Volcanic Eruption an Opportunity for Outreach and Sharing

Volcanic Eruption an Opportunity for Outreach and Sharing Scholarship

Three weeks after students in Barbados had emerged from a second lockdown caused by COVID-19, an unusual public health emergency forced them back indoors. This prompted a public sharing of academic expertise and major mobilisation of the Cave Hill Campus community in a humanitarian outreach effort to assist residents of a neighbouring island.

Last April, students and others sought shelter from heavy ashfall brought about by a volcanic eruption in neighbouring St. Vincent that threatened respiratory and other ailments. The explosive emissions marked the fifth time in recorded history, and the first time in nearly 42 years, that La Soufrière, the island’s northernmost stratovolcano, had erupted.

Residents in Barbados lived under darkened skies for a few days as La Soufrière’s eruptions continued, spewing ash and debris into the air and onto neighbouring islands. When the skies eventually cleared in Bridgetown, the entire island was blanketed in thick grey ash that had settled on virtually every surface. Sporadic eruptions and continued emissions challenged clean-up efforts and forced a prolonged closure of the Cave Hill Campus.

While most people regarded the ash deposits as a nuisance, Director of The UWI’s Centre for Resource

Dr. David Yawson

Director of CERMES and Senior Lecturer, Environmental Management gardening and landscaping, as it is a source of plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, zinc, copper, and iron.

“If you have trees or shrubs, whether they are crops or ornamental plants, you can spread a bit of the ash around the base of the plant. Then cover the ash with dry grass or some organic mulch and water to reduce demobilisation and subsequent dispersion by wind and water.

Management and “If you are about to apply Environmental Studies fertiliser to the soil, do so prior (CERMES) and Senior to spreading the ash around the Lecturer in Environmental Management Dr. David base of the plant. Though regular Yawson shared insight watering is necessary to prevent about its fertile benefits. remobilisation in the short term,

Dr. Yawson explained the ash lowers the temperature that volcanic ash was a and overall loss of water from the complex mixture of rock and soil particles with soil,” Dr. Yawson explained. rich minerals and fine particle size suitable for improving nutrient and water retention and their release in soils. It is useful for home A second recommendation, which could benefit roots and tubers, was to make an ash mix using topsoil or compost and apply this to the soil. “Don’t worry if you have more ash than soil or compost in the mix. You can spread this too around the base of trees and shrubs or apply to herbaceous plants,” he advised, stating that the ash mix can also be used for growing potted plants and herbs.

“An ash mix, especially with compost or manure, is extremely important for home gardening as the ash might raise the pH of the soil and create imbalance in some nutrients. Organic matter can help balance the pH and reduce the nutrient imbalances or deficiencies. Careful monitoring and responses to nutrient deficiency symptoms, however, are important to quickly address the problem if any arises,” he said.

While Dr. Yawson was sharing his research about the benefits of volcanic ash, the wider campus community launched a relief drive for residents of St. Vincent who were displaced by the eruption. An account was opened at RBC Royal Bank (Barbados) Limited for people who wished to make monetary contributions, and a collection point was set up at the Leslie Robinson building for nonperishable items.

Staff, students and the business community responded admirably to the call to give generously by donating food items, personal care products, baby supplies, household products; and healthcare items, including face masks, gloves and first aid kits.

The then President of the Cave Hill Guild of Students, Thacher Loutin, expressed profound gratitude for the many barrels of donations that formed a significant portion of the truckloads of items transported to the Barbados Coast Guard headquarters for shipment to Kingstown. l