Statia Conservation Project, St. Eustatius, Dutch Antilles, Caribbean

Further Project Details for Volunteers:

Work involved within the projects:

You will often be divided into two groups, and will spend:

Two or three days a week working on the trail system in The Quill National Park. The first volunteer crews finished the new Crater Trail, then the Bird Observation Trail was completed in early 2005. You will work mostly on maintenance of the Quill Trail and the Round the Mountain Trail which links town to the Botanical Garden, where steps, run-off channels and stone walls need to be built.
Species monitoring
During the turtle nesting season which runs from March to November, you will be conducting night patrols on Zeelandia beach monitoring and tagging sea turtles (not applicable for November to March groups). Teams will be established and days rotated. You will tag and gather data from sea turtles that generally nest between dark and dawn. Data gathered by the crew will be shared Caribbean-wide through a linked database which wildlife managers use to improve protective measures for endangered species. In general, you will be monitoring and tagging hawksbill, green and leatherback turtles. This programme may also be combined with beach sand monitoring. Please note that turtles don't nest every night and therefore you shouldn't expect to see turtles during every patrol. Please also note that our nesting population of turtles is small and we therefore do not patrol the beach every night throughout the season. Outside of turtle nesting season, there is an in-water survey in the Marine Park to observe turtle behaviour and volunteers may SCUBA dive and snorkel to assist on this survey (need SCUBA qualification).
You will also be working two or three days a week in the Miriam C. Schmidt Botanical Garden on projects, such as developing a Fruit garden and a Children's garden for Phase II. Work will also include giving tours to school children, pruning and planting cuttings, cutting grass, improving pathways, landscaping and control of invasive exotic species such as Coralita (or “Mexican Creeper”) which has taken over the island.
Two to three afternoons a week you will be helping out at the visitor centre or with other administrative related projects that STENAPA is involved in, or with educational projects.
Fridays are known as ‘Family Friday’ and are an opportunity for the whole group to work together with interns on a particular project, such as marking out a new trail, installing new signposts, cleaning the turtle nesting beach, planting a new garden or carrying out a survey.

In addition:
- At the beginning of the project, you will receive a 4 day orientation programme, including information about the island, national park management, and training in conservation and gardening skills.

- During your free time, you also have the opportunity to get SCUBA certified (at your own cost) and spend some time diving in some of the Marine Park's designated sites.

You will work 5 days a week. A typical working day for trail work or botanical garden duties would start at 7am and finish at noon. Two to three afternoons a week you will be helping out at the visitor centre or with other administrative related projects that STENAPA is involved in, or with educational projects. The rest of the afternoons will be free and can be spent relaxing, diving, snorkeling, swimming down at the pier, obtaining diving certificates, bird watching, shopping, using the Internet, and enjoying the peace of Statia! For sea turtle monitoring, you will work either in daytime (in-water surveys, nest excavation, beach clean ups) or during night patrols from 9pm until 4 am.

Objectives and Background of the Quill Crater Trail Step & Boardwalk system:

The Quill, a 600 metre inactive volcano that dominates the landscape of the island of St. Eustatius, is home to many unusual and endangered species of plants and animals. The Quill is characterised by eight different vegetation zones, six of which are found on the crater rim and basin, including the Elfin Forest, the dry evergreen forest, evergreen bushland, each of which contains rich flora. The crater basin is dominated by giant Kapok and Sandbox trees, as well mango, wild papaya and mamee apple which share the canopy with endangered tree species, including Redwood Birds Cherry. Nine species of orchid are found in the Quill. In addition, many species of birds, some of them threatened live in the Quill, including Tropicbirds, Caribs and hummingbirds. Several species of reptiles, which are already extinct on other Caribbean islands can be found, including the Red Bellied Racer, Antillean Iguana and Green Iguana.

In the past, the Quill crater was accessible only by means of a hazardous, steeply eroded trail, that was fast being washed away. Absence of a reliable trail led hikers to wander off the path, destroying fragile ecosystems, threatening species and broadening the band of erosion along the trial. Sint Eustatius National Parks Foundation wished to balance preservation of the unique Quill ecosystem by maintaining safe access to one of the most beautiful sights on the island -- a goal that was achieved through the construction of the Crater Trail Boardwalk and Step System by the first and second volunteer crews. Improved access to the crater allows locals and tourists to develop an appreciation for the unique ecology of Sint Eustatius, thereby aiding further preservation efforts. An ethic of environmental conservation has yet to take hold on Statia. Providing access to the island’s natural attractions, especially to the young, aids in the development of ecological consciousness on which the lasting survival of the Sint Eustatius National Parks ultimately depends.

What our volunteers have achieved so far?
During 2010, a total of 30 international volunteers assisted STENAPA and spent a combined total of 171 weeks of work on a large number of activities. The programme provides a major boost to activities in all three sectors: Marine Park, Quill/Boven National Park and Botanical Garden. In particular, development of phase 2 of the Garden and nightly monitoring patrols for the turtle conservation programme would not have been possible without the assistance of Working Abroad volunteers.

Sea Turtle Conservation Programme:
2011 marks the tenth year of the sea turtle conservation programme. Monitoring patrols for nesting turtles on Zeelandia Beach started in 2002, and increased in 2003 with a greater number of patrols due to the onset of the Working Abroad Volunteer programme. It was with great excitement that the first leatherback turtle was observed nesting on 17th April 2003, and a number of additional leatherbacks nested on Zeelandia during the year.

Today, the Marine Park Manager who is also the Sea Turtle Conservation Programme Coordinator, along with the turtle project intern coordinates the monitoring patrols during the nesting season. During the peak leatherback nesting period (mid April – mid June) the beach is patrolled up to 7 nights a week with assistance from volunteers. However, Statia’s nesting population of turtles is very small, therefore outside of these dates the numbers of night patrols carried out are reduced. Volunteers are expected to take part in these patrols when they are scheduled. Volunteers should also expect that many nights the beach will be patrolled without a sighting of a nesting female. Our presence on the beach should actually be seen as a deterrent to sand miners and persons wishing to drive on the beach. Our role is the protection of the eggs until the hatchlings make it safely to the surf.

Patrols take place from 9pm to 3am and the patrollers are compensated with having the following morning off from work which means a free day for volunteers who are all scheduled to finish work daily at 12 noon. Patrols sometimes take place in inclement weather and are only cancelled if there is a thunderstorm present. Rest stops take place at the end of each walk so besides getting sleepy, patrols are not very tiring at all.

Volunteers make the turtle programme possible as STENAPA does not have the amount of staff in order to carry out the necessary patrols. It is highly appreciated that volunteers come with a positive attitude as everyone is expected to do their part to make the programme a success.

Extra Activities for Volunteers:
As a thank you to volunteers for your work on this project, a boat trip around the island of St. Eustatius can be arranged, weather and sea permitting. If not good conditions, a picnic or another alternative will be arranged. In your free time, you will also be able to snorkel and dive in the beautiful untouched coral filled waters that surround Statia. Also in your afternoons, if you wish, you can also help out in the Marine Park if you are SCUBA certified - this can include mooring maintenance, dive site checks and patrols, snorkel club etc. - see volunteer on the right cleaning down a line.

Food, Living and Transportation:

You will camp in the botanical garden in the pavilion area as a main base (please note, you will have to provide your own tent for camping). The facilities are basic and suitable for people that are comfortable with camping and simple infrastructure. You will be responsible for preparing all your own food using the gas stove at the pavilion. You will receive a budget for food, which you can use to buy your supplies at the local grocery store. In addition, there is often fresh fruit available from the trees at the Botanical Garden. You may also have the opportunity to grow your own vegetables and to develop a permaculture garden in the Botanical Garden to supplement your meals. Running water is available as well basic toilet and shower. As the botanical garden is located on the windwardside of the island, mosquitoes are usually not a problem (unless the wind drops/or change in weather), and the climate is very pleasant for outdoor camping! You will also have exclusive shared access to a 4WD truck, which you will need to use to travel across the island each day for work, to collect supplies and so on. Please note that 2 or 3 volunteers from each group will be designated as the drivers - volunteers who are nominated drivers will need to pay a (returnable) deposit (in traveller cheques or cash) of $145 which is the amount for the insurance waiver. The amount would be returned at the end of the volunteer period or held back in case of accident that is the fault of the driver. This policy is the best way that STENAPA feels we can address problems of careless driving and volunteer safety.

Feedback from Previous Volunteers

If you're interested to read more about ex-volunteers feedback on the Statia Conservation Project, click here. We will be happy to provide you with further details if you want to get in touch with some of them.

Health, weather, facilities
The climate on Statia is known as a tropical dry climate. It is warm year round, ranging from 25 to 35 degrees, with a gentle ocean breeze. Rainfall occurs during the rainy season, but only for short spells.

Oranjestad is the capital of Statia, which caters for facilities such as internet access, public phones, 2 banks, post office and a few local shops. There are no health hazards to be aware of for Statia, except for sunburn possibly. Drinking water is usually from bottles, as water is collected in cisterns, and is not recommended for drinking purposes for temporary visitors. The island is very peaceful, and there are no problems with crime or safety.

How to get involved?

If you are interested in joining this project, you will need to fill out the online application form (you can also print it out and send it to us by post) – to secure a placement on the project, please complete and submit the form including two references and your deposit of £150. If for some reason, your application is declined, we will reimburse this deposit fully. However for those who are accepted, the full amount needs to be paid one month before departure. Once you have been accepted on the programme, you will receive a Volunteer Information Package with all detailed information on your project, Statia, suggested items to bring etc.

Photo of iguana by Hannah Madden, National Park Ranger