This will encompass the pre-Columbian gardens and post-Columbian gardens. It will be a walk through time, starting in the pre-Columbian section with native species and plants introduced and used by the Saladoid Indians. Visitors will then be led through a section planted with species that would have been plantation crops sugar cane, cotton, coffee etc. So many of these crops were grown, processed or traded through the island during the 1700's during Statia's so called 'golden era'. The last section is a tribute to the enslaved Africans whose culture, traditions and legacy has formed the backbone of our community. It will showcase a replica slave hut that will demonstrate to visitors first hand how they would have lived and what their daily lives would have been like. The path will then lead you out into the fruit garden.
This week we scoped out the pathways, started on clearance and lining of the paths with stones and started to clear the section for the Indian installation. Work is progressing nicely and we are hoping to have most of the structural work and hard landscaping completed this year.
We also had the honour this week of welcoming 2 island governors to the garden. Governor Gerald Berkel of Statia and Governor Eugene Holiday from St Maarten visited, met with working abroad volunteer John and Cerdarion who is back for 6 weeks to complete his internship at the garden. They had a guided tour and were also able to see some of the work we have been doing in the fruit garden and even had time to discuss some of the future plans for the garden including the visitor centre.
Other news this week... Iguana drama! So, I don't know if you have ever seen an Iguana in a full sprint but they are not the most graceful of creatures. One could say they are a little awkward even clumsy perhaps. One that we saw at the garden on Monday moments before the Governors were due to visit definitely falls into the latter category. It was in the house when we spotted it earlier in the morning... hanging out, sitting on the desk etc. It then decided to climb the Dracaena next to the house. We went about our business making the pavilion look nice to receive our VIPs. The next thing I see of it was a tail and two back legs flailing wildly in the air next to the tree. The Iguana had managed to get stuck head first in the drain pipe... actually the down pipe that leads to the cistern!
Fearing it would wiggle down more, land in the cistern (which is full of water thanks to some nice winter showers) and drown we quickly grabbed the ladder and muggin's here... yes me, scared to death of going up ladders, raced up and grabbed it to stop it falling further in! When it was clear it wasn't coming back out the way it went in we had no choice but to cut the down pipe and remove a section to allow it to come all the way through. I managed to wriggle it out and determine it was not injured.
We released it in the garden (away from any other drainpipes) and made a quick fix to the pipe just in time to grab the last flowers for the conch shells, mop up the blood (mine not the Iguanas... it wasn't very grateful I'd just saved it's life!) and smile as the governor's car pulled up!
as ever, much love from the garden on the golden rock... where life is never dull!
Me with the Igauna and the down pipe we had to cut!
The new pathway into the heritage garden... lots of rocks to move... again!
The volunteer crew!
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