Conservationist urges people to explore Trinidad and Tobago more

From a professional-sounding perspective, Nicholas Walker calls himself a conservationist and nature enthusiast.
But in casual conversation, he is “just a man who likes the bush.”
From fields to forests, the former national footballer is now on a mission to get more people interested in this country’s flora and fauna.
Walker, 33, was raised in St Ann’s, Port of Spain, in a large family. He told Sunday Newsday he has always been surrounded by and in love with nature.
“(As a child) I was exactly like I am now – probably worse. We grew up doing bush things, we had a farm and those kinds of things.”
His childhood heroes were the legendary English broadcaster and biologist Sir David Attenborough and late Australian conservationist Steve Irwin. His eyes would be glued to the TV any time Animal Planet or Discovery Channel were on.
He attended St Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican Primary School, then St Mary’s College. He then did a bachelor’s degree in sports management at the Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey, US, graduating in 2014.
It was there the defender played college football and later played professionally for MLS (Major League Soccer) team FC Dallas, among others. He has also played for TT’s national under-20 football team.


But when his grandmother, Gloria Walker, fell ill, he decided to return home in 2018. She died two months after he got back.
Admittedly, just before his return, he felt like he was “losing the connection to (his) roots.”
He recalled his grandmother continually encouraging him.
“She was my rock (and) the greatest matriarch you’d ever meet. She not only raised seven children but 20-30-something grandchildren, and without an education. Seeing that type of love was an inspiration.”
So Walker returned to his happy place – nature.
He said he got the opportunity to travel the world thanks to football, and “by doing that, I realised that TT has so many of the things (flora and fauna) you can see abroad.
“It might be a different colour, but we have it.”
He then felt mandated to urge others to “show some appreciation and encourage them (to explore TT) a bit more.”
That, he concluded, is his purpose.
“It’s the thing that came easy to me.
“I think a lot of people have this idea that they need to chase after their purpose. For me, your purpose is the thing that comes easy to you.”
The passion behind this purpose eventually led to his nature tour business, TTrodOn Tours And Experiences/Exploring TT.
“I started taking friends and it moved from my friends to their family and friends.
“I remember (tours) would be like $20 back then.”
Living up to his surname, his preferred method of transport is walking – which he does barefoot.
In fact, he once walked from Port of Spain to Maracas, and from Port of Spain to Grande Riviere, a fishing community along the northeastern coast.
He now makes YouTube videos of places he hikes or explores with his friends Zakirayya Ali, Saifaudeen Mohammed and Sabrina Ali. In the videos, he gives fun facts about every animal or ecosystem he comes across in effort to educate.
In what he described as “a chance of a lifetime,” he got the opportunity to assist the crew of the BBC docuseries Liz Bonnin's Wild Caribbean in November. The team was here to see the white-fronted capuchin monkey. Bonnin said there are only 50 mature adults left of this species in the world, and they're all in TT.
Bonnin lived here for some time as she was born to a TT mother and her father, originally from Martinique, also lived here.
Walker had visited the area they were exploring – Bush Bush Forest/Wildlife Sanctuary – a week earlier and posted videos about it.
“So a week later, my friend’s mom was like, ‘Aye, these people from the BBC coming.’ Don’t ask me how (she knew) but she said it would be a good opportunity to go see what they do, that I could help them carry equipment…”
So he went.
But after several hours of trying, they still had not found the animal.
“And at one point, I just took it upon myself and said I’d take the camera crew alone to the spot where we found our monkey.”
He said the monkey is very skittish, so the large team would have lowered the chances of its coming out.
“So I could hear a male making a call, and I started whistling back. He was coming closer, to see who is this other male (capuchin) in his territory.
“You could see him coming through the branches, and he came straight to the camera, realised, ‘Wait, this is not a monkey,’ then took off.”
He said a cameraman ran after the monkey, which paused for a drink of water, allowing him to get the perfect photo.
“That experience just solidified my purpose in this space. When it comes to nature in TT, this is what I am supposed to be doing. I am trying to encourage (TT nationals) to learn their home and I think if you do, you can respect it a little more and appreciate it a little more.
“You’d realise in my videos – you don’t really see people. I want to show TT’s nature, and the vibrance of what we have right here.”
He recently came across the Suriname toad, which he said had not been recorded as seen in TT for at least 32 years, as well as the critically endangered golden tree frog.
Sunday Newsday did a mini hike with Walker at the Bamboo Cathedral in Chaguaramas, which he insisted was not a hike but “a small stroll.”
It was there he and the team saw a group of tufted capuchins, among smaller critters.
But Walker credits a lot of his knowledge to the friends he goes on adventures with.
“Yes, I know trees, I know animals, but I learnt from them. I always have to give credit where it is due. They actually have degrees in these things.”
He also does wildlife photography and is known for taking impressive close-up shots of snakes.
“If you sit in nature long enough, stories will start to unfold.”
A dream of his has always been to work with Caribbean Airlines to have his work featured in some way.
He said three weeks ago, the company “messaged (him) out of nowhere” saying they liked his work and wanted to send him to Dominica to do something similar.
“Dominica has been the only place in the world I’ve wanted to go since I was 16, and I still had not been. It was an amazing experience and there was so much to see.”
Although he has seen many animals, he is yet to see a (mapepire zanana) bushmaster (
Lachesis) snake – the largest venomous snake in the Americas – and an ocelot, but hopes he can achieve that soon.
“Nature, in itself, just gives to us, and we are supposed to protect it.” (Source: Newsday Dec 16, 2023)

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