Our journey starts at 9:30 am Saturday morning in Pittsburgh International Airport. We all got there nice and early to make sure our flight check in was smooth as possible. We were all very excited to embark on this service-learning experience in a country we have never been to. We had a full day of traveling, and due to the time difference (Trinidad does not observe daylight savings) we did not arrive in Port of Spain until 11:30pm. So, we will call this Day 0, since we had such little time in the country. We got picked up by Bob, our lovely “maxi taxi” driver, who we had for most of the trip and made it to Samise Villa around midnight. It was great to finally met Denise in person after only seeing her over zoom and had Pizza Boys, a local shop in Trinidad, which was very tasty. We all called it a night after since we had to be up earlier to make the hour and a half drive to Nature Seekers located in Matura, the countryside of Trinidad.
Day 1 in Trinidad was a mesmerizing immersion into the wonders of nature at Nature Seekers in Matura. After indulging in a delightful breakfast at Samise Villa, comprising scrambled eggs, toast, cheese, tomatoes, and refreshing juice, we embarked on a scenic drive to our destination. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by Suzan, the Managing Director at Nature Seekers, and introduced to the rich history of Nature Seekers and the leatherback turtles inhabiting the area. We discussed their nesting habits and egg-laying frequency. A delicious lunch followed, featuring chicken, rice, beans, sweet potato, plantains, and a heavenly guava pineapple juice. With energy restored, we learned about turtle tracking and tagging methodologies. Luckily we had Rima, who has been around Nature Seekers since she was just a toddler being Suzan’s daughter, to give us an extensive lesson. We had a chance to meet Murtle, which is the stuffed leather turtle they use for demos and practice for turtle tagging. That evening, we had a dinner spread of fish, cheesy baked potatoes, noodles, lentils, and fruit punch before venturing out to witness the breathtaking sight of turtles nesting on the shore. Guided by the passionate team at Nature Seekers, we had the privilege of observing these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat, even assisting in tagging some sea turtles and meticulously recording valuable data. It was a day filled with unforgettable encounters and profound appreciation for Trinidad’s extraordinary biodiversity.
Day 2 one of our now favorite people from Nature Seekers, Andersen, took us on a kayak tour. We kayaked down a river, when it got too shallow we walked the remainder of the way to a beautiful nature-made pool. We spent some time swimming and discussing the native plants and animals of Trinidad, such as the Kingfisher bird. Later in the day once we got back to the guest house, ate lunch, and had some much need time to recover from the sunny kayak tour, we took a walk to the jewelry studio. Don, a self-taught glass artist and jewelry maker, showed us how the turn old glass bottle into beads used in bracelets. They melt them by hand into thin rods which are then broken up into small beads. After, he discussed that process we even go to make bracelets of our own! (With much need guidance from Don…) It was really nice to have a small meaningful souvenir to take home. They have a “trash to cash” mindset at Nature Seekers and that is the idea behind the jewelry. Don also told us about how they are beginning classed to educate local women how to make the beads and bracelets to increase capacity to empower the community.
Day 3 may have been a fan favorite for the trip. This day we drove into the woods and then hiked about 25 minutes to a clearing that had an amazing nature made swimming pool. They call it the Mermaid Pool, and they offer this site as one of their nature tours on their website. I can safely say we all had a blast swimming in the area, which made the long and rocky hike worth the effort. This time our tour guide was Francis, another great personality we met at Nature Seekers, and he shared some valuable insights on the country. We had to split up in two groups to travel back from the hike to the guest house, and while we were waiting he picked up some fallen fruits on the ground. He went on to explain that they were actually unopened tonka beans. They are used to eat, or as bug repellant when rubbed on the skin, which surprised use since they had a very sweet smell similar to honey. They are also dried out and opened to retrieve the seed in the center which is then grinded up and put into baking dishes or in the production of some chocolates. Later on in the evening, some of us were sitting on the front porch and I showed it to Andersen and he encouraged us to give it a try. Wasn’t my favorite flavor or texture but worth trying at least once.
Also, on the third day in country we had our official meeting with Chelsea with whom we have been discussing our deliverables with throughout the semester. We had a chance to show her the inventory system and marketing posts we have developed before our trip. It was very valuable to hear her feedback and suggestions, we took detailed notes and are currently making edits to our content. I believe being able to have the chance to speak to her in person was extremely beneficial. We were definitely able to connect with her much better than over zoom. She also informed us about some of the other activities the organization engages in. They have a partnership with another non-profit called Food for the Poor, which supplies some of the food they distribute to the families in Matura that need some extra assistance. After all the business talk was finished, we ended our day with a trip to local small business, Gail’s Homemade Ice Cream, with Chelsea and Rima. She has been around for a few decades and the people in Matura love her shop.
Day 4 was our final day with Nature Seekers. To get a well-rounded view of the tasks Nature Seekers handles, we had another service opportunity on Wednesday. We packed up the food from Food for the Poor and distributed the food to some families in the Matura community. It was different to how I have seen food distributed before: usually people come to food drives for assistance but in this instance we were delivering it to their homes. I asked Rima how they know who to deliver to and she said that when you’ve been in an area for a while people tend to recognize who needs the most help. I think for some of the group it was a tad uncomfortable to be strangers just handing out food, but it is a normal activity to Nature Seekers. I was tasked with recording the recipients’ names and contact information. They collect this so they have proof of who they have delivered food to and so they can show their donors that the food is being properly distributed. Overall, it was a valuable experience, the only criticism would be that it would have gone smoother if we were better prepared before going. After which we left Matura and drove back to Port of Spain and Samise Villa, where we would stay for the remainder of the trip. The rest of the night was quiet, I think we all were recovering from our busy days spent with Nature Seekers.
Day 5 was our first full day spent in Port of Spain and it was full of city and historical tours. We got to see the president’s house, the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Horticultural Society, Mille Fleurs (an old colonial building use for cultural preservation), and the la vigie Paramin Lookout. All of which were beyond beautiful and rich with history about the founding years of the country. Paramin is a community in the country that is built on the side of a mountain and the lookout at the top is the third highest peak on the island. Some of the citizens in Paramin speak French Patois, which was part of the communication styles I discussed during our country presentation in class. While we were on the mountain we had a fantastic and very filling Trinidadian lunch. We ended our tour with a visit to a bat cave and an elegant religious building in Paramin.
Day 6: On our last full day in the country, we visited another non-profit in the Port of Spain area focused on reforestation, called Fondes Amandes. They are working to prevent and fight wildfires in the forests of Trinidad, while also teaching citizens and raising awareness of these issues. The dry season has been very intense for the country recently due to climate change; they are looking for ways to protect the current flora and fauna in Trinidad, while also making effort to slow down the effects of global warming. We participated in their first day of GAYAP, which is a multi-day event every year to connect and educate people in Trinidad and other countries about the collective efforts for reforestation. There were about six other primary and secondary schools of students that were also learning about the organization and how they work to prevent wildfires and protect the earth. After our educational forest tour, they took us on a walk to a river with a small pool. None of us had our swimsuits so we just put our feet in, but after I few minutes I began to feel little pecks. I pulled my feet out at first until I realized they were harmless River Guppies that eat the dead skin off of humans’ feet. At the end of the day, we had a chance to purchase souvenirs at the Kuttage Artisan Boutique in a local hotel.
The very last night we were at Samise Villa, we had dinner with a group of students from Rollins College. They were there for their spring break as well, and they did some of the same activities we participated in throughout the week with Nature Seekers and in Port of Spain. We ended the night by doing a karaoke competition with the Rollins students, it was an amazing time. It was nice to connect with other students similar to us from another college to see how our experiences have differed on the trip.
There are many things from class that were valuable before traveling, but one of the most relevant class discussions was the article we read about “points of discomfort.” There were some connections we made about the experiences of the Canadian students to our experiences. I was hyper aware of how we were interacting with the staff at Nature Seekers and the dynamic of dining times and serving. They took care of everything when it came to meals and also never sat and ate with us.
One challenge we did encounter was the island time schedule. There were times we were waiting around for the people we were working with or for activities to start. However, it was not a major inconvenience, just noticeable. Sometimes we were left wondering when and where to be, which left some room for possible miscommunication. Which leads me to another challenge thar was to be expected to some extent. Communication was a task at times, not only the accent and speed at which Trinidadians talk, but also the cultural norms and expectations. I noticed that Americans tend to want to do things in a timely manner to please others, but when they asked us what we wanted to do they wanted a straight answer. I think we picked up on this quickly and tried to be clear and straightforward when discussing plans and expectations.
All in all, it was refreshing to see how passionate all the people at Nature Seekers are about the work that they are doing. They give up so much of their time and sleep during nesting season (they are out on the beach from 7 pm to at least 3 am every night from March to August) for the turtles and turtle tagging. The Trinis have a feel-good attitude at all times and it was contagious. Even though I was sometimes uncomfortable due to the weather, I did not let it ruin my mood or day and I think being around these positive people aided in that fact. Plus, when working with a non-profit you realize that there are much bigger issues at hand than any personal grievances. I am so grateful for the opportunity to travel to this beautiful and culturally rich country. With the added aspect of service learning, this was an unforgettable experience that I will rave about for years to come.