A TREE FOR RACHAEL
There is something beautiful about watching something grow in a place you love.
Flowers are beautiful. A tree is more permanent. A tree keeps giving back: shade, shelter, a place for wildlife to flourish.
For Cousin Rachael, I chose the Dabaruida, whose delicate white flowers attract butterflies with their sweet nectar. There is something tender and generous in a tree that gives so quietly.
Cousin Rachael, whose memory inspired the planting of a Dabaruida tree in Aruba.
Lively, loving and tenderhearted, Rachael was a free spirit with impossible dimples and a quiet strength all her own. She loved visiting islands, and for a short time Aruba was her home, where she worked aboard Jolly Pirates with us. This summer we sat in her sunroom, surrounded by windows and the nature she loved. We reminisced about our time together in Aruba, her perfect smile still exactly as I remembered it.
Her Dabaruida was the first tree I planted on a sunny September morning. I chose the spot in the nature preserve with a clear view of the steeple of Santa Ana Church.
Rachael’s Dabaruida tree, planted with a view toward Santa Ana Church in Noord.
Rachael’s was the first of several trees I sponsored that morning in remembrance of people who meant a great deal to me. Altogether, 50 trees had been sponsored for planting that day.
Our 12 volunteers soon grew to 20, with children working alongside adults. Shovels and watering cans passed from hand to hand. What began as a morning of planting trees became something more: people coming together to give back to an island they care about.
Volunteers planting native trees during a Ban Lanta y Planta planting morning at the Bucuti Tara–GMC Nature Preserve.
Aruba is quite a place to give back to.
Tucked away in Noord, the Bucuti Tara–GMC Nature Preserve stretches across an impressive 32 acres. Ewald Biemans chose to give this valuable piece of land to Aruba rather than see it developed, protecting it for generations to come.
More than 1,300 native trees have already been planted here through Ban Lanta y Planta, the nonprofit organization working to restore Aruba’s native greenery through tree planting and care. The planting continues, as does the care, with young trees tended as they take hold and grow.
Caring for the trees doesn’t end with planting. Young trees are watered and tended as they take hold and grow.
Winding paths weave through the cunucu, Aruba’s countryside, past towering cacti, such a familiar part of Aruba’s landscape. It’s easy to forget how extraordinary they are. I found myself wondering how long they had been standing watch over this little piece of Aruba.
And perhaps the loveliest thing about this place is that so many people have had a hand in helping it grow.
Some trees are planted in remembrance. Others celebrate a wedding, an anniversary, a birthday or simply someone you love. Sponsoring a tree isn’t the only way to take part. Volunteers are welcome on planting days.
There is something wonderful about knowing these trees will be cared for, this piece of Aruba will remain green, and in some small way, you have become part of its story.
Rachael’s tree now has its place here, surrounded by life.
Keeping Aruba Growing
The trees planted here are native varieties, chosen because they belong in Aruba’s landscape and are naturally suited to its climate. There is something poetic about protecting a piece of Aruba by planting Aruba back into it.
Among the 50 trees planted that day were Dabaruida, Wayaca, Watapana, Brasil, Kawara Blanco, Taki, Kurahout, Palisia Blanco, Prosopis, Una-Una, Watekeli, Mahok and Seida.
Volunteers spent the morning planting and caring for native trees throughout the preserve.
How to Help
Ban Lanta y Planta welcomes volunteers who would like to help keep Aruba green. Volunteers help plant and care for native trees and support the organization’s reforestation projects.
To volunteer or learn about upcoming planting opportunities, contact Ban Lanta y Planta at +297 566 0636 or visit Trees for Aruba: https://treesforaruba.com/.
Donations can be made directly to:
Stichting Ban Lanta y Planta
Aruba Bank: 6020370190
SWIFT: ARUBAWAXX
Carla Cavallaro
Brand Manager, Kukoo Kunuku & Jolly Pirates
Carla Cavallaro has called Aruba home since 1989 and helped launch Jolly Pirates in 1997. Her stories draw on decades of life on the island, the people she has met along the way, and nearly 30 years of experiences on and around Aruba’s waters.