By now it is no secret of the extensive damage the island of St. Croix has endured due to the passages of Hurricanes Irma and Maria; from buildings to foliage and the lives that dwell in between, we have all be touched in some way, shape, and form by the Irish twins of hurricanes. While we cannot and will not minimise the impact that these cyclonic sisters have had on the people and environment of St. Croix, we will also acknowledge the beauty and opportunities that they have bequeathed us.
While driving pre-IrMaria, the lush vegetation of the island was undeniable - a thick palette of greens painted perfectly by nature’s skilful brush, often dotted by the deep browns of mahogany and tibit (Albizia lebbek) trunks or the bright magentas of bee bush (Antigonon leptopus) vines decorating canopy tops. IrMaria left vast portions of the island’s scenery near unrecognisable – twisted, brown, and sparse. Presently the IrMaria singed trees are releafing, and the hillsides are more green than brown, and in the vacant places where majestic ancients once stood ready to whisper their stories of events of times past, are newly placed windows into the secrets Crucian nature has been holding close to her chest all these years - secrets that are now ours for the exploring.
As you venture around the island, keep your eyes peeled for now-revealed jewels. Naturally preserved smoke stacks and remnants of bell towers recall the sugar industry that speaks to the fertility of the land, now cultivated to produce the components of mouth-watering home-cooked meals, yabba pot itals, and fine dining dishes. The rains that have followed have returned to their lineage, pursuing the paths of the once flowing streams and rivers (now dry rivers) that inspired the Taino to crown the island Ay Ay, the land of rivers. If you are brave enough to trek through the bush, the thickets are not as thick at the moment, and will make for wild fruit tree scavenger hunt that will take you back to Caribbean childhood where your biggest concern was hitting the Jack Spaniard’s nest rather than the mango when you pitch the stone. If it is a cleansing you seek, disappear into the rainforest to Creque Dam and let Crucian nature show you just how powerful her healing hand is as the effervescent flow of her waters descend the hills, caress your being, and teach you how to release, recalibrate and renew.
As we Recover and Crucian nature Restores, we invite you to Rediscover the mystical beauty that is St. Croix.
#STXRebranded #StCroix #Recover #Restore #Rediscover #Crucian #IrMaria #HurricaneIrma #HurricaneMaria #CrequeDam #TibitWood #BeeBush #Renew #MahoganyRoad #AyAy #YabbaPot #Ital #Taino #Regeneration #Caribbean #USVI #Tourism #USVirginIslands #STX #Christiansted #Frederiksted #2017HurricaneSeason #naturalmystic #nature #environment #climatechange #islandslife
Comentarios