An Eventful & Rewarding Year - The University of the West Indies, St ...

In a room with Cathedral ceilings, shelves
that rise almost from the floor to the ceiling
are filled with thousands of specimens
with the “stories” of plants that can be
found in our part of the world. The National
Herbarium of Trinidad and Tobago
(NHOTT) is a veritable house of treasures,
with invaluable data that can
inform a range of research
from genetic science
to economics and
in the long term play a
vital role in the sustainable
development of
our country. Also of
immense value is the
delicately wrought
water-colour collection
of our local
plants.
The herbarium will play a
vital role in the proposed
Biodiversity Centre
articulated in the FSA
strategic plan 1999 –
2004.
O N T H E C O V E R
The NHOTT, internationally
registered as TRIN, was established in
1887 by J. H. Hart, the then Superintendent
of the Botanic Gardens in Port of
Spain. In 1947, it was transferred to the
Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture
(ICTA) which is now part of the Faculty of
Science and Agriculture (FSA), on the St.
Augustine Campus. In 1973, the Herbarium
gained national status when the
Government of Trinidad & Tobago accepted
financial responsibility for ‘maintaining
it as a national asset.’
3 STAN October – December
This semester promises to be one of the most exciting and
challenging for students and staff. In just a few months
students will experience long nights of studying for exams
combined with the euphoria of attending some of the most
interesting events being hosted right on Campus. Some of
the conferences include the 2002 Solar Conference (7 th –
12 th October) and The Hindu Presence in Trinidad and
Tobago (25 th –27 th October). Then there is the thrill of
graduation, all set to take place in the brand new, state-ofthe-art
Sports and Physical Education Facility (November
1 st & 2 nd ) complete with a cocktail reception after the
ceremonies, hosted by the Campus Principal. A definite
must for all is the Health Safety and Environment Week (5 th
–8 th November) as well as our Staff Celebration “together
as one” (14 th December) which promises to be an
unforgettable night of dinner, dance and great live
entertainment. Undoubtedly ‘tis the season to be merry!
A National Treasure
Celebrates 115 Years
The NHOTT maintains a dry plant reference
collection of mainly the local vascular
flora, and a specialized library, from
which information about plants can be
gathered. The herbarium also provides a
plant identification and information service
to researchers, students and the general
public.
Located on the first floor
of the Frank Stockdale
building and staffed by
a curator, Yasmin S.
Baksh-Comeau, two technicians,
Winston
Johnson and Doreen
Jodhan, and a secretary/accountant,
Prudence Kim Roberts,
it is open during working
hours to anyone seeking information
about plants.
Apart from disseminating information
when requested, the
staff is involved in augmenting
the collection and
maintaining the specimens
up to international
standards. The library collection
is accessible for consultation but
the books are not for loan. The main area
of research involves the systematics and
ecology of the flora of Trinidad & Tobago.
This area of research involves the accurate
identification and naming of plants,
recording the habitats where they grow
and the degree of threat to their survival.
Therefore the correct identification of a
plant is crucial to our understanding of
how we utilise, manage and protect the
habitats of our rich flora.
It’s that time of year again when over 4,000
students from high schools throughout Trinidad
and Tobago travel to our Campus for Student
Open Days from Wednesday 16 th – 18 th October
2002. The Opening Ceremony at the JFK
Auditorium will kick –off the event. At the event
Campus Principal Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie will
speak as well as Faculty of Medical Sciences
Lecturer Dr. Monica Davis and President of The
Guild of Students Mobafa Baker. The Ceremony
will be chaired by Director, Student Services,
Victor Cowan.
This year students from Forms 3 to Form 6,
parents and teachers will have the opportunity
to have guided tours of our beautiful campus,
obtain information on the University’s many
programmes, gain helpful career opportunities
for graduates and talk face-to face with
representatives from all of our academic departments/units.
This is a unique opportunity for
students to gain an insight into life at the premier
tertiary institution in the region.
UWIDEC HOLDS OPEN DAY IN TOBAGO
The University of The West Indies Distance Education Centre
(UWIDEC) will hold an Open Day on Friday 25 th October, 2002
from 9:30 am- 5:00pm at The Mount Irvine Bay Hotel, Tobago.
The day promises to be extremely enlightening and interactive,
as professionals as well as fifth and sixth form students from
throughout Tobago will have the opportunity to gain insight
into the University’s Distance Education Programmes, as well
as the overall offerings by faculties at the UWI St Augustine
Campus. Throughout the day, Career Guidance sessions will
also be offered.
“We promise it will be a highly informative day. I know that
after attending these workshops and presentations,
Tobagonians will have the information that will empower them
to make informed decisions to access tertiary level education,”
Hilary Drakes, UWIDEC Site Coordinator for Tobago stated.