After its closure to the public almost two years ago, the Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC) plans to reopen its doors in 2022 with a new partner, HADCO Limited.
An official statement issued by Professor Judith Gobin, Chair of the AWNC Board, notes that the Centre’s successfully separated its conservation operations from the ecolodge, paving the way for a new era at Asa Wright
“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,” the release explained.


“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 are pleased to announce that HADCO Limited emerged as the successful proposer,” it added.
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,” the statement from the Board revealed.


It added: “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.”
In addition, while the doors of the Centre were closed, it continued its’ conservation work, and the Board believes this important legacy will be preserved for future generations in light of the new partnership.
“The 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.” (
Source: CNC3  Dec 20, 2021)

Trinidad-born opera singer Jeanine De Bique will make her debut at the Paris Opera today.
DeBique, who is originally from San Fernando, will play the title role in Alcina, a 1735 opera by George Frideric Handel. 
In the opera, Alcina creates a magnificent palace to lure her many lovers. One of these is Ruggiero, a warrior, who under Alcina’s spell has forsaken his duty and his betrothed, Bradamante.
Alcina by Handel will be staged by Robert Carsen production with musical direction by Thomas Hengelbrock and the Balthassar Neumann ensemble and will run from November 25 to December 30.
In addition to her Paris debut, De Bique is also celebrating the release of her first album Mirrors. The album showcases the arias of female characters from Handel's operas as well as other Baroque composers.
A graduate of St Joseph's Convent, Port-of-Spain, De Bique holds Undergraduate and Masters degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and has performed on major stages all over the world, appearing in the 2018/2019 season in  Handel’s Rodelinda at Opéra de Lille, as Aida in the world premiere of Caruso a Cuba by Micha Hamel at Dutch National Opera, Mahler’s Symphony No 4, conducted by Teodor Currentzis, in Milan, St Petersburg, Munich and Budapest, and Handel’s Messiah with the Melbourne Symphony, among many others. (Source: the Loop, Nov. 25, 2021)

Can you imagine life without indoor plumbing, running water, or electricity? Back in the 1950s and 60s life was simple and all people in the neighbourhood lived a similar daily pattern of life. Children had chores that had to be done and played simple games. Many families in rural areas lived in simple, small houses like the one in this vintage photo . People weren’t well off in those days and there wasn’t the same choice of consumer goods as there is now. The main source of meat and eggs came from the chickens people reared in their back yard. Gifts were mostly things you needed and were often homemade or limited if to one toy per child only at Christmas Time , Children ate whatever food adults had but in smaller quantities and always found ways to amuse themselves .Nothing went to waste that could be used to create games and general amusement . Corks and bottle tops were used to make zwills. A bicycle rim and a piece of stick kept children entertained for hours. Children’s playground was provided by nature itself . Trees to climb , vines to swing on , natural hiking trails , fishing in the river ,fresh air and sunlight .
Most people didn’t own many clothes. Hand-me-downs clothes were the norm with garments being let in and let out to make it wearable. The hair-cut was given at home or usually a neighbour who was handy with the scissors would call in and give every one of the males a trim. My father trimmed my two brothers and my mother trimmed my father’s hair using a barber scissors at home. Castor Oil, Cod Liver oil, Epsom salts, iodex , Milk of Magnesia, Gripe Water , Andrews Liver Salt were commonly found in most home in the place where medication was kept. A bottle of Detol would also be there for cuts and scrapes. All siblings slept together on a fibre mattress on one bed. At a young age children were taught a most valuable lesson in life “ BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE AND NOTHING COMES EASY WITHOUT SACRIFICE AND HARD WORK.”
Life in those days was no bed of roses. Walking or driving while talking on the telephone was the stuff of science-fiction movies. Yet people lived happy lives. Today life has changed drastically and a gimme, gimme syndrome has replaced spending wisely and smart on the things we really need the most . If we could readjust our expectations and live just a little more like the golden-age of the ‘50s we would better appreciate the many blessings life has to offer. (Source: Virtual Museum of T&T, Dec 25, 2021)

​BLAST FROM THE PAST WITH ANGELO BISSESSARSINGH
The following is a riches to rags story written by Angelo Bissessarsingh in 2010
Leon Toussaint de Rostang was once known in Trinidad as a large landed proprietor and a man well to do in the world but died penniless. This is his story .
Leon Toussaint de Rostang was born in Trinidad on December 15 1795. His baptismal record shows that he was the son of Maurice Rostant (sic) and Magarita Lux Desbourdes. His father died in 1800 and his mother remarried and Leon was educated in France. He married Marie Louise D’Angleberne in 1817 and set up developing sugar estates in the Couva area. At one point, he owned almost all the estates in the district, particularly Caracas, Phoenix Park, Savonetta, Exchange, Camden, Edinburgh and Petersfield. On June 1st 1853 Leon was made a member of the Legislative Council which hitherto had been dominated by English expatriates and frowned on the Catholic French Creoles.
In the1850s a series of misfortunes and the low price of sugar spelled disaster for Leon who mortgaged his estates heavily to Hypolite Borde, Andre Blasini and the Colonial Bank. Matters were made even worse as the Colonial Bank employed Attorney General Chas. William Warner, the great enemy of the French Creoles, as its attorney.
Despite attempts by Borde and the wealthy Lucien Ambard to intervene and reestablish credit, Warner pressed for foreclosure. Leon, staring destitution, fled Trinidad in the dead of night with his wife, sons Maurice and Phillippe and their families with $10,000 to live in exile and depression in Venezuela for five years.
The family moved thence to Puerto Rico (where his wife died) and in 1866 landed in Dominica where Maurice was employed as manager of a sugar estate. With the removal of Chas. William Warner as Attorney General in 1870, the family returned to Trinidad where Maurice became manager of Williamsville Estate. Leon Toussaint died in San Fernando on June 17 1877 and was buried in Paradise Cemetery, San fernando.
The following excerpt is from the San Fernando Gazette on his death :
“ Mr. Toussaint Rostant died at the residence of his eldest son, Mr. Maurice Rostant at the advanced age of 83. Once known as a large landed proprietor and a man well to do in the world, he died penniless. French blood and English energy created that mixture of kindheartedness and stern resolve which distinguished most of the planters who opened up our virgin forests and pushed civilization into the heart of the island. The Quarter of Couva where his name is still venerated, may be said was his creation . This wonderful research may be read along with other gems of our French heritage in Fr. Anthony DeVerteuil’s excellent book, Trinidad’s French Legacy."
This photo shows Leon Toussaint’s grave in Paradise Cemetery. The headstone which bore his French epitaph has since disappeared.

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Stefan Stuven will represent Trinidad and Tobago for the first time at the Youth Sailing World Championships in Mussanah Sports City, Oman, from December 11-18.
Stuven will compete in the men’s laser radial class. He was invited to participate as part of World Sailing’s Emerging Nations Programme (ENP).
The ENP aims to increase the number of sailors and member nation assemblies participating at the Youth Worlds, with a goal to narrow the performance gap and promote worldwide competition.
Stuven, alongside a small fleet of five other TT sailors, is currently being coached by TT’s three-time Olympic sailor Andrew Lewis twice per week. He has, however, opted to do additional training sessions by himself to ensure he stays in good form.
Initially, the ENP offers elite training by specialist coaches to potential sailors through an intense, hands-on five-day clinic. Young sailors are usually flown out to sailing locations and taught the fundamentals and advanced techniques by the sport’s top-flight coaches.
Owing to the pandemic, this year’s edition was done virtually and Stuven, alongside a host of young sailors from emerging sailing countries, took part.
He was then invited to another edition, this time an in-person session, in Oman from December 10.
After working out travel and other logistics with World Sailing, the TT Olympic Committee, TT Sailing Association (TTSA) and his parents, Stuven accepted the offer to go to Oman for the ENP and then make his international competitive debut at Youth Worlds.
“I feel quite excited for the experience because I’ve never competed at this level. Because of covid19, World Sailing held their ENP online this time. We had meetings once a month and the coaches would talk and explain the theories of sailing and we would interact and ask questions.
“That’s happened for over a few months. Coming to the end of it, the organiser of it asked me if I wanted to come and do an in-person ENP. I thought it was quite far to travel and there were a lot of technical challenges like that to overcome. But it’s been confirmed,” he said.
After the session, Stuven heads right into the world regatta.
His father Andreas, has always been an avid yachtsman. The St Mary’s College graduate, however, got into sailing at age seven after attending a holiday sailing camp hosted by the TTSA in 2011. Since his introduction, he’s never stopped sailing.
Stuven trains in Chaguaramas and previously worked with TTSA head instructor Stephen Phillip. Under his new coach Lewis, he is impressed by the Olympian’s work ethic.
“He’s (Lewis) very intense in his training. He trains at a very high level and tries to push everyone in the field. It’s not just me, it’s a fleet of us. He’s trying to get everybody to the highest possible level of training.


“He teaches us how to race, how to think tactically, being aware of our surroundings and not thinking only of what’s inside the boat but also outside, looking at the conditions, observing what everybody else is doing on the course and think ahead.
“It’s a very good experience to be dealing with a high-level person and three-time Olympian,” he added.
Stuven, however, has never competed in laser radial, not even at a national level. He started training for this class just before the pandemic hit in March last year.
He said it’s been very hard to train with the fluctuating restrictions and beaches being closed. He was grateful though that the TTSA secured an exemption for him to train at one location.
Looking ahead, he said, “I want to continue sailing after Youth Worlds. They’ve already set the date for Youth Worlds 2022 in July and I want to try to go again and maybe either get into college sailing in Canada and obviously the Olympics.
“Right now, I’m taking a year off to do some subjects I never took, like A’ Level Chemistry. After I get that, I’d like to go to a university where there’s a proper sailing programme, whether it be at UWI, Canada or even Germany.”
For the Youth Sailing World Championships, Mussanah is renowned for its high-quality sailing conditions all year round.
During December, temperatures are expected to be around 24°C on average, while the average wind strength is expected to be around 10-17 knots.
The 2020 Youth Worlds were scheduled to be held in Salvador, Brazil, in December 2020, but the event was cancelled due to the pandemic. (Source: Newsday, November 1, 2021)