Interview with Wild Fowl Trust President Molly Gaskin and Trust Vice President Kaitlyn Shephard of the Wild Fowl Trust, Point- Of- Pierre

• Question: How many people on average visit the Wild Fowl Trust daily?

  Answer: Roughly 100 people a day but there are fluctuations. About 21,000 students and about 9,000 non-students visit yearly. Of the non-students, 20 % are foreigners.

• Question: What impact has the Wild Fowl Trust made on our society?

  Answer: Well, we have help educate the public, especially the young people, on the value of natural resources. They are made aware of the need to have thesed resources well managed. They also learn how critical it is to have balance between development and natural resources. We have also had impact on the economic aspect of our society.

• Question: Are there any plans to expand the facilities at Wild Fowl Trust in the near future?

  Answer: We recently launched a guest house and resort and the Wild Fowl Trust about 3 years ago, called the 'Petria Place'. It is named after a flower. We are quite pleased with the facilities at the Wild Fowl Trust so there are no plans as yet for expansion.

• Question: Finally, what are some problems and challenges you encounter in maintaining the Wild Fowl Trust facilities?

  Answer: Lack of labour. We don't have enough volunteers and staff. And with any NGO, finances can be problem to ensure that the quality of the facilities can be maintained.

For further information on the Wild Fowl Trust please visit www.trinwetlands.org

Interview with the curator of the Indian Caribbean Museum, Mr. Saisbhan Jokhan

• Question: How many people on average visit the Indian Caribbean Museum yearly?

  Answer: We have been open to the public for 2 years and during the first year we had approximately 9000 people. The second year total will be tallied after May 7th, 2008, but we estimate that 7000 to 8000 people will visit the museum.

• Question: What is the vision of the museum?

  Answer: Well, we hope to highlight the experiences of the East Indian community from arrival in 1845 to the present. We display media such as pictures, artifacts, clothing and musical instruments to the public. We also have immigration documents.

• Question: Are there any plans to expand the facilities at the Indian Caribbean Museum?

  Answer: Yes, we are actually in the process of renovating a building on the compound which we hope to use as an Audio Visual Room to show documentaries,etc. We are also re-creating a clay house used by early indented labourers. This house is still under construction.

• Question: Finally, what are some problems and challenges you encounter in maintaining the museum?

  Answer: Maintaining the museum is costly and we rely on coporate citizens, businesses and Ministry Assistance for funding. Also, the museum is short-staffed.

For further information please visit www.indianmuseumtt.org

Questions and Answers on the Asa Wright Centre supplied by Ms. Farah Gopaul-Fuller

• Question: Who is the founder of the Asa Wright Nature Centre?

  Answer: Mr and Mrs Wright were the last owners of the property but there were also the Meyer family and the Holmes.

• Question: How long has the Asa Wright Nature Centre been established??

  Answer: The Asa Wright Nature Centre became a Nature Centre on October 21st 1967.

• Question: In your opinion, is the Asa Wright Nature Centre useful to the development of Trinidad and Tobago?

  Answer: The AWNC is the only NGO regionally to continue acquiring land for the purpose of wildlife conservation. These areas will therefore be protected in perpetuity for all future generations and for the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The Nature Centre has a Community Outreach Program that helps isolated, rural villages to realize and harness their potential within the growing eco-tourism industry.

• Question: What are the current land holdings of the Asa Wright Nature Centre?

  Answer: Total: 1,335 acres and 38 perches.

• Question: How many people are employed by the Asa Wright Nature Centre?

  Answer: Approximately 70 people are employed by the Nature Centre and there is a strong emphasis placed on recruiting workers from within the Arima Valley and surroundings areas. As an eco-tourism destination this builds community support and capacity in these rural areas.

• Question: Are the majority of visitors local or tourists?

  Answer: The majority of our visitors are nature lovers/birdwatchers from North America, the U.K, and Europe. Our local (Trini) visitors are usually regulars for lunch and teas and those that have family and friends visiting from abroad. We also have approximately 3000, students/annum.

• Question: What activities does the Asa Wright Nature Centre offer?

  Answer: The vast amount of montane bird species that are comfortably viewed from the veranda. The world-famous Dunston’s Cave - where visitors can see the only fruit-eating nocturnal bird in the world, the Oilbird. The winding accessible trails of the estate that lead to many bathing pools. Thousands of strange tropical insects can also be found nightly. The Centre has also won many awards for its superb cuisine, and often sells, bread, jams and jellies. Its association with the nearby tropical research centre Simla, it draws many famous scientists yearly.

• Question: How many guests can be accommodated at one time?

  Answer: The lodge has 25 double occupancy rooms and a new self-contained cottage that rooms 6 persons.

• Question: Do you believe the interaction between the natural ecosystem and its visitors cause harm to the environment? And if so what measures have you all put in place to limit the harm or threat to the environment?

  Answer: All humans impact the environment in some way and most of these interactions are harmful. At the Nature Centre we make every effort to minimise our presence in the valley but this is not always possible. We ask our staff to re-cycle paper, compost organic matter, use energy saving lightbulbs and grow our coffee organically. The Education Department also distributes material for staff members that may not have access to up-to-date information on green matters.