Wild Tobago

The heart of Tobago is its biodiversity in forest such as the Main Ridge Reserve; and offshore coral reefs; and very deep Atlantic zones. Sustaining biodiversity by preserving natural habitat is one of the mandates of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its latest report. In the recent decades, Tobago tourism has moved to accommodations that live lightly on the earth. Travel with Faraaz Abdool, birding enthusiast and eco-tour guide, to his favourite place on the island. Learn more about how this resort has integrated itself with the rainforest at https://www.cuffie-river.com First published in Newsday Tobago, November 22, 2018   Look for the diamond-shaped sign painted forest green along the winding Northside Road past Moriah. Turn off the main road and follow the signs to Cuffie River Nature Retreat. The transformation begins. Gradually, the sound of other vehicles gives way to that of wind rustling through leaves, huge groves of bamboo creaking and ...

Faraaz Abdool invites us to look for birds in the Main Ridge Forest Reserve. You don’t even have to look that hard to spot some of the splendid birds that call Tobago home. These photos of Tobago’s rainforest birds courtesy Faraaz Abdool. The Roxborough-Parlatuvier Road snakes over the spine of Tobago, through the oldest patch of protected rainforest in the western hemisphere. Protected since 1776, a few years after Tobago slipped under British rule, the Main Ridge Forest Reserve is home to many species of plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. As a region, the Caribbean’s habitat has changed drastically over the years, with rainforest suffering the most. Thankfully, the almost ten thousand acres of rainforest on Tobago remain a reserve.  Due to its height and proximity to the ocean, Main Ridge supports a large variety of birdlife. One is likely to see a Collared Trogon on the side of the road and then look up to see a flock of Magnificent F...