Yerette, a secret sanctuary

Despite attempts over the years by a few ‘carpetbaggers’ to introduce the squalor and nastiness which appear to be an integral part of their modus operandi, the Valley remains home to pockets of verdant green where small streams flow and a myriad of birds, butterflies and animals frolic among the trees and flowering shrubs and bushes.

Nestled at the foothills of the Northern Range with the often mist-shrouded Mt El Tucuche towering in the background, the Valley boasts secret havens like the Ortinola Great House, the Coosal estate and compound, Amral Khan’s gracious home and gardens as well as other smaller but equally inviting private homes.

One of the best kept “secrets”, however, has been the establishment in Valley View – former part of the Anderson cocoa estate – of Yerette, a hummingbird sanctuary where visitors may view - by appointment only - 14 of the 18 species of this magical creature from which the country derived its first name (“Iere – land of the hummingbirds”) by the Amerindians - the first people here. Yerette is, of course, the Amerindian word for the hummingbird.

Established at their home in 2010 and and operated by Theo and Gloria Ferguson, Yerette has been described as “primarily … an educational/conservational experience on hummingbirds… (which) seeks to educate the world, and in particular locals, about the importance of hummingbirds in nature and culturally.” What it also does is help both local and international visitors who have been fortunate enough to discover this ‘open secret” into a better appreciation and understanding of this iridescent creature whose image appears on the country’s national Coat of Arms, currency, postage stamps and passport, and whose name is linked with our national awards, that is, the Hummingbird Medal in gold, silver and bronze In addition, the hummingbird is the central insignia of the Protective Services––Army, Coast Guard, Air Guard and Police and the logo of the national airline.

Visitors to Yerette – whose names read like an international Who’s Who – have described their time there as not just a learning and cultural experience but also one that was “healing, spiritually uplifting and spirit- filled.” In fact, the consensus of opinion is that it is not just one of but the leading eco-attraction in Trinidad and Tobago.

In his seminal work, Green Mansions, William Henry Hudson – author, naturalist, ornithologist and founding member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (England) - asks the reader, “Have you ever observed a hummingbird moving about in an aerial dance among the flowers – a living prismatic gem that changes its colour with every change of position?” Someone who can answer a resounding ‘yes’ would be Madame Peng Liyuan, wife of Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China for whom a visit to Yerette was a priority on their two-day visit to this country in 2013, as well as our own Reema Carmona, wife of President Anthony Carmona.

For others who make the trek along the winding Maracas Royal Road which ends with a rather circuitous uphill drive at Valley View, their visit to Yerette has been “not just a visual delight but an intensely spiritual and emotional experience that has left them refreshed and renewed.” In order to achieve this, the Fergusons have set up dozens of bird feeders in their front yard.

They have also reorganised their garden, placing the emphasis on a variety of flowering plants in order to attract a wider variety of species.

According to Ferguson, “this has worked beautifully; we now have 14 of the 18 species found in Trinidad” – the fourteenth (the Amethyst Woodstar) having appeared in 2015! The birds are fed on a mixture of granulated sugar and water which is brought to a boil, cooled and then poured into the feeders. It takes about two hours to feed the birds and another two hours to maintain the garden on a daily basis.

Brown sugar which contains iron is not used as this can “damage the birds’ internal organs.” The “Yerette Experience” includes the Yerette Live Show, that is the viewing of the birds in flight and at rest; the Yerette Knowledge Encounter - an informal but very knowledgeable chat by host, Theo, about the birds; the Yerette Photo Gallery; the Yerette Photo Show and the Yerette Culinary Encounter, a range of local “time-related” meals – breakfast, lunch and tea – prepared by Gloria. Visitors may then walk around, taking pictures on simply sit and enjoy the avian cornucopia. Yerette Readers is presently working on a series of books on hummingbirds for children between five and ten years, the first of which Marvin and the Race to the Nest is now available in bookshops and on Amazon with the second – Jonathan – due in October.

On any given day, Theo estimates that there are between 750 and 3,000 hummingbirds in his oasis.

“Numbers are greatest during cool, overcast conditions when we experience the hummingbird shower, especially at the end of a heavy rain shower,” he said. “They may be among the smallest birds in the animal kingdom, yet their flying capabilities more than make up for any deficiency on their part. For instance, these birds have excellent memories; while their brains are tiny, they have the largest brain in relation to body size among birds,” Theo added. The hummingbird has weak feet, yet its wings beat up to 200 times a second; they can fly in any direction, including upside-down! The genesis of Theo’s engagement with hummingbirds was and remains his wish to share with those around him, “the experiences of a life still living”, one where there is order, purpose and a sense of discovery. On a personal level, it “has given me a greater sense of security and leaves me feeling renewed and strengthened to pursue life in the way I have been called … it helps me to keep a high level of mental clarity and to daily reaffirm the purpose of my existence.” In a world of mounting disorder, escalating crime, poverty and the hopelessness that these engender, Yerette - for the thousands who have visited since November 2010 has, and continues to provide, a small oasis of delight, peacefulness and hope in what for many often seems like an unending desert.categories.