Tag: rivers

International Day of Forests in Jamaica: The Wood and Water Connection

March 22, 2016

The Taino word for Jamaica, Xaymaca, means “Land of Wood and Water.” The Tainos were describing tall trees, flowing rivers, splashing waterfalls. The two words fit together. Today (March 21) was International Day of Forests; and the theme is Forests and Water: Sustaining Lives and Livelihoods. What could be more important than the forest/water connection? However, the average … More International Day of Forests in Jamaica: The Wood and Water Connection

Protecting Wood and Water: Women in St. Thomas

March 14, 2013

Xaymaca is the Arawak (Taino) name for Jamaica. It means “Land of Wood and Water.”  The Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC) has a small and unpretentious office in Kingston. And it has an outstretched arm, too – eastwards, over the struggling community of Bull Bay and its dusty environs to the rich pastures, rivers and … More Protecting Wood and Water: Women in St. Thomas

How Could Drops of Water Know Themselves to Be a River?

February 10, 2013

The above is a quote from the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who also wrote in his beautiful, meditative book, “Wind, Sand and Stars“: “Water, thou hast no taste, no color, no odor; canst not be defined, art relished while ever mysterious.  Not necessary to life, but rather life itself, thou fillest us with a … More How Could Drops of Water Know Themselves to Be a River?

P.S. Happy World Wetlands Day! February 2, 2013

February 3, 2013

Yes, today is World Wetlands Day. A very last-minute reminder! The Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Anada Tiéga, reminds us this 2013: Our focus this year is the chance for all of us working for wetlands to convince those who manage water that wetlands are not competitors for water but rather they … More P.S. Happy World Wetlands Day! February 2, 2013

Pollution Flowing from Land to Sea: The UN Caribbean Environment Programme, Part 1

February 2, 2013

I recently attended an absorbing and incredibly informative meeting with the United Nations Environment Programme. The Kingston office is situated in a building alongside the downtown Conference Centre that also houses the International Law of the Sea Convention offices. Here’s some background: This office administers the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP), which was launched in 1976… … More Pollution Flowing from Land to Sea: The UN Caribbean Environment Programme, Part 1

My Wildest Dream

November 14, 2012

I must write this down, before I forget. I got up yesterday morning and told my husband, “Dear, I dreamed about giant crabs.” Now, one of my favorite films is called “Dreams” (Yume).  Directed by the iconic Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa in 1990, the film has just the right combination of surreal images, discordant messages, and troubled emotions … More My Wildest Dream

A Watery Tale

July 8, 2011

The Petchary just sat through another session of local television news, an evening ritual.  There was the usual selection of politicians posturing.  There were what my father used to call “hard luck stories.”  Roads that have been torn away, or resembling those weird obstacle games devised by the Japanese where you are likely to fall into … More A Watery Tale