Hikers on the rim of The Quill crater.
ST. EUSTATIUS--St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation STENAPA and St. Eustatius Sports Facilities Sports Foundation (SSFF) hosted several exercising events May 14-16, including a parent-and-child hike and a Moonlight Walk that followed the lunar eclipse the night before which was visible in Statia.
The parent-and-child hike took place on the Quill Trail up to the crater rim. Families came together at 7:30am on either Saturday or Sunday to start their trek to the volcano crater. Activities and games lined the trail, giving participants an opportunity to take a break and to bond with their loved ones. These activities included a bingo, “I Spy on the Quill”, a photo treasure hunt, making a drawing of the view from the Quill and a wordsearch puzzle.
Among the animals spotted during the hikes were hermit crabs and the bridled quail dove (Geotrygon mystacea), which STENAPA education and outreach officer Achsah Mitchell said is endemic to the Caribbean, and can only be found in Statia in The Quill National Park.
Moonwalk participants.
The bridled quail dove roams the forest floor of the slopes inside and outside of the crater in search of food and a place to build its nest. Mitchell said the population is being threatened by habitat loss and predation.
The hike ended at the rim. “It would be great to see more and more Statians hiking again,” Mitchell said.
Moonlight Walks will take place every month during full moon. Participants gathered at Earl N. Merkman Sports Auditorium at 7:00pm Monday, May 16, for the launch of this event. Donning glow rings, they trekked for five kilometres from the sports auditorium via Lampeweg/Schrupon Road, Welfare Road, Rosemary Lane and De Ruyterweg to Johan Cruyff Court, where they played kickball with a glow-ball.
“This is all in our efforts to keep our island moving. We are asking you to follow our Facebook pages Statia Sports Foundation and STENAPA St. Eustatius for all our future events,” said SSFF’s managing director Granville Hassell.
