Shark Week participants at the STENAPA main office in Lower Town.
ST. EUSTATIUS–St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation STENAPA reflected on the many changes that occurred during 2018.
Education and outreach officer Achsah Mitchell said that 2018 was a year of hurricane recovery and new beginnings. “Trails were reopened, projects started, events were held and new faces joined the family as we said farewell to some teammates,” Mitchel said. STENAPA celebrated their 30th anniversary in November. The foundation looks forward to another, even better 30 years, said Mitchell.
Among the projects was a new bi-annual bird survey that started in May and was repeated in November. The post-Irma reforestation project also started in November, after the 2018 hurricane season.
The National Marine Park got a major upgrade as Statia signed unto the Yarari Marine Mammal and Shark Sanctuary.
Marine Park manager Jessica Berkel and park ranger Francois Mille received special training with Nature Foundation St Maarten.
“Our coral nursery contains five rope ladders of five rungs each and has been filled to almost full capacity with coral fragments. Each rung can hold up to 10 corals. The increased growth and survival rate of the corals on these ‘trees’ allows the increase in coral cover of our reefs once they are ‘out-planted.’ The coral cover has been declining locally and regionally due to many factors,” Mitchell said.
Iguana Day joined Shark Week at the beginning of summer. In addition to Iguana Day an Iguana sleuth workshop was held to increase knowledge of the Lesser Antillean iguana amongst educators. An established Iguana Hotline assisted the protection of Statia’s largest land animal even further. The spotlight on the iguana was greatest as four of them took a trip to Diergaarde Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam earlier in the year.
The last official Shark Week was held last year and the annual clean up took place once again with collaboration of Gwendoline van Putten school management.
“We were able to work with Golden Rock Dive Centre (GRDC) during this year’s summer camp. The dive centre gave the students a well-received introduction to a skill that can provide both recreation and employment in the future,” Mitchell said. There were some considerable changes to the STENAPA family last year. “We said our goodbyes to education and outreach officer Hannah Fairley, Marine Park rangers Mervina Redan and Erik Houtepen and Garden ranger Nadio Spanner,” Mitchell said.
The foundation welcomed Francois Mille as one of the new marine park rangers. Mitchell took up the position of education and outreach officer and Marit Pistor will start her new position as Marine Park ranger in late February.
Another changing out of the guard happened at the STENAPA Intern House, “where years of interns and volunteers have come to know and…respect Vinny, the STENAPA cat. Sadly, he passed late this year.”
Among the foundation’s future new and recurring plans are Nature Talks with GRDC guests and other evening lectures. The reforestation will continue with most activities occurring this year. Renovation plans for Miriam C. Schmidt Botanical Garden are being developed and executed. Mitchell said the foundation looks forward to working with a new Garden Ranger.
Lessons in the schools, after-school clubs and Chapel Piece health and recreational centre for seniors have returned after a hiatus in 2018, Mitchell said. She also advised persons to listen to their returning radio programme “Nature on Statia.”
“The fun will continue with the beginning of STENAPA’s shark-tagging programme. Talking about sharks, well-loved aspects of Shark Week may return should we find the necessary funding. The future looks eventful and Statia’s nature will benefit,” she said.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/84177-stenapa-reflects-on-hurricane-recovery-and-new-opportunities
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