Alumna Spotlight: Vanessa Forbes

UVI Alums are changemakers, leaders, innovators, and community pillars. Being part of the Bucs family is an experience like no other, and just like true family, Bucs know that they can always come home. Many UVI faculty and staff are UVI Alum. This month we feature a member of this double-Bucs club, known around campus and the St. Croix community for her love of agriculture, passion for safety, and mental rolodex of mango varieties. Meet the Amourist Arbourist, Vanessa Forbes.

Who is Vanessa Forbes?

Vanessa Forbes is a Kittitian born Crucian transplant. An environmentalist to the core who is a lover of nature and healthy environments on land, air, and water. Living in VI from a very young age, and choosing the duality of being on one island but loving them both.

What inspired you to pursue a career in agriculture?

My desire to pursue a career in Agriculture stems from my upbringing on the island of St. Kitts. My family had a moderately sized farm where my maternal grandparents raised cows, pigs, goats, and chickens, and grew much of our locally grown fruits and veggies, which not only fed us but also provided the means to feed others in our community.

I was always passionate about doing the same, but I wanted to do so with not just the knowledge I gained from working on the farm. Still, the knowledge gained from others through research, both locally and globally, is also why I chose to go to college.

How did your time at UVI prepare you for the road to multi-hyphenate agriculturalist and safety specialist?

My time at UVI not only gave me the collegiate knowledge to take on the diverse agricultural world as a grower of orchids, a horticulturalist, Arborist and soil health farmer but it also strengthened my ability to make presentations to my colleagues in academia as well a communicate to the people in my community the everyday people to share the information and finding that we found or learned while at training or in conference.  

As one of the few certified arbourists in the Territory, you wear your passion for trees and natural vegetation on your sleeve. What is one thing you want the community to know about trees and green spaces?

I am an ISA (International Society of Arborists) trained, but not certified, Arborist. I have had more than a decade of training, testing, conferences, and fieldwork in arboriculture from ISA and other academic institutions. However, I made a conscious decision not to continue as a certified arborist in the VI. My love of nature means that my love for trees and green spaces is immense. So immense that it is physically painful to me to see the senseless removal of trees to pave or concrete over for a parking lot or some other heat island, or, worst of all, to leave the area naked and soil exposed. Exposed to the elements, which later impacts not only the land but also our beautiful Caribbean waters.

Killing not only the fish that feed us but also the seagrasses, coral, and other marine life.

Being a certified arborist can be an expensive endeavor, not only financially but also in terms of time. There are many arborists I have met, many of whom have become my friends, and all of them live in areas where the trees they work with are valued as an important environmental resource. The trees are protected by laws that let people know that if the trees and the green spaces are not protected, the result will not only be possible jail time but a hefty financial fine. We Virgin Islanders live in an amazingly beautiful and unique sector of the Caribbean. St. Croix is one of four areas in the world that have streets and natural areas where beautiful, majestic Mahogany trees grow. But we do not truly value what we have. I was told that the Mahogany trees lining our streets are trash trees and should all be cut down. But it is said that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” We, as Virgin Islanders, would do well to remember that mahogany furniture is among the most valuable, gaining value with age. However, it is my opinion that we all should put more value into the care and preservation of a living being that can live well pass a century that does the job of not only beautifying the island but provide habitat for our native birds while providing Oxygen for us as well and at the end of its life instead of just cutting it down and discarding it to the land fill, it can become a resource to put revenue back into the community. However, this is not so. So instead of continuing to get my certification as a certified arborist, I continue to train and gain knowledge to teach future generations, so that maybe more people will be like those of us who value trees and green spaces.

If you could liken yourself to one tree species, and one Caribbean fruit or vegetable, which would they be and why?

If I could liken myself to a tree species, it would be the species Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus). I chose this fruit tree because, like this tree, I have the potential to grow and be not only majestic but also very useful. However, if planted in the wrong location and not tended, the ability to be productive is diminished. When given the opportunity and placed in the appropriate environment for me to thrive, not just strive, the fruit of my abilities brings forth amazing qualities and extreme usefulness. Like this tree, I am also rooted in my faith in God Almighty and my family. These things keep me anchored when the situational storms and trials of life hit. Though I may bend and sway, I will not break. Also, like this amazingly versatile tree and its fruits, I use my God-given skills and talents not just for myself but also for others, not only to help them learn but also to help them grow.

You have also notably been passionate about safety in the workplace, serving as both an instructor and consultant. What do enjoy most about this aspect of your work?

I’ve always been passionate about workplace safety because I know it is easy to get hurt there. What I enjoy most about this aspect of keeping people safe is knowing that they can go home to their loved ones whole. Having personally seen people hurt on job sites, I take great pleasure in sharing knowledge on how they can protect themselves and others. Working together and taking accountability for one another means we are all safe as we do our jobs and do them well.

You are a two-time UVI alumna, and now, longtime staff member. What made you return to UVI as part of your career path?

I returned to UVI after my degrees because UVI felt like home. I was offered a position at UVI, which allowed me to work in a field I loved. As an alumna, I wanted to give back to an institution that put me on a path of greater academic knowledge while also giving back to a community that I am a part of.

Define Success

For me, success is continued growth, the ability to learn, and to pass that knowledge on to others.  The ability to see that spark in someone’s eyes that is an Aha moment when they understand Something that you have been teaching them. See them understand with a greater awareness, for me, that is success.

Why does what you do matter?

What I do matters because I enjoy learning so I can pass on the knowledge I gather onto my people. I love teaching my community about safety and the environment around us.

As you reflect on your career as an arbourist, agriculturalist, horticulturalist, and safety specialist, what does the University mean to you?

As I reflect on my career as an arborist, agriculturalist, horticulturalist, and safety specialist, the University has opened doors for me. Without my university degrees, I don’t believe I would be where I am today. Though not going to University was not an option for me, UVI offered me an affordable option where I was not only afforded a great education. I was also allowed to conduct research, present my findings, and travel to gain more knowledge and insights while advancing in my professional and academic life.  I might not have met the amazing people I have met thus far.  People who have been instrumental not only in my educational growth but also in my mental and spiritual growth.

What advice would you give an aspiring farmer/arbourist/horticulturalist?

The most important piece of wisdom I was given during my time at university was never to stop learning. Always seek opportunities to learn and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Two very amazing female professors assisted me during my undergrad. If not for those professors, I don’t think I would have been where I am today. They both saw that I was struggling. They both took the time to listen when I asked for help. Dr. Carroll and Dr. Stanford are two amazing professors with true hearts. And with those two professors lending me not only their ear but their time, I overcame obstacles that, for me at the time, I thought were insurmountable, but due to those two amazing professors, I overcame, and I’m still overcoming today.

To any aspiring farmer, Arborist, or horticulturist, I will say, first put your faith in God, not man. It is not the easiest thing to do, but he will see you through. Then continue reading, continue learning, and never stop growing. And if someone tells you that you can’t, use that as fuel to know that you can, because they are intimidated by you.

What’s next for Vanessa Forbes?

What’s next for Vanessa? Only God knows, but I will continue to read, continue to learn, and continue to grow with the help of the Lord. All things are possible through Him.

 As for my farm, I will continue to grow there as well, and I hope to continue educating people about eating locally grown, more nutritious foods, and work with them to understand how to grow their own food as well.

Where can we follow your work?

I am not much of a social media person, but if you’re interested in following my farm, you can find me on Facebook at Fresh Pac Farm. See you there.