By Nathalie Rietman, project manager for the WOW-ies
My name is Nathalie Rietman and I have been living and working on Aruba for the past eight years. When I was little and visited my grandparents, they would always tell stories about Aruba. They travelled there regularly and had family living on the island. I’m talking about the 1970s. I will never forget the book with the beautiful photographs of Aruba’s divi-divi tree – those remarkable trees that have all grown in one direction because of the trade winds that always blow from the same side.
I have been fascinated by nature from a young age. It started with the garden behind our house and later grew through the incredible natural landscapes I was fortunate to witness during my travels around the world. My love for nature brought me to Wageningen, where I studied Nature Conservation. I soon discovered that I could go anywhere for my studies, as long as I arranged it myself. First, I went to Peru and later spent six months in Colombia twice. Just outside Bogotá, I conducted research on the original vegetation of a tropical dry forest – similar to the vegetation found here on Aruba.
I have now been working for almost six years as a project manager at 360º of Innovation, and we launched WOW in 2022. What started with creating intro videos for all six islands quickly grew into a large and extensive project – from documentaries to the WOW-ies project – and ultimately, a nature film that will premiere in cinemas in 2027.
I manage the WOW-ies project, and each island has its own WOW-ie, or mascot. These mascots were created together with children on the six islands. On Saba, for example, the children made a turtle out of papier-mâché, and they also received a presentation about sea turtles from a ranger of Saba national park.
I also assisted the crew during the filming of the documentaries on all six islands. What still stands out vividly in my memory is our trip to the Windward Islands. By then, I already knew Sint Maarten, but I had not yet visited Saba or Sint Eustatius. I was so curious about these islands, and when the moment finally arrived, we took the ferry from Sint Maarten to Saba.
It began as a tiny dot in the sea. Gradually you sail toward this magnificent green rock. It grows larger and larger, and eventually you have to sail around it before you can reach the harbour. By taxi, we climbed the steep road upward, and the most beautiful moment was when we stepped out at the hotel: The view over the village with its white houses, and in the background the sounds of crickets and little frogs – what a magical sight and sound that was!
WOW! is about the wonder of nature on the islands. That sense of wonder is there every single day, even after so many years of living here. When I step into my garden in the morning, I hear the trupial. First one, then two or three more join in. It becomes a true orchestra – a delight to the ears. Late in the afternoon, just before sunset, the prikichi (small parakeets) pass by in groups of five or six, flying from one side of the island to the other. Their chatter always fills me with joy.
I still enjoy this beautiful island every day. On weekends, I always go walking near Alto Vista with my dog. You descend along cactus-lined paths toward the island’s rugged coastline. The cloud formations and the colours of the sea are fascinating – and different every single time.
All this beauty is so valuable and must be preserved for the generations that come after us. That is what we aim to achieve with WOW. So little is known in the Netherlands about the stunning nature on these islands – it is something to be proud of, and something to discover and learn about.
Did you know that on Sint Eustatius, you can hike into the crater of a volcano and find a tropical forest inside? Come and discover the nature of the islands!
