Asa Wright Nature Centre
Encyclopedia
The Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge is a nature resort
and scientific research station in the Arima
Valley of the Northern Range
in Trinidad and Tobago
. The Centre is one of the top birdwatching
spots in the Caribbean
; a total of 159 species of bird
s have been recorded there. The Centre is owned by a non-profit trust.
The major properties are the Spring Hill Estate and the adjacent William Beebe
Tropical Research Station (also known as Simla), which was established by William Beebe
as a tropical research station for the New York Zoological Society. Beebe bought the 'Verdant Vale' estate in 1949 and named it after Simla
in India, which he had visited in 1910. Both properties had previously been cacao estates but contained large stands of original rainforest. The owners of the Spring Hill Estate, Newcombe and Asa Wright, hosted many visiting scientists in the 1950s and '60s, including the noted ornithologists David Snow
and Barbara Snow, who made detailed studies of the Oilbird
s and the very complex courtship dances of the White-bearded Manakin
and the Golden-headed Manakin
.
The Wrights' home became internationally renowned for its easy access to wildlife, especially the Oilbird
(Steatornis caripensis) colonies in the nearby Dunston Cave
, and large numbers of hummingbird
s). After the death of Newcombe Wright in 1967, the Spring Hill Estate was acquired by a non-profit trust. Asa Wright continued to live at the Centre until her death in 1971. In 1974, the New York Zoological Society donated Simla to the trust.
The Nature Centre in 2001 acquired the Rapsey Estate, known as 'El Naranjo' in the Aripo
Valley, just west of the Arima Valley for TT$3,3 million. The total Nature Centre holdings are now over 1,300 acres (526 hectares), but this still makes up less than 5% of the valley.
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
and scientific research station in the Arima
Arima
The Royal Borough of Arima is the fourth largest town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located east of the capital, Port of Spain, Arima supports the only organised indigenous community in the country, the Santa Rosa Carib Community and is the seat of the Carib Queen...
Valley of the Northern Range
Northern Range
The Northern Range is the range of tall hills across the northern portion of Trinidad, the major island in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The hills rise abruptly from the lowlands of northern Trinidad , but only the two tallest peaks, El Cerro del Aripo and El Tucuche top 900 m...
in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. The Centre is one of the top birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
spots in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
; a total of 159 species of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s have been recorded there. The Centre is owned by a non-profit trust.
The major properties are the Spring Hill Estate and the adjacent William Beebe
William Beebe
William Beebe, born Charles William Beebe was an American naturalist, ornithologist, marine biologist, entomologist, explorer, and author...
Tropical Research Station (also known as Simla), which was established by William Beebe
William Beebe
William Beebe, born Charles William Beebe was an American naturalist, ornithologist, marine biologist, entomologist, explorer, and author...
as a tropical research station for the New York Zoological Society. Beebe bought the 'Verdant Vale' estate in 1949 and named it after Simla
Simla
-Politics/History:Simla , the summer capital of British India, often refers generically to the government of the British Raj.-Places:* Shimla , city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh...
in India, which he had visited in 1910. Both properties had previously been cacao estates but contained large stands of original rainforest. The owners of the Spring Hill Estate, Newcombe and Asa Wright, hosted many visiting scientists in the 1950s and '60s, including the noted ornithologists David Snow
David Snow
David William Snow was a celebrated English ornithologist born in Windermere, Westmorland.-Career and personal life:He won a scholarship to Eton and started there in 1938 just before his 14th birthday...
and Barbara Snow, who made detailed studies of the Oilbird
Oilbird
The Oilbird , also known as Guácharo, is a bird found in the northern areas of South America . They are nocturnal feeders on the fruits of the Oil Palm and tropical laurels, and are the only nocturnal fruit eating birds in the world...
s and the very complex courtship dances of the White-bearded Manakin
White-bearded Manakin
The White-bearded Manakin, Manacus manacus, is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical South America. It is found from Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad south to Bolivia and northern Argentina....
and the Golden-headed Manakin
Golden-headed Manakin
The Golden-headed Manakin, Pipra erythrocephala, is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical South America. It is found from Panama, Colombia and Trinidad south and east to the Guianas and Brazil and northern Peru...
.
The Wrights' home became internationally renowned for its easy access to wildlife, especially the Oilbird
Oilbird
The Oilbird , also known as Guácharo, is a bird found in the northern areas of South America . They are nocturnal feeders on the fruits of the Oil Palm and tropical laurels, and are the only nocturnal fruit eating birds in the world...
(Steatornis caripensis) colonies in the nearby Dunston Cave
Dunston Cave
Dunston Cave is a igneous cave on the Northern Range of Trinidad and Tobago. The cave is located on the grounds of the Asa Wright Nature Centre. Originally named Guacharo Cave, it was renamed Dunston Cave in 1972 in honour of engineer John Dunston. The caves are home to an Oilbird colony. These...
, and large numbers of hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s). After the death of Newcombe Wright in 1967, the Spring Hill Estate was acquired by a non-profit trust. Asa Wright continued to live at the Centre until her death in 1971. In 1974, the New York Zoological Society donated Simla to the trust.
The Nature Centre in 2001 acquired the Rapsey Estate, known as 'El Naranjo' in the Aripo
Aripo
Aripo is the name of several places in Trinidad.* The Heights of Aripo and the Aripo Massif are part of the Northern Range and include El Cerro del Aripo, the highest point in Trinidad and Tobago....
Valley, just west of the Arima Valley for TT$3,3 million. The total Nature Centre holdings are now over 1,300 acres (526 hectares), but this still makes up less than 5% of the valley.