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“Whispers of the Sand: Exploring our Duinen” Episode 289 - CCLXXXIX
The narrative shared through Etnia Nativa emphasizes
the importance of reclaiming and recognizing the is-
land’s cultural roots and heritage, which have often
been overshadowed by colonial history. The platform
actively engages in promoting the value of rediscov-
ering native traditions, history and identity, while high-
lighting the importance of moving beyond colonial
influences or submissive behavior.
In this episode we will share a little about some ar-
eas of Aruba, known locally as “duinen” or dunes in
English. This word came to the English language from
the French language, which in turn comes from the As a dune forms, plant succession oc- tal conditions less extreme, which is
Middle Age Dutch dūne and is today known as “duin/ curs. The conditions on an embryo used by a greater number of species.
duinen” in Dutch. dune are harsh, with salt spray from the The plant communities in the dunes
sea carried by strong winds. The dune are considered halophytes, that is, with
Now a dune is a landform, a large mass of wind- is well drained and often dry, and vegetation that lives in soils with a high
blown sand. Dunes are common in deserted environ- composed of calcium carbonate from content of soluble salts. The predomi-
ments and near beaches. All of Aruba’s dune areas coral and seashells. Rotting seaweed, nant fauna of the coastal dunes are
are protected by law which prohibits motor vehicles brought in by storm waves, adds nutri- insects such as bees, wasps and ants,
from riding on them, like those in California, behind ents to allow pioneer species to colo- beetles, flies, spiders, seabirds and also
Hudishibana Lighthouse. We should thank our parrot nize the dunes. lizards.q
fishes for their contribution, for those who nibble on In Aruba, some of these pioneer spe-
and feed from corals and spit out the crusher calcium cies are A- “Banana di rif”, Sesuvium
as sand, which in its turn will eventually be picked up portulacastrum is a sprawling peren-
by the wind and accumulates all behind the beach- nial herb in the family Aizoaceae that
es forming these clear white dunes. grows in sandy clay in coastal and
mangrove areas, coastal limestone
Some coastal areas have one or more sets of dunes and sandstone, tidal flats and salt
running parallel to the shoreline directly inland from marshes. It is native to Africa, Asia,
the beach. The dunes are important in protecting the Australia, Hawai`i, North and South
land against potential ravages by storm waves from America, and has naturalized in many
the sea. Although the most widely distributed dunes places where it is not native.
are those associated with coastal regions. The largest
complexes of dunes are found inland in dry regions B-“Yerba marga” or “Tora”, Strumpfia
and deserts, associated with ancient lakes or sea maritima has a strong scent is found all
beds. around the coast.
Dunes are made of sand-sized particles, and may C-”Cocorobano”, Tournefortia gnaph-
consist of quartz, calcium carbonate or gypsum. alodes and also known as “sea laven-
The upwind/upstream/up current side of the dune is der” is a species of flowering plant in
called the “stoss side”. The down flow side is called the family Boraginaceae. It is native to
the “lee side”. Sand is pushed or bounces up the cross Florida, Mexico, Central America, the
side, and slides down the lee side. The side of a dune Caribbean, Bermuda, northeastern
that the sand has slid down is called a slip face. Colombia, and Venezuela. A semi-suc-
culent evergreen shrub reaching 5 ft., If you liked native stories and are in-
it is typically found in coastal areas. terested in diving deeper into learn-
Occasionally cultivated as an orna- ing the true identity of Aruba, a visit
mental, it is often used for dune stabi- to Etnia Nativa would be a fantastic
lization. choice. Since 1994, Etnia Nativa, which
means “native ethnicity,” has been
These plants are well adapted to the a trendsetting entity and has been a
harsh conditions of the dunes, the arid- co-founder of projects such as Arikok
ity of the soil, the mobility of the loose National Park, the Archaeological
sandy substrate, the low nutrients and Museum, and the Artisan Foundation,
the salinity. Few species survive in these among others; every week, this news-
extreme conditions, but these habitats paper shares its valuable knowledge.
should not be underestimated for this Don’t miss the opportunity to feel the
reason. island’s spirit through real stories that
As we move away from the sea, the are not just remembered; they reso-
intensity of the wind, the saline spray nate, they’re felt, and they stir souls to
and the mobility of the substrate are the bone. WhatsApp +297 592 2702 et-
reduced. This makes the environmen- nianativa03@gmail.com.
