The Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge is a nature resort and scientific research station in the Arima Valley of the Northern Range in Trinidad and Tobago. The Centre is one of the top birdwatching spots in the Caribbean and one of the most biodiverse areas in the West Indies. It is home to more than 250 bird species, including the purple honeycreeper, tufted coquette (a hummingbird), tropical mockingbird, and oilbird (a nocturnal fruit eater).
Red brocket deer, the elusive ocelot, the Brazilian porcupine, and the southern tamandua have also been recorded. Red-rumped agouti is another mammal that can often be seen near the main house.
The nature Centre is on 270 acres and includes a main estate house with an inn and restaurant serving dishes such as callaloo soup with ingredients from an on-site organic garden. Non-adjacent properties have also been added to the centre’s land holdings. The William Beebe Tropical Research Station (also known as Simla), was established by the famous naturalist and explorer William Beebe as a tropical research station for the New York Zoological Society
Formerly the Springhill Estate, the grounds have returned to a wild state from once extensive coffee, cocoa, and citrus plantations. Some coffee, cocoa, and citrus plants are still maintained alongside the natural second growth which has taken over the abandoned plantation vegetation with vines and a host of epiphytes. The whole effect is one of being deep in a tropical rainforest making it the perfect setting for nature lovers to relax and explore.
