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For a period of four days at the end of October this year, Bonaire formed the epicenter of Caribbean mangrove preservation for the entire region. From the 25th to the 28th, the local Mangrove Maniacs, an organization dedicated to protecting the mangrove's immense biological, cultural, and economical value to Bonaire, organized their very first Mangrove Restoration Workshop. The idea behind the initiative was to bring together recognized specialists in the field, the local authorities, and aficionados to exchange knowledge and ideas regarding mangrove preservation and restoration on Bonaire and in the Caribbean as a whole.
Take-aways from the Mangrove Restoration Workshop 2021
For those who are not completely familiar with the matter, mangroves are a type of tropical coastal and salt-tolerant vegetation that is known for its impressive resilience in terms the environment in which it lives and thrives. Their adaptation to the undeniable effects of climate change has been lauded by conservationists around the world, but the Mangrove Restoration Workshop also focused on the mangrove's ability to provide vulnerable coastal areas with the much-needed protection they need to develop.
It's no coincidence that the first Mangrove Restoration Workshop was held on Bonaire and that mangrove conservation in general is such an important topics on island, because Bonaire is actually the home to the largest mangrove forest in the entire Dutch Caribbean. This forest does not only make for a unique and wonderful natural habitat, but also provides an effective natural barrier against violent surges and floods for other, more vulnerable natural habitats. That's in great part because the vegetation's resilient roots trap all kinds of destructive sediment, which protects more vulnerable marine habitats and coastline areas, and slows down erosion.
Bonaire as the world's mangrove conservation center
What started out as a good idea and a lot of enthusiasm from Mangrove Maniacs rather quickly grew into an initiative that was drawing attention from people and organization far beyond the borders of Bonaire Just to give you an idea: between October 25th and 28th, more than sixty mangrove experts were part of the first Mangrove Maniacs Mangrove Restoration Workshop, with twenty people able to attend in person and the remaining forty attending virtually. This group of researchers, conservationists, park authorities, and people simply passionate about mangroves came from all over the world, from the Netherlands to Jamaica and from the United States to Brazil.
Naturally, Mangrove Maniacs was not the only organization involved in the creation and management of the workshop. They called on various other groups and parties as well to help make the workshop a success, including the DCNA (Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance), the CARSPAW (Regional Activity Center for the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife), and the STINAPA (Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire) provided expert help in terms of support and the necessary funding.
In the words of Tadzio Bervoets, director of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance, “Caribbean islands have the unique ability to showcase a wide variety of natural habitats, perfect for conducting research and staying on the cutting edge of habitat restoration and conservation techniques. Fostering this thirst for knowledge and educational growth within local Caribbean populations will be key to pushing the Caribbean to the forefront of environmental research.”
The basis for this article was originally published on www.dcnanature.org on November 1st, 2021.
To learn more about Mangrove Maniacs and their Mangrove Restoration Workshop, you can visit their website.
