Friday, March 27, 2009

Bonaire Celebrates Landmark Anniversaries in 2009 with Festivities Throughout the Year

The island of Bonaire has reason to celebrate this year when their national parks both reach landmark anniversaries: the Washington Slagbaai National Park attains its 40th year, while the Bonaire National Marine Park reaches its 30th. 

A Bonaire press event was held today at the famed Rockefeller Center Club in mid-town Manhattan, to launch the programs surrounding the activities scheduled for celebrating the anniversaries of the two national parks.  Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, Director of Tourism, Tourism Corporation Bonaire, was the official spokesperson for the event, and was joined by Elsmarie Beukenboom, Director of STINAPA. 

From now through November, there will be a multitude of educational activities and festivities in honor of Bonaire’s national parks and the island’s continued commitment to conservation.  Some of the planned events include:

• Full-moon walks in Washington Slagbaai National Park which will follow the Kasikunda and Lagadishi walking trails
• An Earth Day event whereby 40 trees will be planted at Pos Bronswinkel in the park
• A special benediction at the Visitor Center of Washington Slagbaai National Park with special invitees born on May 9th, 1969 and May 9th, 1979
• Nature NGOs from Bonaire will join visiting students to execute community projects
• The island’s BONAI student archaeological group will work an excavation site in the park
• Nature conservation documentaries will be shown throughout the year
• There will be numerous beach and underwater cleanups
• Evenings to sample local cuisine at “Taste Of Bonaire” events
• There will be a children’s poster drawing and poem competition, culminating in an exhibition at the island’s Kas di Arte
• And various open houses and other fun events such as a dominoes competition

A complete calendar of events for the festivities is available by clicking here.

The island of Bonaire has always played a leading role in the conservation of its nature areas.  Washington Slagbaai National Park was the first nature area in the Netherlands Antilles to be set aside as a national park and consists of nearly one-third of the island’s total land.  Additionally, for many years now, the Bonaire National Marine Park has been the benchmark to which other marine conservation areas strive to match, garnering award after award for its innovative preservation measures. (Source:  TCB-NY, Caption for above image, from left to right:  Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, Director of Tourism, Tourism Corporation Bonaire, Hugo Gajus Scheltema, Consul General of the Netherlands, New York, Elsmarie Beukenboom, Director of STINAPA, and Simone Kreutzer, Counsul for Press & Cultural Affairs, New York)