Wild Tobago

The sun, moon and stars have provided us with the means to mark seasons, a system we call time. Dr Anjani Ganase considers the rhythm of biological clocks in the ocean.   Telling time is basic and integral to all life on Earth. All biological functions of growth, reproduction, regulation, movement are predicated on the planet’s orbit around the sun and the spin of the earth about its axis by which we track time. For us humans, we’ve studied and documented day/ night cycles, lunar and seasonal cycles that see corresponding changes in temperature, weather and other environmental or biological cues (sandflies at dusk) that influence food availability, survival of offspring, health and anything essential for survival. At sea, telling time is tied to navigation and exploration, as we track the movements and positions of the sun, stars and the moon across the sky. Tidal changes are observed for fishing, and even coastal defence. Our time tracking skills improved an...

Dr Anjani Ganase considers recent scientific studies on sea urchins, coral reefs and management targets; and arrives at the conclusion expressed by environmentalist David Attenborough and echoed by other scientists and ocean advocates. The Ocean must be protected and managed everywhere.   Long spined sea urchin. Photo by Jonathan Gomez Sea Urchins: pest or protector The Caribbean Sea is lined by islands and coral reefs that are unique. Forty years ago, these coral reefs were dominated by sea urchins, specifically the long-spined sea urchin ( Diadema antillarum ). These urchins were once regarded as a nuisance especially in the shallows in the seagrass beds. However, only after the 1980s, did we recognise the critical function of this specific species of sea urchin after they were destroyed by a disease throughout the Caribbean. These were important grazers, like cows grazing a meadow, ensuring that the bare surfaces of reefs were regularly cleaned of algae, t...

Corpus Christi will be celebrated on June 19 and Trinbagonians will be looking to plant something. Pat Ganase talks with Chancy Moll at San Antonio Farms. Photos by Pat Ganase   The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the next best is now. If you planted one 20 years ago, no doubt you are enjoying the result of that foresight, in fruit or flowers, in the beings that are attracted, in shelter or shade. If you want your children to remember you, plant a tree with them this month.   Gingers grow over ten feet tall, with many flowering forms. This is the Beehive. Known popularly as Hawaiian torches, these gingers are available in colours from white to red. A wide variety of Heliconia – lobster claw – is available. Whatever your religion, we can observe the tradition of putting a tree in the ground at Corpus Christi. That’s the time that the rainy season has truly set in, the soil has been softened. And there is a belief that anything plante...

Pat Ganase invites you to visit the fresh food markets in your area, they are places of nature and hope.   Influence the sustainability of local farming by buying from green markets. Eat fresh and seasonal fruit and vegetables for good health. All photos by Pat Ganase     Santa Cruz, from my earliest memories has always been a magical green valley. From whichever end of the Saddle Road you approached, the green hills embraced the valley through which the gentle river ran. The earliest plantations deep in the area known as La Pastora were cocoa; the far foothills a haze of orange when the madre de cacao (immortelles) bloomed January to March. The Saddle Road, once the leisurely winding connector from San Juan to Port-of-Spain through Maraval, frequented mainly by cruise ship visitors for the serene views, is now a busy thoroughfare.   Chaconia in the Undercover Garden Centre Cameilla and Dominic Pierre of Undercover Garden Centre Citrus gr...

Let’s go with Faraaz Abdool, photographer and wildlife advocate to find one of Trinidad’s irreplaceable wild treasures. The remote reaches of Trinidad’s heavily forested Northern Range conceal a unique treasure that can be found nowhere else on the planet. Here, verdant hills rise sharply from rugged coastlines, the seaspray-coated vegetation gives way as altitude increases to towering crappo followed by massive mora. These heavily buttressed trees are the stewards of the forest, their limbs festooned with moss and lichen. Their branches are punctuated by bromeliads that push forward spectacular flowers and host entire ecosystems within their leaf-vase structure. The air within these forests remains cool and moist throughout the year, the sounds of water - whether from rain, river, or distant ocean - are constant. Occasionally, just at the crack of dawn, a delicate whistle rises from the green tangle of the jungle and wafts over the canopy - an indication of the presence of Trinidad’...