In Honor of Earth Day
In honor of Earth Day, I thought a post about trees would be appropriate. Especially this tree…
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I have always had a fascination with big, beautiful trees having grown up in New England. Working at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, CT furthered that love and reverence for the giants of the forest. There we taught a class on the many uses and significance of various trees to the Woodland Indians of New England: green Birch tree branches used for tooth brushes, splits of the mighty Ash Tree woven into marvelous baskets, White Birch bark for wigwams, canoes and buckets, etc. However, recently I “stumbled” across a truly majestic tree in St Croix that really captivated me – the mighty Kapok at Villa Greenleaf.
The Kapok (Ceiba pentandra) or Silk Cotton tree is indigenous to the rainforests of South America and is now spread throughout the Caribbean, West Africa and even as far as the Malay Peninsula and Indonesian archipelago. Pollinated by bats, the tree sheds its leaves during the dry winter months with leaves and white or pink flowers remerging during the wetter spring months. It produces brown seed pods that contain a fibrous, fluffy white material that is 8-times lighter than cotton and 5-times more buoyant than cork. Before synthetics, the fibers were used in pillows, mattresses and because it is water-proof, were used in flotation devices. The leaves and bark can be used medicinally to cure a variety of ailments, including Type II diabetes. The Kapok’s straight trunk is supported by huge beautiful buttresses that can extend out 30-feet, surround the trunk and are covered with spikes protecting the otherwise smooth bark. Kapoks can exceed heights of 150 feet.
The Mayans revered the Ceiba (say-bah) as the tree of life whose roots extended to the underworld and branches reached up to support the heavens. It was used to make large and sturdy, sea-worthy canoes that allowed them to travel from island to island. In West Indian culture, this mighty behemoth was considered a sacred spirit tree. Referred to as the “God Tree”, “Devil Tree” or “Jumbie Tree” it is believed to be inhabited by spirits. Cutting down a Kapok would release the spirits and the culprit would be haunted for years.
Known as the “jumbie tree” to many natives, the kapok has long been considered a primary spirit tree of the West Indies. With its huge buttressed roots and gargantuan dimensions the kapok can’t help but draw the eye and fire the imagination. “In a traditional environment devoid of man-made wonders such as towers and temples, obelisks, and so forth,” writes Nicholls, “a ficus or kapok would stand out and it is not so surprising that these trees were identified as spirit trees.” Kapok trees were considered a holding place for departed souls and a place where the living could meet the dead. Eggs were thrown at certain kapoks that were known to be spirit trees in order to free a person’s shadow or soul that had been stolen by a jumbie. – Professor Robert W. Nicholls, University of the Virgin Islands
The incredible Kapok that anchors the property and is the logo symbol of Villa Greenleaf on St Croix has been estimated by experts to be approximately 350 years old making it one of the oldest and largest trees in the US Virgin Islands. Lovingly and carefully attended to, the tree’s breathtaking beauty can be marveled at while enjoying breakfast at the Villa/Bed and Breakfast. It’s been the subject of many artists and on your next visit to Villa Greenleaf I’m sure you’ll discover why.
Monkey No Climb!
Villa Greenleaf is a Bed & Breakfast nestled into the hills of Montpellier on St Croix. The property boasts 5 upscale accommodations, beautifully appointed with casual West Indian-style furnishings and each with its own private screen porch and rooftop sun deck. The villa pool overlooks a sweeping view of Judith’s Fancy & Salt River and out to the Caribbean Sea. Common areas offer plenty of opportunity for outdoor entertaining and the meticulously manicured grounds provide a classic Caribbean setting. Villa Greenleaf can also be booked as a private villa accommodating 10 guests and is the perfect setting for Executive Meetings, Family and Leisure Groups and Weddings. Contact us for more details!
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The Flash Player and a browser with Javascript support are needed.Two great reasons to celebrate
I couldn’t pass up the chance to blog about something exciting we have to celebrate here on St Croix… afterall the blog is called “Celebrate St Croix”! And actually we have two great things to celebrate today.
The first is something that’s near and dear to my heart (I’ve done some volunteer work with sea turtle conservation) – the release of a rehabilitated hawksbill sea turtle who was injured last year at one my favorite beaches – Sandy Point. Sandy Point Wildlife refuge is one of the few truly pristine beaches left in the Caribbean. It is only open from 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday from roughly October through the end of April. Why, you ask… Well, because it is critical nesting habitat for the endangered leatherback sea turtle and heavily used for nesting by our local hawksbills and greens too. It seems that this unlucky girl was minding her own business, laying her eggs in the sand when she was happened upon by a group of feral dogs. Sadly, her front flippers were so mauled that eventually one had to be amputated.
A group of volunteers aid in the release of a rehabilitated sea turtle on St Croix
However, the wonderful biologists of US Fish & Wildlife that monitor the wildlife refuge found her, brought her to local veterinarian Paul Hess at Island Animal Clinic, who stabilized her, and then they enlisted the help of The Turtle Hospital, a non-profit institution on Marathon Key where she spent a year gaining strength and rehabilitating. Yesterday, with the help of American Airlines, who donated her flights both ways, and the many friends she has gained along the way – our little sweetie was returned to her native St Croix and released into the waters of Sandy Point. A success story made possible by kind people who volunteered time and resources to do the right thing in our community – a true reason to celebrate! For more information read the full article here
Another thing that Crucians are celebrating today is the passing of legislation to ensure that Cruzan Rum stays here on St Croix. Cruzan Rum has been produced on the island of St Croix for over 200 years by the Nelthropp family. While they don’t own the brand anymore – they still run the plant and make the run that not only becomes Cruzan Rum, but also the base rum for many other brands as well. In fact, only 25% of the rum they produce is branded as Cruzan - the rest is sold as “bulk rum” and is used as the base of other rum products. Its that good. Recently, our government entered into a 30-year deal that was the driving factor in bringing a new state-of-the-art plant to produce rival Captain Morgan rum to St Croix. Last night, the legislature passed a similar bill that gives a similar 30-year deal providing bonds backed by rum tax rebate monies. It also allows for the development of the plant and to bring it up to EPA standards. (It had been grandfathered out of certain requirements in the past which effectively had allowed it to release untreated effluent into local waters). So, I’m celebrating the fact that Cruzan will remain Crucian… and they are going to clean up their act in the process!
