Nature Nostalgia

Avocado (Barbadians call them pears) - Photo by Matthias Oben from Pexels via Canva

Island nations like Barbados owe a large part of our economies to nature. Our tourism products are heavily dependent on the experience of nature. As a citizen born and bred here, however, nature is even more important for how I perceive my island life and cultural identity. 

But how does that identity shift when the balance between the built environment and the natural environment teeters away from the latter? 

How much, where and how do we build? How much, where and how do we plant trees, shrubs, and produce? How are we thinking about these proportions in our pursuit of development? 

In episode 6 of the Island Woman podcast, I share my nostalgia for nature as a Barbadian, how I’ve seen the balance between built environment and nature change and my thoughts on making nature-nourishing an industry.

A few things prompted the episode: 

• My rich childhood memories of being outside, whether at home, at school or at my grandfather’s house where we spent a lot of time during the holidays. Much of that time was spent among the trees, climbing, playing, laughing and eating fruit. So much about those times shaped the great things about who I am today.

• The lingering frustration I feel every time I see another massive hotel being constructed erasing prime windows to the sea. 

• The startling statistic I learned in a webinar I attended in 2024 organised by The Climate Conscious. There Dr. Gaius Eudoxie, a soil management expert and lecturer at the University of the West Indies shared that In the Caribbean some countries are experiencing as much as 50 per cent or more of soil degradation mainly because of erosion. Every time I see bush-clearing activities on the island, whether for housing or commercial development or to prevent flooding during hurricane season, I wonder how responsibly they are conducted to ensure erosion is prevented.

• The fact that I can’t remember the last time I saw a gooseberry tree, cherry tree, or golden apple tree (June plum) randomly growing somewhere that wasn’t on “someone’s property”.  

  
  

I have many memories and even more questions to which I don’t pretend to have the answers. However I know this: we can do a better job of growing fruit-bearing trees, food-bearing trees and reviving vegetation that helps keep the natural balance intact, that keeps a beautiful part of our culture and identity intact.

And it starts with ME making that commitment. It starts with all o’ WE making a commitment to nourish nature in our respective slices of island space.