February 2023
Final designs for Sophia Point's Centre
After more than 3 years of preparations and fundraising, and 8 months of design consultation, we are delighted to present the final design for the Sophia Point centre.
Our plans have evolved from a small 6 person hammock pod to a building able to support up to 24 persons, provide a wet and dry lab and house all the cooking, washing and teaching facilities needed for week long field courses. Architect Marcel Gaskin has worked with us throughout this process and we couldn't be happier with the results. We also want to thank all those who gave their time generously to review, advise and inform us during the design phases.
We now look forward to the next stage of the process: turning these designs into reality.
Preparing the ground for construction
We have been busy working with Desmond, locals Derek and Boyle and volunteers Josh and Kirsty to prepare for the upcoming building work. This has entailed the construction of a retaining wall to help us store sand and other building materials on site. You can follow our building progress on both our Instagram and Facebook pages - links at the end of the newsletter.
Prospective builders visit Sophia Point
In the next step towards building Sophia Point we welcomed prospective contractors on site. This was an opportunity to give invited builders an insight into the challenges of our remote, off-grid location and the purpose of the project.
Architect Marcel Gaskin joined Director Sam Airey in presenting the designs (photo top left, below). They stressed the importance of minimising environmental impact, delivering a building that is functional but inspiring and of ensuring that the centre is built to sustain the often harsh humid conditions of the rainforest.
We'll be sharing updates of progress regularly on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Finding frogs with US herpetologists
Over January we were joined by four herpetologists from the United States. The team spent their time on night walks, creek trips and exploring the Sophia Point boundary in search of frogs, snakes and invertebrates.
Despite rainy season, they were able to document an array of species to add to the inventory. They also witnessed both a Giant Armadillo burrowing late at night and a family of Giant Otters swimming in the Essequibo. Thanks to CJ, Nathan, Nate and Dagan for the visit!
See some of the incredible photos taken on the night walks below!
Introducing…Desmond Braithwaite, Field Guide
Over the coming monthly newsletters we will be introducing the team in Guyana and in the UK that are working to make Sophia Point happen. We're starting with the person who has known about Sophia Point's beauty the longest, Desmond, our trail guide.
Desmond is a local Amerindian who helped construct the original building on site and has supported the Sophia Point project from day one. Happiest deep in the bush spotting trails and following monkey calls, Desmond is an invaluable member of the team.
When he's not guiding trails or supporting Sam with construction jobs Desmond and his wife Datu often spend their time out on the river catching fish.
Spotted at Sophia Point...
Spotted at Sophia Point - nestled amongst our Hibiscus and Bamboo orchid plants was this well camouflaged Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla). They are known as parrot snakes thanks to their often bright green and bronze colours. Keep up with all our wildlife shots on our Instagram page.
