Dirt Under the Nails
Yellowstone vs Chaguaramas Published: Guardian
Friday, September 5, 2014
A bison roams Yellowstone National Park’s grassy plateaus. A nomadic grazer in summer, the bison spends winter near warm thermal pools or in the northern section of the park. The huge animals use their heads like a plow to push snow aside in search of food.
Carla Rauseo
I just returned from a mind-blowing trip to Yellowstone National Park and I am distraught and angry. I do not harbour such negative feelings because I am no longer on vacation. Rather, my feelings emanate from the realisation that Chaguaramas, a designated National Park, will never be the place it has the potential to be. It is a victim of poor management and bad ideas fuelled by a misunderstanding of the definition of a national park.
According to Wikipedia, a national park is a protected, state-owned area of land designated strictly for the purposes of conservation and recreation. “There is a common idea…the conservation of wild nature for posterity.” The Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) can take some valuable lessons from Yellowstone, as it seems to strike the perfect balance between conservation and recreation. In fact, the type of recreation allowed in Yellowstone promotes protection and respect of the fragile ecosystems.
“We saw wildlife
From afar
Until we hit them
With our car!
SLOW DOWN!” read the signs as we left the park. Everything in Yellowstone was about conservation. The authorities seemed to accomplish this through education and strict organisation, management and enforcement. There was a controlled place for every human activity, whilst animals roamed as they pleased, unrestricted.
As we checked into the campsite, we were provided with a small educational newspaper detailing the “top things to know.” It included everything from what to do in a bear encounter, to the regulations regarding campfires, the geology of the park and its hydrothermal features, environmentally friendly toileting in the woods, and prohibited activities in the park.
We had to “book” our stay in the campground, which was divided into small sections. Each section had a place to park one’s vehicle, a picnic table, a fire grate for a campfire and an area for the tent. The bathrooms were clean, and there were designated sinks to wash dishes, which were different from drinking water taps, all with impeccable signage. Quiet hours were from 10pm to 6am, and enforced, as during the night I saw the flashing lights of rangers’ vehicles patrolling. The organisation was amazing…a place for everything, and everything in its place. It encouraged respect for the environment and for neighbouring campers.
Chaguaramas can be a lovely place to camp too, and I have done so already. However, I am now afraid of crime and have not been back to camp in years.
Like Yellowstone, Chaguaramas also has many great hiking and mountain biking trails that offer spectacular views like Bamboo Cathedral, and pass through areas rich in historical value such as the satellite tracking station, the remnants of the Chacachacare leper colony, and the numerous bunkers left by the Americans.
These should have been part of a natural museum. However, unlike Yellowstone, nothing is preserved and these places, like the old Tucker Valley church and cemetery now barely exist in their final states of decay, to be lost for good in the near future. Yet when one visits the CDA website, one can find it advertising wedding pictures by the church. Indeed, the website offers quite a pleasant, yet hypocritical view of Chaguaramas National Park.
Education about Yellowstone is not only disseminated through newspapers, but also through park rangers who conduct programs for children who become “youth rangers” if they complete a trail hike, and scientific tasks that teach an appreciation of the Yellowstone ecosystem. There are astronomy classes as well. Trinidad’s very own CARINA conducts their star gazing party at the tracking station in Chaguaramas. It was once lovely, but has now been infiltrated by obnoxious, ignorant, weed-smoking characters who come for a lime.
The CDA, through “rangers” can educate nature seekers about Chaguaramas’ rich history, give tours and educational classes in a practical environment that not only bring the peninsula to life, but foster a deep appreciation for the area, and instill in its visitors a desire to protect it. Rather, the CDA chooses to allow fetes in Samaan Park, pressures the military museum to close, and builds a huge child play area on the boardwalk. The noise pollution from these events alone is enough to drive howler monkeys, and other wildlife out of this region.
The CDA has erred. It focuses more on recreation to the detriment of the natural ecosystems. It is attracting people interested in urban recreation, and losing people who are keen on protecting and enjoying nature.
Preserving the history, the wildlife, and the trails through proper mandates, organisation and enforcement can not only bring unique types of tourism to the area while simultaneously fostering conservation, but can also generate jobs and money that will help make Chaguaramas self-sustaining. My suggestion…send some CDA members to Yellowstone…oh yeah, and lose the environmental negligence. The first is doable, but the second?
Carla Rauseo, DPT, CSCS is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist at Total Rehabilitation Centre in San Juan.
