Follow the water: Hike from waterfall to sea
View of Bloody Bay at the end of the trail. - ANJANI GANASE
A hike to the Main Ridge in Tobago is the start of an exciting journey. Take the Gilpin to Bloody Bay trail and immerse yourself in an authentic Tobago experience that allows insight into why the forested backbone is so vital to the health of the island. Dr Anjani Ganase follows some waterfalls to the sea.
The Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve was declared protected in 1776 for one reason – water. Guided by the findings of English scientist Stephen Hales, who noted the correlation between trees and rainfall; Soame Jenyns, a member of the British Parliament, convinced the lawmakers that the main ridge traps the water so vital to Tobago’s fertility, climate and island ecology. Over 200 years later the importance of the Tobago Main Ridge – more than ever – continues to hold true.
Wildlife expert Newton George on Tobago’s pristine ecosystem and top forest trails
Tobago’s North-East region has been recognised by UNESCO for its unique biodiversity. We talk to Newton George about his love for the island and why visitors should head to the Main Ridge Forest Reserve to witness nature at its most impressive.
By Tobago Tourism Agency 7 Jan 2021, 11:00 GMT
The Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve is the oldest tropical rainforest reserve in the Western Hemisphere.
Photograph by Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd.
Located in the heart of the Caribbean, Tobago is home to pristine coastlines and almost 2,000 different species of flora and fauna, some of them endemic to the island. Newton George, who has lived here his whole life, first fell in love with Tobago’s forests when he was a boy, going out with his father to look for birds. The island’s North-East region has recently been declared a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme, and
The Northside: a ride on the wild side
The road less travelled along the Caribbean coast is a wonderland of serenity, stunning natural beauty, and old-time living. From the moment you turn on to the
Northside Road, you feel the difference. The world is suddenly greener. Quieter. Red, ripe cashews litter the road, and mango trees droop as thousands of sinfully delicious julie, starch, bombay and rose mangoes ripen in the sun. A cow grazing in a field of flowers raises its head slowly as a family of German visitors – parents, children and a baby in a backpack – pass by, on their way back from a hike to a waterfall.
Wildlife survey suggests quenk numbers low
Saturday 19 December 2020
Wildlife biologist and lecturer in ecology at the University of the West Indies Dr Luke Rostant has said, from the results of a national wildlife survey, he believes special attention should be paid to the pecari tajacu – otherwise known as quenk – as numbers of the species in monitored areas are noticeably low.
Rostant was speaking at a virtual presentation of the survey hosted by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) on Thursday.
The country-wide survey and census from 2014-2018 was the first national study to focus on five species of game: deer, agouti, lappe, tatou and the quenk. The study formed part of the Nariva Swamp Restoration, Carbon Sequestration and Livelihoods Project launched by the EMA in 2010.