16th December 2021
STATEMENT FROM THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
Release by- Prof. Judith Gobin, Chair, AWNC
After its closure to the public almost two years ago, the Asa Wright Nature Centre plans to reopen its doors in 2022 with a new partner.
In September, the Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC) invited proposals for the operation of the ecolodge at its’ internationally renowned Spring Hill Estate. The separation of the operation of the ecolodge business will allow the Centre to refocus on its core mission of conservation, education and scientific research. In response to the call for proposals, the Centre received a number of proposals from various corporate entities. After a rigorous evaluation and approval process, the Chair on behalf of the Trustees of the Board of the AWNC and the members of the Board- is pleased to announce that HADCO Limited emerged as the successful proposer.
HADCO Limited started in 1992 and “HADCO” has since become a household name in Trinidad and Tobago. While the HADCO Group of Companies is well known for its food and beverage services, within the last five years the group has diversified its business to include two recycling companies. The HADCO group is now seeking to diversify its business even further, into the ecotourism market. The ecolodge at the Asa Wright Nature Centre will be the flagship property of its ecotourism business. AWNC and HADCO will collaborate to transform the operations of the ecolodge at Spring Hill Estate to attain international green certification in sustainable operations.
While the doors of the Centre have been closed, the Centre has continued its’ conservation work. This proposed partnership is one step on the path to creating an immersive experience where present and future generations can learn and understand the value of our natural landscape, flora and fauna, The Centre looks forward to sharing some of its ongoing projects and work through its social media platforms in the near future.
Over the next few weeks, the Centre and HADCO will engage in negotiations on the terms of its concession for the operation of the ecolodge. The Centre and HADCO look forward to welcoming our old and new friends and supporters to the Asa Wright Nature Centre and the Ecolodge at Spring Hill Estate in 2022.
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The AWNC is a “Not-for-Profit” Trust established in 1967 by a group of naturalists and bird-watchers to “protect part of the Arima Valley in a natural state and to create a conservation and study area for the protection of wildlife and for the enjoyment of all.” It was one of the first nature centres to be established in the Caribbean.
Comprising nearly 1,500 acres of mainly forested land in the Arima and Aripo Valleys of the Northern Range, the AWNC’s properties will be retained under forest cover in perpetuity, to protect the community watershed and provide important wildlife habitat.
The Centre’s main facilities are located on a former cocoa-coffee-citrus plantation, previously known as the Spring Hill Estate. This estate has now been partly reclaimed by secondary forest, surrounded by impressive rainforest, where some original climax forest on the steeper slopes have a canopy of 100-150 feet. The whole effect is one of being deep in tropical rainforest.
Please join the growing list of friends, government officials, business and community leaders, scientists, environmentalists, teachers, parents and children from around the world who have already donated to help us during this crisis!
A MESSAGE FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL GUESTS AND VISITORS
Please Make a Contribution – Help us to survive and also continue our important research and conservation work through this crisis! Your donation to the international Friends of the Asa Wright Nature Centre will make a huge difference!
You can use this online link to our secure page for donations directly by Credit Card or through PayPal or ApplePay in your own currency: USD, GBP, Canadian Dollar, and the Euro.
International donations may also be made by check. Please mail your contribution, payable to the “Friends of the Asa Wright Nature Centre” to Secretary, FOAWNC, 2601 Burlington Ave N, Saint Petersburg, FL 33713.
Note to donors from the United States: The Friends of the Asa Wright Nature Centre, Inc. is a not for profit corporation organized under the laws of the state of Florida and is recognized by the U.S. government as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions received from residents of the United States are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. (Federal EIN# 01-0832520)
SUPPORTERS IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO CAN DONATE IN $TTD directly to the Centre
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Catch up on all of the Centre’s programs and outreach activities in each new issue of The Bellbird, the official newsletter of the Asa Wright Nature Centre. Issues can be dowloaded in PDF format and can be read in either your browser or on your desktop.
Link Here to current and all past editions of the Bellbird.
Link Here to download and enjoy the very special 50th Anniversary Edition of the Bellbird
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