Hey y’all! After a week-long stint my group has successfully returned from our trip to Trinidad. The trip back was long and through the night, but I don’t really have any complaints about it as it was nice to spend more time with my group. This trip was truly one of the most unique experiences that I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. There were so many different activities that we dove into, and it made the trip such a delight. There are far too many wonderful memories for me to fit into this blog post, so I will pick some of the most important to me. As I rehash some of the main activities we participated in I will do my best to be direct and not end up writing 1 million words, (the amount I seemed to use in class).
The first section of our trip that I want to touch on is the initial arrival in Trinidad. We were scheduled to arrive at 2 Am, but ended up landing closer to 3. Additionally, we were delayed in leaving the airport due to a lost bag and the inconvenience of local ATMs. Eventually we made it to the place we believed we were staying and, after a few trips, we finally made it inside the house for a snack and late bedtime of 6:30 Am. Most of what occurred was not planned and was not easily avoided, which could have been very frustrating and lead to our group having a poor start to the trip. This was not the case. The entire time we stayed together – making jokes and smiling throughout the early difficulties. While this might seem easy to overlook I believe that it is one of the most important takeaways on this entire journey. We, a group of people who had never been in a social situation together, supported each other and created an environment that would continue to benefit us for the remainder of the trip.
Another impactful part of our trip was the two nights we spent with Nature Seekers patrolling the beaches. We were only scheduled to patrol one night, but enjoyed our first time so much that we chose to do another. For Nature Seekers, patrolling the beach means having groups of people walking up and down the beach looking for turtles emerging from the water to lay their eggs. While we unfortunately did not see a nesting leatherback sea turtle we still learned an ample amount about the measuring and tagging processes that happen with every turtle. We were with different leaders each night but Tiara, a younger staff member, was with us both nights. On these nights is where we learned just how passionate each person is about what they are doing. Tiara gets maybe 3 hours of sleep on a good night, but is still so energetic and happy to inform you about anything you want to know. This was so impactful because it (and a powerful meeting with Suzane) gave us a better view into what Nature Seekers truly was and how important it is to the local community. Seeing the motivation and passion behind everyone we saw at Nature Seekers led to us taking a larger investment in our project. We were able to see the exact people and areas that our project would help. That context is important to us because it makes us frame the partnership from a more emotional standpoint, and in turn, work harder to find the right solution for them.
The last piece of our trip that I will directly highlight is our day with Fondes Amandes. Fondes Amandes is a community reforestation project that has been operating since 1982, working to educate the community and protect local wildlife from littering and fires. During the dry season there are many different ways that fires can start, and after starting they often can get out of hand. Fondes Amandes and their staff work to prevent large fires from happening, and to put out fires that form. They do this with several different tools including a water backpack sprayer, a fire smotherer, and a rake. We were fortunate enough to simulate a fake fire response and attempt to use their equipment to “put it out.” While we were there Kemba, one of the main workers, educated us on the local flora and fauna and how they attempt to reforest the area with native crops. We went to the top of their lookout tower and then enjoyed a very nice vegetarian lunch. After lunch and some fun conversation we headed down to the river where there were several little rock pools for us to swim in. The pools were perfect as the earlier activities caused us all to work up a bit of a sweat. The day we spent in Fondes Amandes was our last day in Trinidad, leaving us with some great experiences. I wanted to highlight this portion of our trip because it further highlighted the passion that Trinis have for their work, but also because they helped educate us on how there are always so many different ways to help. Kemba talked a lot about soft skills and how people think they are not always useful. She went on to explain that there is always something people can help with. If they are not good at firefighting, but can cook then they help make lunch. If they are not good at cooking, but can do graphic design then they help make shirts and posters. Everyone can help if they want to, and people really do.
On our original departure for Trinidad I made a concerted effort to try and come in with no expectations, and to just experience everything that I can. I have found it difficult in the past to stay in the present moment and just enjoy what I am doing. That being said, there is one thing that happened that I did not expect. Every single person turned out to be the nicest and most caring person in the world. I am not used to people being so welcoming and caring in less than a week, but it seemed that everyone we encountered made a deliberate effort to fully embrace us. As you spend time in Trinidad you learn that it’s not just a thing they do for visitors, but instead it is how their culture is built. Honking at people as you drive past is common and always met with a wave. People give rides to strangers, and always have something to offer you. This culture is set to the point where people will be mad at you if you don’t say hi back to a stranger. This was one cultural difference that I did not anticipate, but it also was one that I was happy to experience. As you may have noticed, I have talked an awful lot about the great experiences that occurred on our trip and not much about the bumps and bruises encountered on the way. I believe this blog post is a good reflection on how I view the trip as a whole. There were some points where things were not optimal, but then there were other times when we got to play Marco Polo for 2 hours. The problems we encountered were resolved rather quickly because we recognized our points of discomfort (like the article we read in class) and worked as a team to combat whatever instances we came across. By and large the positive experiences outweigh any negative situations. This was apparent when we were doing a group reflection and all of us had a struggle coming up with lowlights. We even had forgotten about several problems that happened during our stay.
This is my initial reflection on my past week in Trinidad, but it will not be my last one. This trip is an experience that I will forever be grateful for. I learned so much about the nation of Trinidad, how NGOs work in other countries, my group, and myself. The impact that Trinidad has had on me will never be forgotten, and I will continue to live my life using the knowledge and experiences I have gained. Hopefully I will be able to make an impact in my communities like Nature Seekers and other Trinidadian organizations continue to do.
