Within Trinidad our group embarked on many different journeys and experiences, meeting and connecting deeply with various kinds of people. Notably on our first day in the country we spent time talking with Suzan, a founder of Nature Seekers and heard her story and dived deeper into the significance of the organization and how they work to aid the community, especially in education in regards to turtle awareness.
Throughout the day we also worked to put together food packages for the community as well as learn more in depth about the procedures of turtle tagging and general turtle facts. Through this we were able to further understand the nesting and tagging process along with grasping a better understanding of what Nature Seekers truly does. This day also allowed us to have time to connect with members of Nature Seekers and understand their lifestyle and how what they do is so important and vital to them.
The following day we hiked with Anderson to the Mermaid Pool allowing us to connect with him and experience the beautiful pools to really settle into Trinidad following our early morning arrival the previous morning. Following the hike, we headed to the Nature Seekers’ office space where we were able to have a quick tour and further understand their situation. This is also where we met Chelsea which prior to the trip we had only worked with and met virtually. It was definitely important here to bring her name and face to a real person, and interacting with her helped in learning more about her personality and background.
At the office, we were led downstairs where we were introduced to the process of the jewelry or bracelet making process that as Nature Seekers describe is how they turn “trash into cash”. This is because at their yearly beach clean up they collect the various glass bottles that are found across the beach. Using these bottles, they are able to break up the glass and heat it in order to form beads that are used in the jewelry making. A few of us tried our hand at it, and all of us learned how to make our own bracelets as well. From choosing the thread, the beads, the arrangement, and the method of making, we were able to create bracelets on our own. Although it was somewhat of a struggle in understanding the correct movements and it was tedious requiring a lot of patience, all of us were able to complete our bracelets before heading back to Nature Seekers’ guest house for dinner. This was an important experience to us as a group as we were able to understand the work of those making the jewelry. With this jewelry making, Nature Seekers typically employ single mothers and women to work on these tasks, teaching them the process and empowering them.
On Monday and Tuesday night (of which Tuesday was not originally planned) we took our night trip out onto the beach to potentially tag some turtles! With it being the beginning of the nesting season, we unfortunately did not see a turtle the first night. With our determination, we also ended up going out Tuesday night to see if our chances would increase. We did not see a leatherback sea turtle either night although we did see a small hatchling on our journey along the beach. Although we ultimately did not have the chance to tag a turtle after hours of training, through this time at the beach we were able to connect deeper with Nature Seekers and even understand more about Trinidad and members personally through our conversations. We were able to learn more about the culture and lifestyles of these individuals with how hard they work and how dedicated they are to conserving the environment. Throughout the whole trip it was clear that these people loved their job even though it takes a lot of time and energy from them.
We also went through a nature walk with Anderson again where we were able to identify various trees, nuts, and beans which assisted us with some background information and overall larger understanding of Trinidad. During our time, we also met with Chelsea regarding the project and went over her insights in how we can best cater our deliverables to Nature Seekers and understand their needs.
Once we were in Port of Spain we had jam packed days of views, cultural experiences, and engaging learning opportunities. Our day with Fondes Amandes stuck out to me most, especially as we had a fire demo with them where we were able to play out the roles that they take on to mitigate local forest fires. This helped us to understand the efforts and courage it must take to take on this task, and it was also interesting to hear about some tensions between them and the official fire department.
The cultural and personal expectations I anticipated prior to the international component were somewhat present in that I was mostly expecting the aspect of Island Time to come up. While there were some situations where this may have been the case, I was not very bothered by it and may have naturally fallen into Island Time myself. I did not truly feel rushed unless it felt that we were falling behind on the itinerary, but this was not particularly an issue. I feel as if I was able to connect and understand everyone thoroughly. The main challenge I can think of is simply not being able to understand certain individuals at times in their language due to the Trini accent. This was overcome simply by asking the person to repeat or from the assistance of other group members who were able to understand.
The class discussion and reading on building and ethical partnership comes to mind as the whole experience required those aspects to be put to the test in reality on site. We were able to work together and collaborate with Nature Seekers on so many different projects, and even when plans may go awry or there is some disconnect, we were still able to move forward. The Points of Discomfort reading as I mentioned in my previous blog as well is relevant as it made me think more deeply on my presence and perspective as I was engaging in service activities. This allowed me to evaluate why I was there and how I was connecting with the people I met. Along with how we were impacting the community and our overall relationship.
With our journey to Trinidad, it is truly difficult to cover everything that we did and experienced, but truly every experience deepened our understanding of Nature Seekers, Trinidad, and the community. I am looking forward to diving even deeper and breaking down these moments and experiences as well as continuing to develop and evolve our final deliverables.