History

The Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club, a society for the study of Natural History, is one of the oldest clubs existing in Trinidad and Tobago, having being founded on 10th July 1891. The club lapsed into inactivity in 1907 but was reactivated in 1924 and except for a short period of inactivity from 1948-1953, has remained active since then. The club operates under a constitution and set of rules and traditions. As part of the club's 100th Anniversary Celebration, it was incorporated by an Act of Parliament (Act No. 17 of 1991). The club functions as a non-profit organisation and has applied to the Board of Inland Revenue for Charitable Status.

Mission

TO FOSTER EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE ON NATURAL HISTORY AND TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD LEAD TO THE APPRECIATION, PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION OF OUR NATURAL HERITAGE

Membership

Membership in the Club is open to all persons, of at least fifteen years of age, who subscribe to the objects of the club. The current membership is in excess of 250 and includes secondary school and university level students, interested adults and several professionals.

Membership Fees

An entrance fee of $50.00 becomes payable by an Ordinary Member on applying for membership. No entrance fees are paid by Junior Members.

Applications for membership may be submitted using the application form on this website.
Application form (pdf)
Application form (Excel worksheet)

Management

The affairs of the Club are vested in and conducted by a Management Committee consisting of eight members elected at the Annual General Meeting held in January of each year. The committee consists of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and three other members.

Members with specific skills also volunteer to lead the Special Interest Groups, or to form committees to focus on particular issues.

The 2010 Management Team comprises:

 
Special Interest Groups

The particular areas of interest found among Club members are served by special interest groups, which often organize their own activities.

The currently active groups are:

Birding The Birding group conducts several field trips throughout the year. The Club's website also carries the Southeastern Caribbean Bird Alerts, a monthly summary of birding highlights in the region. Contact: Kathleen Hinkson (637-9601) or Clayton Hull (709-3402) Botany This group conducts quarterly field trips as detailed in the Program of Activities. Contact: Lester Doodnath "Bugs" Devoted to the study of insects and other arthropods. Contact: Christopher Starr, Shane T. Ballah (796-3335) Environment Maintains awareness of specific threats to the environment, particularly from human activity or plans, and attempts to prevent or mitigate these. The group advises the Management Committee on appropriate communications or publicity concerning environmental problems. Contact: Reg Potter, Shane Ballah, Charles DeGannes, Monica Sturge

Affiliations

The Club maintains representation on the Management Committee of the National Museum and the Wildlife Conservation Committee.

• The Club was twinned to the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club of Canada in 1982.
• The Club has maintained an association including an exchange of publications with the Peninsula Field Naturalist, Sociedad Conservacionista Audubon de Venezuela and the St. Lucia Naturalists' Society.
• The Club has been a member of the Caribbean Conservation Association since 1969.
• The Club is a founding member of the Council of Presidents for the Environment (COPE).

Awards

The Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club was awarded a Medal of Merit (Gold) in recognition of Community Service in the field of Ecology (August 1980 Presidential Awards).

The Club also received an award in 1992 from the Caribbean Conservation Association for 100 years of Service in conservation of the environment.

Contact Information

For further information, please write to: 

The Secretary,
Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club,
P.O. Box 642,
Port of Spain,
Trinidad and Tobago

Email: admin@ttfnc.org