Adam Murray, Rare’s assistant course manager in Kent, England, reports on a trip to a Pride campaign in St. Croix.

Before I get on to the reasoning behind the title of this tale of adventure, let me tell you a little of the background for the trip. I have recently returned from one of my first project support visits. These visits are for course managers, like me, to visit Pride campaign managers. It is an opportunity to learn more about the campaign site, help the campaign managers, and monitor the progress of the campaign on site.

This visit involved my going to the U.S. Virgin Islands, commonly known as “America’s Paradise.” These are a small group of islands in the beautiful Caribbean. A campaign is currently being run on St. Croix, the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. The local partner agency is the St. Croix Environmental Association, and one of their staff members, Karisma Elien, is running the Pride campaign here. I had come along with Rosemary Godfrey, senior course manager from Kent, for nine days in St Croix. I was really looking forward to the Saturday before we left – it was to be the grand finale of our visit.

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Karisma distributes reusable grocery bags at the AgFair. 

Each year, St. Croix hosts an agricultural fair known as the AgriFest or AgFair. The fair runs over three days and has visitors from all over the island and neighboring islands as well. It is a very popular event for all ages. Karisma’s Pride campaign was going to make a spectacular entrance to AgriFest 2007.

One of the problems around St. Croix is the issue of litter. It is known that plastic grocery bags find their way into the sea after people have discarded them. Unfortunately for turtles, they mistake these plastic bags for tasty (well for the turtles anyway) jellyfish. A diet of plastic grocery bags is obviously not conducive to a healthy way of living. It has been reported that “a total of 177 marine species have been reported to ingest litter items. Ingestion of litter such as plastic bags can cause physical damage to oesophagus, mechanical blockage of the digestive system, and a false sensation of feeling full. This can lead to infections, starvation and death.”

As part of her campaign, Karisma wanted to distribute reusable cloth grocery bags. This will hopefully reduce the number of carrier bags that meet the marine life around St. Croix. To turn this into a well executed social marketing event, Karisma had produced the bags with a campaign logo and slogan. Then they were to be handed out with the help of Luis the Leatherback – a fabulous costume character that is the campaign’s mascot. For AgriFest 2007, Karisma (the face of the campaign) and Rosemary handed out the bags, and I volunteered to wear the costume. For about an hour Karisma passionately talked to different people about the campaign and delivered her key messages with an emphasis on littering and the turtles of St. Croix.

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The friendliest six-foot turtle in St. Croix!

Karisma was great at dealing with all ages. It was interesting to see the reaction of different groups of people. Most of the children loved the costume character and wanted to have their photograph taken with me. Some of the teenagers looked a little bemused, while some of the children looked a little scared. However, Karisma reassured them, and I acted as if I were the friendliest six-foot walking turtle in St Croix! This was very enjoyable for me even if it was a little hot in the Caribbean sun.  

Then I attracted the attention of the local popular radio station that was present at the fair. This was very fortuitous, as Karisma was able to speak about the campaign and the notion of Crucian Pride. This interview was broadcast live across the whole island at one of the busiest times of the year in St. Croix.

Now you may well ask why this little story of adventure in an oversized turtle suit is called “Big Turtle, Little Turtle.” Well it all goes back to the very beginning of the day. Just as the food stalls were setting up at the fair, preparing their sorrel juice and classic rice and peas, and the Quelbe musicians were tuning up their saxophones and gourds – I was back at my hotel having a very special moment.

One of the many perks that comes with my job is that I occasionally get the opportunity to immerse myself in the wilds of these exotic climes. This was the case on this morning. Before breakfast I donned my fins, mask and snorkel and plunged (well more of an uncoordinated fall) into the sea. Almost immediately, as if it had been waiting for this pasty-legged Brit, a stunning young green turtle came into view. It almost took my breath away, a real beauty. She (although sexing a turtle at a distance is nigh on impossible) allowed me to swim along with her through the coral and rock waterscape for what seemed like an eternity. It was only when I thought I would dive down and join this aquatic acrobat that she had had enough of my flailing around and effortlessly swam off into the depths.

I had the biggest silly smile on my face, which some of you will know is pretty tricky whilst wearing a snorkel and mask. It was a very poignant moment. I had travelled half way around the world to help with a campaign looking at turtles and their problems and there I was face to face (or should it be beak to mask) with one of them. This is what it is all about. The world and its wildlife are truly amazing, and I still get that same sense of awe and amazement that I had when I was a small child.

That day really epitomised what Rare Pride campaigns can do and what we are all trying to achieve.

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