When I Lived Abroad - Statia, The "Golden Rock" of the Caribbean

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This is where my travels began. 2016. St. Eustatius. Statia for short. A Dutch, Caribbean island small enough to hike across from one end to the other in a day’s march. Although I did not take on such an endeavor, I did hike its dormant volcano, march up its many hills, and run down its many slopes. This was my first trip without family for an extended period of time while living in another country. It was also a trip that was funded through supporters who generously donated on my GoFundMe page, where I describe the nature of my time on the island and what my hopes were for what I wished to accomplish. This wasn’t a vacation, although it may have seemed like it to many. This was a trip I had organized with my college professors and academic counselors as a volunteer-internship I hoped to partake in, abroad. Through connections linked by a college professor, Karen Eckert, I was able to get in touch with a non-profit, wildlife and nature parks organization called, St. Eustatius National Parks (or STENAPA, for short). Only a 3-4 weeks before scheduling a flight to this Dutch island did I learn about what STENAPA did and that Statia even existed.

A little history…

Statia not only existed contrary to my previous knowledge, but this island was a unique gem in the Caribbean sea for hundreds of years. The island got its name, Sint Eustatius, from the Dutch pronunciation of the legendary Christian martyr, Saint Eustace. To list some other notable historical facts, I’ll begin by mentioning that the island was seen by Christopher Columbus in 1493. This was followed by the island being claimed by many different nations, exchanging hands 21 times between the 17th and 19th century.

Due to the nature of the island’s economy, early Statians would sell arms and ammunition to anyone willing to pay. Statia acted as one of the only places from which the young United States could obtain military supplies.

The island sold arms and ammunition to anyone willing to pay. It was one of the few places from which the young United States could obtain military stores. The good relationship between St. Eustatius and the United States resulted in the noted "First Salute".

On November 16, 1776, Captain Isaiah Robinson of the 14-gun American brig Andrew Doria, sailed into the anchorage below St. Eustatius' Fort Oranje. Robinson announced his arrival by firing a thirteen gun salute, one gun for each of the thirteen American colonies in rebellion against Britain. Governor Johannes de Graaff replied with an eleven-gun salute from the cannons of Fort Oranje. International protocol required a two gun less acknowledgment of a sovereign flag. The Andrew Doria flew the Continental Colors of the fledgling United States. It was the first international acknowledgment of American independence. The Andrew Doria had arrived to purchase munitions for the American Revolutionary forces. She was also carrying a copy of the Declaration of Independence which was presented to Governor De Graaff. An earlier copy had been captured on the way to Holland by the British. It was wrapped in documents that the British believed to be a strange cipher. In reality the documents were written in Yiddish, to Jewish merchants in Holland.

U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt came to St. Eustatius in 1939 to recognize the importance of the 1776 "First Salute". He presented a large brass plaque to St. Eustatius which is displayed today under a flagpole atop the walls of Fort Oranje. President Roosevelt visited the island for 2 hours on February 27, 1939 on the USS Houston. The plaque reads:

"In commemoration to the salute to the flag of the United States, Fired in this fort November 16. 1776, By order of Johannes de Graaff, Governor of Saint Eustatius, In reply to a National Gun-Salute, Fired by the United States Brig of War Andrew Doria, Under Captain Isaiah Robinson of the Continental Navy, Here the sovereignty of the United States of America was first formally acknowledged to a national vessel by a foreign official. Presented by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President of the United States of America"

The recognition provided the title for Barbara W. Tuchman's 1988 book The First Salute: A View of the American Revolution.

Source: Wikipedia

Amazing, right? This tiny island was the first to formally acknowledge the United States to the world as a sovereign nation! On top of that, Statia was considered the most important Dutch island in the Caribbean in the 18th century. It even became nicknamed, the “Golden Rock" because of its immense wealth. As I learned from some of the locals and international archaeologists studying several sites while I was there, the island was home to some 10,000 people at its peak.

Today, however, Statia is much different. Warehouses that lined the main road along Oranje Bay are mostly ruins or partially underwater now. The island no longer has such a grand population. Instead, Statia is home to 3,138 people as of a 2019 census.

My purpose for being there…

When I flew to the island, I went with my friend Nathanael Kenworthy, a mate from college, originally from Perth, Australia. We both signed on to this volunteer internship independently, but endured the following summer months together with a group of 10 or so doing similar work. His goal: work in the Statian Marine National Park - SCUBA diving, snorkeling, lion-fish control, coral health/coastal biodiversity checkups, etc. My goals: work in the Statian terrestrial National Parks. This included everything from doing simple tasks for the STENAPA office to trail maintenance in the depths of the island’s dormant volcano. I helped re-ignite the functionality of the Botanical Garden maintained by park rangers and volunteers. I aided in repairing trails damaged by storms or its deteriorated state over time. We led hikes for tourists, as well as, for local middle schools where we educated children and adults on the importance of wildlife and ecosystem management. I helped train the new set of park rangers into their roles. And last but not least, we helped to identify and capture invasive species of iguana, the green iguana, from hybridizing with the native species, the Lesser Antillean Iguana, therefore protecting its genetic purity.

At the same time that I was working, I did enjoy the freedoms of living on a beautiful island teeming with friendly locals, amazing sunsets, clear-blue waters, and wildlife that blew my mind. Any chance I got, I would be in the water, snorkeling for hours after work to experience the underwater world. I was so infatuated with its beauty that I even became SCUBA certified at the Golden Rock Dive Center - one of the BEST decisions in my life. If you ask me, everyone needs to experience the alien world beneath the surface of the world’s waters. It is simply unbelievable, yet truly remarkable.

Hugo, My Badass Chick

One of my most cherished moments from this beautiful time abroad was when I raised up a baby chick, Hugo to be the badass chicken that she was. Yes, I’m pretty sure it was a girl. We found this tiny baby bird struggling to walk, as it had been left behind by its family due to an injured foot. Had I not helped it, it would have died of starvation or by being eaten by another animal. I captured it under the spiky acacia trees of a nearby yard next to home as it tried hobbling away from me. Then I brought it back and set it under a chicken-wired, 4-foot by 4-foot cage (oddly enough, meant to capture chickens). At first, it did not trust me. It was terrified of me. I was a 6 foot 2 inch giant overlooking this tasty-looking “snack.” In reality, all I wanted was to help it.

So for the next week straight, day by day, I would be waiting patiently for it to trust me through the wired-cage. I brought it food. Water. And, some bugs. Slowly, it began to believe that I was not a threat. As I noticed Hugo entrusting me even more, I would let her out of the cage. Since she could not scratch the ground with her injured foot like healthy chicken, I began helping her dig for little crawling bugs; and this was the moment I became Hugo’s “mom.” Haha :)

I swear, this little tiny thing walked with me everywhere. Hugo followed me where I went, waiting patiently as I helped her identify the tiny bugs crawling in the dirt. Not only that, but she would nest in my neck as she fell into a deep sleep on the warmth of my chest. Over time, she grew bigger and bigger. And, her foot healed more and more each day. She began to gain an iridescence in the colors of her new plumage coming in. By the end of my time nearing three months on this tiny island, Hugo was walking, jumping, and flying wherever she wanted to go! This little tiny bird grew into a healthy, strong, badass chicken.

I knew she was all good when she flew into a giant mango tree for her first time to nest with the other wild chickens. It was a bittersweet moment for me since it was like a symbol of our time coming to an end. For her, she was moving on to bigger and better things in her chicken world. For me, I was returning home to the States after a long journey of growth, sweat, hard-work, and delicious — oh, so delicious — mangos.

This trip was one for the books. An amazing island. Beautiful, generous, kind, and friendly people. Jaw-dropping wildlife. And, life lessons that I’ll take with me wherever I go.

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