The Arcadian Naturalist: Week 3

First Real Week on the Job

Monday was a day filled with researching all I could about Saint Lucia and the curriculum that was currently in place. The rest of the week, I had the pleasure of venturing out to different parts of the island to meet with stakeholders at the different beaches.

Tuesday, our meeting was at Cappella Resort with several hotel owners close to the area, the police, and the licensed vendors. This location was at the very scenic Marigot Bay where several movies have been shot like Dr. Dolittle (according to the advertisements). This area is pretty remote and access to running water is a little difficult. All stakeholders involved had very valid concerns that circled around similar problems. One thing that many of the beaches share in common is unlicensed vendors trying to make a living. It's a very difficult proposition to try and have a solution that fits everybody and the health of the beach. However, everyone similarly agreed that if the beach is getting bad reviews then it hurts all the stakeholders. It seemed like a very productive meeting. After the meeting, we were treated to a lunch at the resort restaurant and celebrated my supervisors birthday which was a pleasant surprise.

On Wednesday, We headed off to Sugar Beach in scenic Soufriere near the iconic Pitons. I was given a leave of absence from this meeting and was able to sight see at the Sulfur Springs Caldera. It rained a bit as it usually does on a tropical island, but the views were gorgeous. On the way back, we stopped and bought some Cassava bread, a gluten free unleavened bread, which comes in an assortment of delicious flavors from guava to cherry to chocolate!

"Touching" The Piton

Sulfur Springs Caldera

Sugar Beach

Making the local treat of Cassava Bread

On Thursday, we went around a few of the beaches in the north with the Minister of our area to inspect some potential issues that could be addressed. Several of these beaches are a lot further inland than they used to be due to climate change and rising oceans. The thing that was etched in my memory the most was when the Minister said how he remembered the beach being a good 20 feet further from the airport. The same traces of climate change can be seen on Reduit Beach which is highly populated due to tourists coming on cruise ships. There is a berm to stop the waves and seaweed from coming into the parking lot, but they still have water flowing over during rough seas or high tide.

On Saint Lucia they observe Good Friday and Easter Monday as holidays so I had a long weekend. Saturday I got out and explored Pigeon Island where Fort Rodney is located with another response volunteer. This fort was fought over due to its strategic position and scenic views. I was not fully prepared for the large hills that we climbed, but it was a fun little excursion!