Your experienced nature guide will take you along 
forest trails threading through huge canopy trees, 
jungle-thick vegetation and high stands of bamboo. 

Breathe the cool forest fragrance, listen to the bird 
or animal calls as your guide identifies them and 
admire the exotic butterflies, fruits and flowers as 
your love for living things grows.

The Forest
Back in 1776, recognizing the effects of deforestation on the 
island's water source, Britain declared Tobago’s Main Ridge 
rain forest a Crown Reserve.
This is now one of the the oldest, legally protected rain
forests in the world.
Our tropical forest reserve covers 14,000 acres and 
it is criss-crossed with nature trails just waiting for your
exploration.

The Birds
Tobago is a bird paradise - 210 different species live here and 
they are among the most beautiful birds in the world. 
Few other places in the world support such a wide range of
species in such a small area. 
Many of them inhabit the rain forest and are easily accessible
to bird watchers.

You will spot the birds by sound and sight. Some are
spectacular - all are beautiful. Here is just a small selection
of the birds you may find (and photograph?):
the beautiful Blue-crowned Motmot,
White-tailed Sabrewing and Ruby-topaz
Hummingbirds,
Rufous-tailed Jacamar,
Stripe-breasted Spinetail,
Blue-backed Manakin,
Golden-olive Woodpecker,
Orange-winged Parrot,
Purple Honeycreeper
Red-rumped and Red-crowned Treecreepers,
and finally the rare and exotic Red-Billed
Tropic Bird.

Some are annual visitors, escaping the northern or southern winter. 
Many others are permanent residents, including a long list of 
South American species not found elsewhere in the Caribbean.

The Animals, Insects and other Residents
Apart from the huge variety of birds, 17 species of mammals, 
including the crab-eating raccoon and the world's smallest alligator 
(found only on this island), 123 species of butterfly (including the 
Blue Emperor), 24 species of snake (none poisonous), 16 species
of lizard (including the green iguana), and 14 species of frog.

Most of them are to be found in the rain forest - here are
some you may see:
Bats (one of them catches fish), Deer,
Anteaters, Raccoon, Peccaries, Otters,
Agouti, Porcupine, Tree Frogs, Tortoises,
Armadillos and Manicoo.

The Plants - big and small
The tropical palm, almond, banyan and breadfruit trees found
near Tobago's shore give way to stately evergreen canopy trees 
as we ascend into the rain forest.

Among the forest trees your guide will point out are:
large canopy trees like Teak and Rosewood
which bears a multitude of yellow flowers,
the ornamental Angelin  with magnificent
purple flowers,
Cannonball, Guatecare, and Bloodwood,
Fiddlewood with its clusters of lilac-like
flowers,
Poui with its beautiful yellow blooms.

In addition to the tree blossoms, you will find:
Tobago's national flower, the Chaconia
Spider and Cacao Lilies
spectacular orange immortelles
Heliconia and Cat's Claw
several varieties of orchid
flowering Lianes and Vines of many species