This Land: a Trust from God: The Environment and Related Topics: Essays

By Verna Penn Moll

"The book calls us to give thanks for every good steward who gathers the everyday we senselessly toss aside, the stewards who know its history, its character and its value; stewards who cherish The Presence in its ordinariness; those like the" long-memoried woman," who re-collect all its many pieces, and re-present them beautifully back to us in good trust for the safekeeping of these islands, their children, and their legacy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493123957

Verna Penn Moll

Verna Penn Moll is a bibliographer who also writes on environmental and cultural/historical issues. Her published works include, Virgin Islands Historical Documents (Ed) 1985; Virgin Islands (World Bibliographical Series), 1991; Legacy 1997... and Land Acquisition by Virgin Islanders of African Descent from 1834 to 2000. Penn Moll was educated in the Caribbean and the United Kingdom and has held top positions in education, Public Library Services and the National Archives of the Virgin Islands. She is the co-founder of Round Hill Research Consultants.

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Verna Penn Moll.

Library of Congress Control Number:        2013919630

ISBN:        Hardcover           978-1-4931-2394-0

                 Softcover            978-1-4931-2393-3

                 eBook                 978-1-4931-2395-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Copyright Acknowledgements

The British Virgin Islands Map is Crown copyright, 1988. Published by the UK (Ordinance Survey) for the Government of the BVI, used here by permission. The National Parks of the British Virgin Islands Map is copyright by the National Parks Trust and used here by the kind permission. Photographs are credited in their captions; others are by the author

Rev. date: 05/05/2014

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

539883

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Introduction

The Environment

Culture/Tradition

History

Traffic

Appropriate Technology

Politics

Healing

Civics

Postscript

References

Notes

Bibliography

Appendices

1.     Biblical References to Land and Stewardship

2.     Virgin Islands Protected Areas

3.     Environmental Protection Laws

4.     Government Departments and Agencies

5.     Questions and Exercises

About the Author

List of Illustrations

1. Map of the British Virgin Islands (Courtesy OSD (UK)

2. Map of National Parks & Protected Areas (National Parks Trust).

3. This Land—Buck Island

4. Wickham’s Cay (a)before 1968 ( Photo by D.O. Field)

5. Wickham’s Cay (b)before 1968 ( Photo by D.O. Field)

6.Coconut Fringed

7. Canopy

8. Prickly Pear

9. Inkberry

10. Cedar Cluster

11. Haven

12. Dawn

13. Sanctuary

14. Frangipani

15. Island Vistas(a & b)

16. Making Fish-traps (Painting by Ruben Vanterpool)

17. Picking Charcoal (Painting by Ruben Vanterpool)

18. Sea horse

19. Traditional Oven

20. Pink house (Courtesy by Jon Osborne)

21. From Plantation to Rum Distillery

22. Sunday Morning Well (Photo by GIS)

23. Termite eaten Archives (Photo by GIS)

24. Remnants of Sugar Plantation

25. Solar Power

26. Sail Power

27. Criss-cross Wires (Scenic Clutter)

28. Board-Walk

29. Aloe vera

30. Healing Herbs

31. Virgin Islands Flag (Photo by GIS.)

32. Emblem- Vigilate (Photo by GIS)

33. Rescuing the Archives (Photo by GIS)

34. Vista (c)

35. Vista(d)

(Many of the images were photographed by the author but every effort has been made to accurately credit all other images used in this book)

Dedication

For Green initiatives

Map%20Scan.jpg

Map of the British Virgin Islands

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.

Psalm 24:1

"This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears all nature sings,

and round me rings the music of the spheres."

Babcock, Maltbie Davenport, Thoughts for Every-Day Living, 180.

Page%2010.jpg

Map of National Parks & Protected areas

Acknowledgements

It was the Virgin Islands (VI) Public Library to which I turned when I could not access my earlier articles from 1995 to 2002. I had saved them on 1990s’ floppy disks, but alas, when I needed access, I could not read them nor could I migrate them to Microsoft 2007. I searched the Public Library’s indexes and was pleased to find that several of the lost titles were listed, plus those which I had forgotten I had written; however, not all the articles were indexed. I bless the time when in the late 1960s, I introduced analytical indexing of the local newspapers and periodicals to the Public Library system; and I doubly thank successive Librarians for maintaining that continuity but I would also encourage regular indexing, which is so crucial to retrieving information speedily. The staff of the Caribbean Studies Unit, particularly Assistant Dwayne Jennings helped me locate the articles in the Newspapers. I am grateful to the editors of the BVI Standpoint, BVI Beacon and Island Sun, who eagerly published my articles; and to members of the reading public, who over the years have expressed their appreciation, and provided encouraging feedback

The support and strong encouragement received from Patricia Turnbull, Allison Flax-Archer and Marcia Potter, who read my manuscript despite their busy schedules, propelled the work into publication. I am indebted for their advice and suggestions.

My husband Peter’s steadfast encouragement was paramount in helping me to maintain my equilibrium during all stages of its production.

P3220472.JPG

This Land—Buck Island

Preface

I have long admired the versatile and prolific quality of Verna’s corpus and this current work truly reflects the depth and dimension of her cultural work. The artistry of ‘This Land: A Trust’ rests firmly upon her rich repertoire and deft handling of poetry, fiction, children’s literature and essay on subjects that see no difference in import between the seemingly lofty and the lowly.

I feel the documentary impact of this work as well. Using all her identities, she ably navigates the realms of the spiritual, the political, the ecological, the historical, and the cultural in our everyday life in the Virgin Islands—and it is all good.

I have indeed read several of these essays over the years as the writer shared them with the public in the weekly commentary columns of our weekly newspapers. The writings have ripened with time and this is due season for the collection, as they serve to gauge our own ripeness and maturity. Have we grown or have we stuck/rotted in time? The collection is held up like a mirror in which we now see our own reflection, our triumphs, our follies, how we have been, and how we still are. I believe readers will see themselves, their memories, their hopes, and their frustrations in and through these essays. I believe they will think, they will laugh, they will cry, they will remember, they will pray, they will resolve, and hopefully, they will act.

There are so many favourites that resonate personally, including ‘the bird song’. So many impressions linger, such as the coffin makers and the wakes of yesterday, and the telling of the smashing of the cockroach that was resurrected by the ants. I considered the ants and so much more.

Verna made me imagine (and write a children’s story about) a nation of ‘wha wha’ people, rushing headlong to nowhere in particular, falling over themselves and tossing their everyday aside as they fumble around mumbling ‘Wha he say’? ‘Wha she say’? Wha dem say? The satire is scary in its absurdity and compels us after the laughter, to sober up and do better.

The book calls us to give thanks for every good steward, who gathers the everyday we senselessly toss aside, the stewards who know its history, its character and its value; stewards who cherish The Presence in its ordinariness; those like the long-memoried woman, who re-collect all its many pieces, and re-present them beautifully to us in good trust for the safekeeping of these islands, their children, and their legacy.

‘This Land: A Trust’ is aesthetic, accessible, and arresting. We receive it gladly, responsibly and thankfully.

Patricia Turnbull, Ph.D.

Introduction

When the Earl of Cumberland sailed through in 1596 his perception of the Virgin Islands was not favourable: A knot of little islands, wholly uninhabited, sandy, barren, craggy. For nearly four centuries since this concept was voiced the islands were characterised as being uneconomically viable. But for a few periods of prosperity during the plantation era, the country’s potential for development was not realised by Britain for most of its existence, while its geographical twin, the United States Virgin Islands and places like Jamaica boomed ahead with staggering economic development. But that economically stagnant period afforded the keepers of the natural environment of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the opportunity to observe the impact and disastrous consequences of uncontrolled development upon the psyche of other habitats and their occupants.

Therefore, when the BVI Government accepted the recommendations of the 1962 Carleen O’Laughlin report that economic development be centred on tourism as the primary source, with fishing and agriculture becoming secondary, it was prepared to adopt firm policies to promote tourism as the driver of the economy but at the same time, to maintain the pristine quality of the Earl’s little ‘knot’ as a ‘psychological resource for humankind.’

But alas, the rise of tourism over the past fifty years and latterly, the success of the financial services industry have brought a certain arrogance and strange attitude towards responsible caring for the land amongst certain residents, citizens and others alike. The influx of workers, (on which the industries relied) having varying backgrounds, attitudes and temperaments must have also contributed to degradation of the environment (including cultural and traditional norms) we see from the 1970s onwards. For many years, there have been calls on the leadership to avert the drift. The BVI Beacon’s editorial—‘VI environment needs help,’ lists a plethora of basic problems and predicted: without quick thinking, careful strategy and the collaboration of the entire community, environmental degradation will accelerate. (BVI Beacon. June 30, 2011). But long before then, when I could no longer keep quiet about the wanton carelessness of the times, I also turned to writing to voice some concerns.

This volume includes a selection of articles published as a column entitled ‘This Land’ and carried (at varying times) in the Penny Saver, BVI StandPoint, Island Sun and BVI Beacon newspapers between 1995 and 2012. The articles are presented chronologically. They include topics concerning local history, culture, appropriate technology, architecture, civics and politics, but the main focus is on the environment and the ways in which other topics impact upon it. This interplay highlights the all embracing nature of the environment, for whether in the general or the ecological sense, the environment can be defined as the external conditions and surroundings that affect the development and behaviour of all that lives. Man has also created the built environment, which in turn affects the natural one, for better or for worse.

The articles stand on the premise that the land and everything within it make up our environment; and that it does not belong to us. We hold it in trust from God, for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. (Ps. 24:1) We must therefore exercise good stewardship over it. Indeed the Bible has a careful concern for preserving the land and the earth as an allotted heritage¹ We are challenged to do all we can to leave the earth for future generations, in a better state than we found it.

The volume seeks to bring renewed awareness of and commitment to our personal and collective responsibility for the protection and preservation of the environment, and our God-given duties towards the world around us. Each article seeks to give insight into what was happening as it pertained to specific issues and concerns in the Virgin Islands society at a given time. It should encourage us to measure the changes made between 1995 and now, to seek solutions, take action, and encourage change for the better.

I trust that these articles will be of interest to all who take the environment of these islands seriously, with respect to their role as ‘stewards of the land’. It seeks to enthuse students and the general public into reading about the issues, discussing them and taking appropriate action to remedy past failures.

I have included appendices with lists of Biblical references pertaining to land and stewardship, National Parks and Bird Sanctuaries, Virgin Islands Environmental Protection Laws; Departments and Agencies, which support the environment and Questions and Exercises. There are also maps and numerous illustrations.

V. Penn Moll

Page%2018.jpg

Wickham’s cay before 1968 (a)

Part 1

The Environment

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears all nature sings,

and round me rings the music of the spheres.(Babcock)

Page%2020.jpg

Wickham’s cay before 1968 (b)

This land: a Trust From God

Whenever the rumbling sound of the garbage truck wakes me up, I am reminded that the Virgin Islands is one of those places in the world where domestic household garbage from every village is collected daily, and I quietly give thanks. I also consider the tremendous effort that must be exerted by departments responsible for the environment in order to maintain the current standard of service. Such effort must be applauded and supported.

One day I took a walk through my village. It revealed signs of real effort being fought against the odds to maintain harmony with the environment. Eight months before, I had seen a senior citizen (Berisford Smith) planting a selection of oleander plants against a blank wall. The flowering hedge has transformed the wall and surrounds, into ‘a thing of beauty’ to be admired by all who pass by. We are seeing more of that kind of individual beautification effort along the roadside, reminding us that flowers are God’s smiles and an expression of His love.

Farther into the village, a younger chap had cleaned up an unused plot and had beautifully landscaped it with crotons, banana plants and a lawn. Owners of unused plots are encouraged to do similarly. If owners have no immediate plans to develop their sites, they might consider leasing lots to be developed as incentives for vegetable