October
Our lecture for the month of October was a fascinating account of the first modern circumnavigation of Trinidad in a kayak. The presenter was our very own Glenn Wilkes, who related the adventure which saw Michael Robertson and himself, journeying around the island in 14 days.
Glenn relates his adventure.
The club trip for October was a visit to Morne Bleu. Heavy rains that morning resulted in a relatively uneventful trip.
The highlight for October was the highly anticipated BioBlitz 2014 Nariva Swamp which saw about 100 participants combing the swamp and finding a total of (approximately) 742 species! The end of day count was 215 vertebrates, 266 invertebrates, 15 diatoms, 15 fungi and 231 plants. See https://www.facebook.com/TandTBioblitz for more details.
Participants at the 2014 Nariva Swamp BioBlitz
November
A last minute change to our schedule saw members journeying down to Moruga for November’s field trip – our annual geology trip. The destination was the Marac mud/oil volcanoes and the Marac quarry. Despite the rain, members had an excellent time exploring this fascinating area. Members also had the opportunity to stop at the St Vincent Ferrer Society Moruga Museum which celebrated its 1 year anniversary.
The mud/oil volcano at Marac.
The lecture for November was entitled “Human Impacts on Mangrove Wetland Systems in T&T” and was presented by Erin Mangal of Biosphere Consulting Services Ltd. Members learnt about several threats to mangrove systems.
The Art group visited the UWI Zoology Museum during the month for its most recent activity. Members captured the museum’s exhibits via paint, charcoal, photographs or whatever other media they preferred.
Butterflies by Annelise Randall.
December
December marks the end of the Club’s activities for the year. Our final event was the year end luncheon, held once again at the Caroni Swamp Visitor Centre, which allowed members and non-members a chance to have a great time, unwind, reminisce and plan for the future. Several members also opted for a trip into the swamp afterwards with Madoo’s Bird Sanctuary Tours.
Members enjoy the swamp as a crab looks on.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck during the month with the news of Victor Quesnel’s passing. Victor was an integral part of the Club and helped to shape the organization over the years. He will be missed.
