at the time. In the early 1980s, she was joined by Karilyn Shephard, a Canadian/Trinidadian and from then to this day many "FIRSTS" have been achieved by the Wild Fowl Trust for the Trust and this country, proving that Preservation of the Environment and planned and controlled development can go 'hand in hand' - in fact the Wild Fowl Trust's physical position, with its multi-disciplinary work and activities, within a large Petrochemical Complex, makes the two of them as a unit, unique in the world. The Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust is also the second oldest Waterfowl/Wetland Reserve in the World. The oldest being Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetland Trust in England, after which this Trust in Trinidad and Tobago was patterned.

Today, the Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust - encompassing seventy (70) acres and two (2) lakes - is a non-profit, volunteer organisation, not subsidised by any one corporation, government or group. It is actively involved in research and captive breeding of endangered waterfowl and other wetland birds for release and reintroduction into natural wildlife areas. Many of the eighty-six (86) species of birds recorded in the Trust, breed naturally in the forested and lake areas. It is a peaceful haven where members and visitors can relax and learn, a perfect place for bird-watchers, botanists and nature photographers. Several natural walks and interpretive trails cross the domain of the Trust - Forest Walk, Fairy Woods and Devils Ear Trail; here it is possible to see forty (40) different kinds of forest trees, and to learn about some of the species that exist in our forests and wetlands, and about the linkages between them, our wildlife and ourselves. The Trust also offers exceptional OUT OF THE CLASSROOM activities for students, providing general and specific tours, which are adapted to suit the student's needs and the subjects being taught in school; film and video shows with interpretation; while Labs, include aquatic sampling (pond dip), leaf lab, feather lab, quadrat and transect sampling. The Trust also provides special 'Hands-on' programmes for pre-schoolers and workshops and seminars for schoolteachers and community-based organisations.

In its daily Environmental Education programme for schools, it teaches about wetland ecosstems, from forests to coral reefs, and discusses several aspects of the environment and their interactions, such as social and economic impacts. The Trust has a holistic approach to teaching. The Trust has also designed and implements an Environmental Therapy Programme for the handicapped and persons with 'special needs' such as the sight and hearing impaired, the mentally and physically challenged and recovering addicts. The main building - The Learning Centre - houses information dealing with living organisms and their habitats, a unique shell connection and a small but comprehensive Amerindian museum.

Medicinal Plants Book Launch at Petrea Place

Various drugs of natural origin, especially those from plants found in Tropical forests have been in use by different cultures for many years. Our ancestors survived because of them. Today prescriptions for medicines derived from plants alone have an estimated market value of US $3 billion annually; yet, in as little time as one generation, our forests are being lost, as they are rapidly cleared, logged, developed and dried out. Climate Change and Global Warming are very much here with us now. That is why the Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust has produced this beautiful, environmentally educational and highly informative book. If through our work, the calendars before this, and this book, we can make some people stop and look at what is growing in their back yards, even the "weeds" that pop up in their front gardens, and at the trees and forests as they drive along our roadways and become even a little more aware of their importance, their overall value, their links to aspects of our daily lives and before chopping everything down as "useless bush", think about preserving some of it, then we are the Wildfowl Trust would have done our part.

Petrea Place - Our Nature Retreat

Petrea Place, the Trust's Nature Retreat Guest House opened in June 2004, provides a secure and harmonious environment for retreats, corporate workshops and seminars; a haven for visitors to enjoy exceptional lunch, tea, and dinner menus. Come and visit us, spend a quiet weekend in secure, peaceful, and relaxed surorundings, or bring your family and friends for a lovely Sunday brunch from 10:30am, and spend some quality time with them in a beautiful setting, close to the Trust. Please call 658-5322 for reservations.

Excerpt from The National Geographic Magazine)

Conservation amongst industry Normally, large-scale energy projects do not go hand-in-hand with nature conservation. In Trinidad's wetlands, however, an important nature reserve and a golf course have been created around the operational site of one of Petrotrin's oil facilities. The Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust (PaPWFT), which manages the reserve, was established in 1966, making it the second oldest wetland conservation trust in the world. It may seem bizarre, but here, brightly colored tropical birds - including some endangered species - have found a safe haven smidst the towering petrochemical infrastructure. Petrotrin is the principal benefactor of the Wild Fowl Trust, and the two organizations happily share their headquarters in the surrounding wetlands' green mantle. Molly Gaskin of the Wild Fowl Trust believes that "Trinidad and Tobago's unsung contribution to the world is the example it sets by having the PaPWFT - whose mandate is environmental education and public awareness, research, breeding and translocation of locally endangered wetlands species - occupying an area of approximately 72 square hectares within Petrotrin's oil-refining- complex.

"This", she says, "is a unique situation globally." And for visitors interested in ecology and wildlife, she points out that Trinidad and Tobago offers "an extremely rich biodiversity which is easily accessible within a short traveling time." That includes the National Heritage Park at Chaguaramas, some 14,000 acres including six offshore islands that were once home to native Amerindians and is now a center for trail-walking, BMX biking and kayaking. If Trinidad and Tobago are not amongst the best known mainstream tourism destinations in the Caribbean, that's because they want it that way. With their oil wealth, Trinis have been able to develop as a niche destination for those who seek that rare combination of pristine nature, exotic wildlife and, when it comes to partying, great music, human warmth, and a spontaneous sense of celebration that never seems to stop - not even for cricket.

Special Thanks to Petrotrin

All of us at the Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust gratefully acknowledge the support that we receive from Petrotrin, from our Patron, Mr. Malcolm Jones and Mrs. Brenda Jones. This enlightened partnership promotes the key factors for the successful management and conservation of our vitally important wetlands not only within the petrochemical oil refining complex, but nationally, regionally and internationally. Uniquely situated within this Industrial Complex, together, we set an example to the rest of the world that Conservation and Industry can work side by side and achieve a much needed balance through understanding and cooperation.

Teachers Workshop

Trust Educators with Ms Marilyn Hinkson do special "pond dips" for Teachers at the Trust. We have long been involved in "Teaching the Teachers", assisting them in outdoor Environmental Education skills and new approaches to environmental education in the classroom. The Trust seeks to impart the concept of an holistic approach to education, an understanding of the link between the natural environment and social and economic problems and solutions, and bring this awareness, and hopefully, a passion to create positive change, to the teachers as well as to the students they teach, so that they will carry this awareness with them for the rest of their lives.

British High Commission Helps the Trust

The British High Commission funded the addition of beautiful avian and flora ceramic graphics designed and produced by artists Bunty, Nancy and Rory O'Connor of Ajoupa Pottery in Chickland to the Wild Fowl Trust. These graphics - depicting some fo the spectacular waterfowl and plants at the Wild Fowl Trust - were strategically placed along the trail of the Main Breeding Lake to blend in with the existing educational signage, used daily as a part of the Trust's environmental education programmes and general tours. Some of the existing signage was restored and refurbished by Augustine Francois of Signart, as an important part of this British High Commission funded project to celebrate the Trust's 40th Anniversary.

Shell Funds Ecological Trust

As part of Shell's commitment to sustainable development, Shell Trinidad made a significant contribution to the Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust. Shell funded the arboreal and underground termite eradication project along the tree-lined area surrounding the Wild Fowl Trust's boardwalk. The boardwalk is designed to allow physically-challenged visitors access to tour the Trust. Shell's funding also enabled the Trust to produce Creed of Nature posters that were distributed in schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago. This was a follow-up to the two wetland bird posters that were produced and distributed to schools throughout the country in 2005. The Wild Fowl Trust celebrated its 40th Anniversary of being actively involved in environmental education and public awareness and the research and breeding of locally endangered species of waterfowl and other birds which are translocated into existing wildlife habitats in Trinidad and Tobago.

Climate Change a Priority

The important issue of Climate Change received much needed attention with the award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize to former United States Vice President, Al Gore and the UN scientific body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust has been a pioneer in educating our young people about Climate Change and Global Warming, introducing the topic in Trust lectures and our School Tour programme in 1989. The Trust congratulates Lecturer at the University of the West Indies and Chairman of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), Dr. John Agard and Roger Pulwarty for their contributions to Working Group Two of the IPCC. Mr. Pulwarty congratulated the Trust and Molly Gaskin on their longstanding work on Environmental Education.

Thanks to You All!

Your Trust continues to have support from Shell Trinidad Limited with the production of Wetland Posters and Information Sheets, Termite Treatment for the Learning Centre and Boardwalk and the re-build of the aviaries for our endangered wetland birds. Thanks to Petrotrin, the Trust's Nature Retreat Petrea Place has benefited from some major renovations this year and we continue to strive for excellence of food, service and accommodation. Our lists are long, but our Thanks and Gratitude come from the Heart. We appreciate your continued support. Thank you members, readers and supporters, because of you, our work continues to have meaning. Best wishes and kind regards from our Education Officers, Ground staff, Volunteers and ourselves. Have a Blessed and Joyous Christmas and a Bright, Healthy and Successful 2008.

The Trust Celebrates It's 40th Anniversary - cont'd

The Trust Celebrates It's 40th Anniversary - cont'd

The Trust Celebrates It's 40th Anniversary - cont'd

The Trust Celebrates It's 40th Anniversary - cont'd

Early this year, after a wet and windy period of prolonged rain, 2 baby Palm Tanagers fell out of their nest not far from the Trust’s Learning Centre. They were found, cold and miserable, by one of the three Trust educators. They were taken in fed and dried and an artificial nest made for them. The girls took turns feeding, ‘mothering’ and then teaching them to feed on their own and ‘learn to fly’. They survived beautifully and eventually took off to find adventure and discover ‘their’ world. It was a wonderful experience for everyone.