Campus Biodiversity Week

The Department of Life Sciences, in collaboration with the UWI Biological Society, is delighted to bring you a week of FREE activities to encourage us all to appreciate and learn about the wildlife we share our beautiful campus with.

Please browse the list of activities below and let us know which you wish to register for on the following page. For some activities, you may receive further instructions by email after signing up, but if not you should simply turn up at the designated meeting place & time.

All events take place on the main St Augustine campus – please take note of specific meeting places for each activity.

Guided Tree Walks – Monday 13th & Wednesday 15th – 9-10am
Join Dr Michael Oatham, a Tropical Forest Ecologist and Head of the Department of Life Sciences, as he takes us on a carefully planned route to meet a range of different tree species on campus, some of which are close to 100 years old and date back to the days of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture.
Meeting place: the benches under the trees near LRC (LRC greens).

Marine Biodiversity in T&T – Monday 13th – 2-3pm
From the sandy beaches to the deep sea, join Dr La Daana Kanhai, Lecturer in Marine Biology/Ecology, for a deep dive conversation and glimpse into T&T’s incredible marine biodiversity.
Meeting place: Conference Room, Department of Life Sciences (behind the Main DLS Office).

Pollinator Walk – Tuesday 14th – 10-11am
Join insect expert Mr Rajindra Mahabir to explore the recently established campus Pollinator Garden and learn more about it’s inhabitants and their importance. We will use sweep nets to take a closer look at butterflies, bees and other creatures who thrive on the carefully chosen plants in the garden.
Meeting place: Outside the Department of Life Sciences main office.

UWI Zoology Museum Tours – Wednesday 15th & Friday 17th – 1-2pm
Explore the treasure trove of preserved specimens housed in the UWIZM’s collections with curator Mr Zaheer Hosein. The tour will include a visit to the main Zoology room and the Land Arthropod collection.
Meeting place: outside the UWIZM, ground floor, Nat Sci Building.

Biodiversity Fair – Wednesday 15th – 10am-2pm
Join The UWI Biological Society and friends to learn more about local biodiversity, including a live animal display from El Socorro Wildlife
Place: Department of Life Sciences Undercroft [REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED]

Guided Bird Walk – Thursday 16th – 7-8am
Join Dr Mark Hulme, Ornithologist & Lecturer in Zoology, bright and early to discover some of the bird life on campus. Bring binoculars if you have them!
Meeting place: the benches under the trees near LRC (LRC greens).

Biodiversity Night – Thursday 16th – 6-8pm
Discover the wildlife on campus after dark! Visit Dr Luke Rostant’s Bat Station and Dr Amy Deacon’s Moth Station then join some of our student naturalists for a night walk to spot other nocturnal creatures! Bring a flashlight/headtorch if you have one.
Meeting place: CARDI carpark near TGR.

Tours of the National Herbarium – Thursday 16th & Friday 17th – 9.30-10.45am & 1.30-2.45pm
View botanical displays and enjoy a tour of the National Herbarium collections from Curator, Dr J. Francisco Morales. The collections comprise around 50,000 specimens, some dating back more than 100 years.
Meeting place: Downstairs in the Frank Stockdale Building

Sign up via this link