Welcome to the Quill/Boven National Park, which was pronounced the first official national park of the Netherlands Antilles in 1998, making it
a protected area. The park was created to protect the unique biodiversity found within and to ensure sustainable use by all stakeholders. The Quill National Park is 3.4 km² and consists of the dormant volcano ‘The Quill’ and ‘White Wall’, a limestone formation located on the south side of the volcano.
The park boundaries include the Quill slopes above 250m, the interior of the crater and White Wall down to sea level. Boven National Park comprises five hills in the northern hills of St Eustatius: Boven, Gilboa Hill, Signal Hill and Bergje.
Quill Geology
The volcanic cone of the Quill (Dutch: kuil = pit) dominates Statia’s landscape. The highest point is Mazinga Peak, which reaches around 600m above sea level. The bottom of the crater is 273m above sea level. This strato-volcano is built up by magma that was violently ejected, blown to great heights and deposited back on earth to form layers of material, which created a perfect cone.
The last eruption of the Quill dates back to around 400 AD, and the present period of inactivity is regarded as a stage of dormancy.
A thick, white limestone formation is visible on the southern slopes of the Quill, and is known as White Wall and Sugar Loaf hill. This formation was formerly part of the sea bed that was thrust upwards during an active volcanic period of the Quill. These marine sediments subsequently combined over time with ash and pumice to be converted into layers of sediment that can be seen today from viewpoints on the ‘Around the Mountain’ trail and battery de Windt.
Northern hills geology
The northwestern part of Statia consists of a very old volcanic ruin eroded by continuous weathering and can barely be recognized as a former strato-volcano.
Bergje (main cone pipe at 223 metres), Boven (289 metre), Gilboa Hill (175 metre), Signal Hill (234 metre) are the weathered remains of the cone, originally built-up 600 metres high by the accumulation of volcanic material 1.6 million years ago during the Quaternary Period. The northern hills contain numerous layers of volcanic deposits, weathered to a red colour due to oxidation of the ferro-magnesium mineral in the andesite rock.
Vegetation – Quill Slopes
As a result of former agricultural activities, the vegetation on the lower outer slope of the Quill is mainly thorny woodland. The most abundant plant species are Vachelia sp. (a species of the Acacia), Christmas tree (Randia aculeata) and mimosa (Leucaena leucocephala). Also found on the western side of the outer slopes are the West Indian cherry (Malpighia emarginata), blackberry (Eugenia ligustrina), sugar apple (Annona squamosa) and Mappoo (Pisonia subcordata). On the eastern side, in addition to Acacia, arid vegetation including that of the Capparis (Capparaceae) family can be found.
On the northwestern slopes from about 250m above sea level, the vegetation changes from thorny woodland to montane thickets and dry evergreen forest. Epiphytic bromeliads grow in abundance, while some of the larger trees such as the silk cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) have buttress roots. Other plant species found here include the White Cedar (Tabebuia heterophylla), Locust tree (Hymenea courbaril), Mappoo (Pisonia subcordata) and the Gum tree (Bursera simaruba).
Vegetation – Crater & Crater Rim
A descent to the crater floor takes visitors to an evergreen seasonal forest. This rich forest type is closely related to a tropical rainforest, with the highest trees reaching around 40m in height. Tree species found in the crater include the silk cotton (Ceiba pentandra), yellow plum (Spondias mombin) and trumpet wood (Cecropia schreberiana), which has large lobed leaves with a silvery-white underside. Epiphytic ferns, mosses and bromeliads are present, as well as the wild banana (Heliconia caribbea). Human influence, however, is also noticeable in the form of cultivated plants like cocoa (Theobroma cacao).
Along the rim towards Mazinga peak, balsam (Clusia major) and copey vera (Ternstroemia peduncularis) dominate. Elephant ears (Philodendron giganteum) and epiphytic orchids and mosses are abundant.
Vegetation – Northern Hills
Arid conditions give rise to more sparse and thornier vegetation than that of the Quill.
The vegetation of the Northern Hills has been seriously disturbed in the past by agriculture and cattle breeding.
Generally the vegetation is drier and dominated by grasses, cacti and thorny woodland. Orchids are commonly found at the top of Boven in and around the large cracks of the rocks. The horthern hills are home to the endemic vine Statia Morning Glory (Ipomoea sphenophylla). A creeper of the Convolvulaceae family, it can be found on Bergje, Signal hill and on the trail leading to the hiking trails from Zeelandia Road.
Fauna
The Quill/Boven National Park provides habitat for a number of endangered species. Most of them are protected by local laws and some by international treaties. Of particular interest is the Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima), a rare and threatened species, which varies in colour from bright green to dull grey, and feeds primarily on flowers, fruits and leaves.
The Red-Bellied Racer (Alsophis rufiventris) is a small snake (50-100 cm) found only on Saba and Statia. This snake feeds on small reptiles and young rats. An abundant lizard population includes the Red-faced Ground Lizard (Ameiva erythrocephala) and the smaller Anolis lizards (Anolis bimaculatus and Anolis schwartzi)
Birds
The crater of the Quill, with its steep inner slopes, provides an excellent habitat for some of the bird species found on the island, like the Scaly-naped Pigeon (Columba squamosa) and the Purple-throated Carib. The Green-throated Carib, Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Scaly-breasted Thrasher, Bridled Quail-dove and Bananaquit are also present.
The Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, Grey Kingbird, Zenaida Dove, Common Ground Dove, Caribbean Elaenia, and Yellow Warbler live in drier habitats. The Bridled Quail Dove is the only species on St. Eustatius that is listed in the IUCN red list. It is listed as a near threatened species. On St. Eustatius this bird has only been observed within the woodland around the top and in the crater of the Quill.
The American Kestrel, or Killy Killy (Falco sparverius caribaeum), is a small, widespread bird of prey that is listed on CITES, (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The species is markedly numerous in areas with human activities, and has a preference for open habitats.
St Eustatius National Parks 