CARMABI Clear Water Challenge 2007; Ryan de Jongh kayaks for

nature!Page 5

Biná newsletter of the CARMABI foundation

New board members

Page 7

New Activities in Christoffelpark

Page 12

5th Year number 3 July-September 2007

Save the bats and Cacti of Curaçao!Urgent call from associate researcher of CARMABI

Dr. Sophie Petit ... page 3

Cover Photo: Leptonycteris nivalis curasoae Photo by: L. Pors

Nature is taking a breath and a very needed drink from the several rainshowers that hit the island in the last couple of weeks. Everything is alive again and nature provides us with interesting things to observe. Read about all the happenings in the Christoffelpark on page 11 and be inspired to take out your own binoculars and camera. It is not only in the wild that everything is growing, flowering and fruiting. At CARMABI there are some very interesting things happening. We are at the beginning and in the middle of several new super exiting projects like the CARMABI Clear Water Challenge, where Ryan de Jongh will be attempting an amazing record to kayak around our island. It will be the greatest fundraising campaign CARMABI has ever organized and we are determined, as is Ryan to make this a wonderful happening. Stay tuned for our updates on this.

Now that we have a completely equiped lecture room at CARMABI we are starting to organize more and more activities for the general public in the form of lectures, talks, presentations and film showings. We started using it all ready with the presentation by Dr. Sophie Petit in August and the presentation by Prof. Bruce Fouke in September. Many presentations will follow so be sure to be up to date.

Of course we did not want to deprive you of the work of Dr. Sophie Petit who has been doing very important research on the bats and cactus relationships on the island. She has a lot to say, and in this letter you will find the first of the “scripts” she wrote for the newsletter. In the next edition we will publish more information about her research results. Enjoy an overview of her activities on page 3.

And do not forget to read the update on the Museum Savonet project. Interesting things keep happening around this huge project that you do not want to miss.

We do hope that you will enjoy this very varied newsletter, the third one of this year. And do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions! Enjoy and we will meet you again in our next newsletter!

The editors.

2

Table of contentsEditors note... 2

CARMABI news... 3- Associate researcher Dr. Sophie Petit visits Curaçao... an overview of her activities... 3- Meet our new lecture room... 4- CARMABI Clear Water Challenge... join the challenge to save our natural resources ... 5- CARMABI helps Klinika Capriles plant shimaruku trees... 6- New members on the CARMABI board... 7- Sponsors... 9- Hurricane readiness... 10- Upgrading administrative capacity... 10- Summer workshops have met their expectations... 10- Regular sightings of the rare scaly-naped pigeon at Carmabi...11

Christoffel corner... 12- Christoffelpark in Brazilian magazine... 12 - Special activities in the Christoffelpark in September, October, November and December... 12- Introducing two new interns... 13 - Museum Savonet... an update... 13- Raindrops work their magic... 14- News in a flash... 15

Advertisement... 16

Particulars for this edition:

Photography:Mrs. M. da Costa Gomez

Mr. L. PorsMrs. Dr. S. Petit

Mr. Drs. J. de Freitas

Design:Mrs. M. da Costa Gomez

Editors:Mrs. M. da Costa Gomez

Mr. L. PorsMr. Dr. A. Debrot

Editors note

3

CARMABI newsAssociate researcher Dr. Sophie Petit visits Curaçao... an overview of her activities

I came to Curaçao for the first time in December 1990, to investigate projects for my PhD research. I came back in the summer of 1991 to do pilot work on grazing interactions among deer, goats, and donkeys, but somehow ended up working on bats. The importance of bats and cacti to the Curaçao ecosystem seemed significant and both organisms had irresistible charm. I was hooked. I completed my PhD field work between 1992 and 1994, defended my thesis in November 1994, and graduated officially the next year, although I could not attend my own graduation, since I was in Mexico, working on bats and cacti! For too many years I did not come back to Curaçao. I worked as a geneticist in Miami, got a post-graduate business degree in France, worked with Aboriginal people in Australia, then moved permanently to Australia and worked as a Conservation Officer for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in the Whitsundays, before moving on to the University of South Australia, where I am a Senior Lecturer in the Program of Biodiversity, Environmental and Park Management. I teach courses in ecology, conservation biology, wildlife ecology, research statistics, and I do research on all sorts of fascinating Australian animals and plants. I was able to come back to Curaçao in 2003 for a few weeks, and completed with Anna Rojer and Leon Pors a major study on the status of bats on the island. Leon and I also started other projects, giving me a good excuse to come back this

By: Dr. Sophie Petit

year.This time I spent a month at CARMABI (19 July-19 August), working hard, but I was in the office too much. I cherish the long hot days in the sun looking up at cactus flowers, followed by exhausting nights looking up at bats. Someone has to do it! My colleagues Leon, Anna, and I completed another bat survey. This information, along with surveying technique knowledge, is to be presented at the International Bat Conference in Merida, Mexico, on the 23rd of August, since Hurricane Dean spared us. Leon and I finished gathering the data for our paper on the consumption of cactus fruits by birds and on the growth and recruitment of cacti. Finding the time to write the paper is another story, but at least the data have been analysed. Anna and I are also preparing a project on the viability of cactus seeds at different stages of consumption by birds. Fruits are targeted by birds before they are ripe and it is likely that when most fruits are eaten, few seeds are viable, creating a problem for the recruitment of cacti (growth of seedlings). I was very happy to have a great audience at my presentation on the interdependence between bats and cacti on the 15th of August. It is now up to all those who attended to carry the flag! I should say: the flags. The talk covered an introduction to the bats and cacti of Curaçao, a crash course in genetics and pollination, and a scary section on the threats to bats and cacti. A positive

“Sophie Petit during her presentation at CARMABI last August 15th”

“Leon Pors and Anna Rojer at the beginning of a bat status count in a local

cave”

“Cactus flower bud of the Kadushi cactus (Subpilocereus repandus)”

4

CARMABI newsnote was that everyone was enthusiastic about preserving bats and cacti. In view of the threats to these organisms, I wrote short documents for information to the general public and government organisations. The documents I wrote on the importance of bats and cacti to Curaçao will be presented in the next newsletters. An exciting part of my stay involved starting the book on the bats of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, co-authored by Leon and Anna. The draft is looking good, but it will still take many months to get a finished product, especially since I have more than a full-time job in Australia. We plan to write the book in English and Papiamentu. It will introduce the public to the bats of the ABC islands, to their role in the ecosystem, and to our relationship with bats. It will not simply be a

species guide; it will also be full of other interesting information. Oh, and WE ARE LOOKING FOR SPONSORS! Once again it has been a privilege to enjoy the nature of Curaçao, the company of my wonderful colleagues, and the hospitality of CARMABI. CARMABI’s role in nature conservation must be supported; conservation is our right and our duty. Without a body equipped to conserve our beautiful nature, we will suffer tragic consequences. With vibrant research and adequate support, CARMABI can work towards the education of the public and the conservation of our precious resources. I leave the island with sadness, but with many projects that will require my visit in the years to come. T’aworo!

“Sophie during her stay in 2003, analyzing a Pteronautus species which up till then was

never identified as such”

Meet the new lecture room at CARMABI

In our next newsletter we will publish two articles by Dr. Petit about the importance of bats and cacti for the Curaçaoan ecology.

In the whole process of change that CARMABI has been in since August last year, one thing was always obvious: we were in need of a multifunctional room apt for meetings, courses, workshops and presentations. The biggest existing room was the former director’s office and the choice to convert this room into this mentioned multifunctional room was very easy. Thanks to the sponsoring of S.E.L. Maduro & Sons (Curaçao) NV we were able to furnish the room and prepare it for its multifunctions. It has already been used for the Summer courses and several meetings and presentations. A good choice it was!

5

CARMABI newsCARMABI Clear Water Challenge.... join the challenge to save our natural resources!Ryan de Jongh kayaks around

Curaçao!Ryan de Jongh, well known for his long running program on TV11 called Caribe Awe, and of course for his amazing sports endeavors, will be featuring his newest challenge: Kayaking around the island in 50 hours! A new record for him!

Help the CARMABI foundation and become a sponsor!

Ryan’s and CARMABI’s goal is to raise 100.000 guilders for the development of the Curaçao Marine Park Research and Visitors Center. To raise this quantity we need sponsors to sponsor kilometers. It is also possible to donate funds for this project.

CARMABI total awareness weekend; kayaking for nature.

With his attempt Ryan wants to raise public awareness for the importance of nature conservation on our island, hence to raise 100.000 guilders in funds for the devolopment of a Curaçao Marine Park Research and Visitors Center at the CARMABI foundation. During the challenge on the 17th and 18th of November while Ryan is kayaking, a film crew will be filming his efforts and transmit these directly on TV11 and several radio stations. Information and shots about nature on land and in the sea will be given during the transmissions. Also two competitions will be organized: a prize contest and a drawing competition for kids.

Ryan’s routeOn the 17th of November Ryan will kayak out of the St. Annabaai. The route will be

about 150 kilometers long. Ryan will be taking short breaks in order to get medical checkups and supplies. These will occur at Playa Kanoa at 10.00 hours in the morning and at the Northern tip of Curaçao at 22.00 hrs. After the last break Ryan will kayak along the southern coast and arrives back at the St. Annabaai between approximately 15.00 and 18.00 hrs. Upon his arrival Ryan will be giving a press conference at the Plaza Hotel. During the whole attempt Ryan will be accompanied by three crafts to ensure his safety and provide continuous filming opportunities.

Sponsoring conditionsCheck our website at www.carmabi.org for the sponsoring conditions and downloadable sponsoring contracts.

Drawing CompetitionFor all the kids between 8 and 12 years we are organizing a drawing competition. Draw and color a scene from the local underwater world with fishes, corals and any other animal or plant that lives there and send your drawing (minimum format A4, no maximum), to CARMABI before the 10th of November, to the attention of mrs. M. da Costa Gomez. Don’t forget to write your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and age on the back of your drawing.

Send your drawing to:CARMABI foundationClear Water Challenge Drawing CompetitionP.O.Box 2090 Curaçao, or deliver it personally at the CARMABI offices.

Help the CARMABI foundation and become

a sponsor!

Join the CARMABI Clear Water Challenge 2007 on November 17

and 18 and give a hand to protect nature on

our island.

“Ryan during one of his training sessions, visiting Caracasbay”

6

CARMABI newsA professional jury consisting of the well known artists Annemieke Dicke, Marja Tukker and Ashley Mauricio, will select the five winning drawings. The prizes are complete snorkel sets! Moreover a selection of all the drawings received, will be displayed in the Christoffelpark museum.

Price CompetitionCheck our website at www.carmabi.org and look for the question that has to be answered. Send your answer by email to info@carmabi.org or post it to the address of CARMABI mentioned under the drawing competition. Make sure the envelope is closed properly and mention name, address, telephone number, email address and age under your

answer. From the correct answers we will extract 5 winners who will be able to enjoy a guided snorkel tour by the Marine park manager.

Bank accountsFor donations and sponsoring for this challenging event you can use the following bank accounts:Banco di Caribe: 01-509-242890-01

MCB bank: 22.83.16.06

Please mention the following when transferring your contribution: CARMABI Clear Water Challenge, sponsoring CARMABI foundation.

Carmabi helps Klinika Capriles with the greening of the areas around the patient’s houses (‘Kas Florisol’) on the premises of the institution

Stay tuned for our regular updates concerning the CARMABI Clear Water Challenge 2007

Recently Carmabi planted 20 trees of the West Indian cherry (“shimaruku”) on the premises of the Klinika Capriles (KC). These plants came from Carmabi’s nursery of indigenous plants at Piscaderabaai. The “shimaruku” is one of the plant species with the highest vitamin C content known to man. The planting that took place recently is part of a bigger project that Carmabi has been contracted for by the KC and that entails the planting of a total of 47 trees and 83 shrubs near the section of patients that live a more independent life on the premises of KC (‘Kas Florisol’).

All the 130 plants that will be used are indigenous plants. Carmabi has expertise on the use of indigenous plants for landscaping and reforestation. The purpose that KC wants to meet with the project is that it wants its patients to rehabilitate in a familiar surrounding and involve them in the keeping and watering of the plants. The planted “shimaruku” trees (although still relatively small) have already produced their first fruits which have been enjoyed by the patients and personnel of KC. Persons or organizations interested in contracting Carmabi for landscaping purposes using indigenous plants can contact drs. John de Freitas (freitasj@cura.net) or tel. 4624242 ext. 16.

“The ripe fruits of the ‘Shimaruku’”

“The planting of the first “shima-ruku” tree by André Stoltenborg (facilities manager Klinika Capriles) and John de Freitas.”

6

CARMABI newsA professional jury consisting of the well known artists Annemieke Dicke, Marja Tukker and Ashley Mauricio, will select the five winning drawings. The prizes are complete snorkel sets! Moreover a selection of all the drawings received, will be displayed in the Christoffelpark museum.

Price CompetitionCheck our website at www.carmabi.org and look for the question that has to be answered. Send your answer by email to info@carmabi.org or post it to the address of CARMABI mentioned under the drawing competition. Make sure the envelope is closed properly and mention name, address, telephone number, email address and age under your

answer. From the correct answers we will extract 5 winners who will be able to enjoy a guided snorkel tour by the Marine park manager.

Bank accountsFor donations and sponsoring for this challenging event you can use the following bank accounts:Banco di Caribe: 01-509-242890-01

MCB bank: 22.83.16.06

Please mention the following when transferring your contribution: CARMABI Clear Water Challenge, sponsoring CARMABI foundation.

Carmabi helps Klinika Capriles with the greening of the areas around the patient’s houses (‘Kas Florisol’) on the premises of the institution

Stay tuned for our regular updates concerning the CARMABI Clear Water Challenge 2007

Recently Carmabi planted 20 trees of the West Indian cherry (“shimaruku”) on the premises of the Klinika Capriles (KC). These plants came from Carmabi’s nursery of indigenous plants at Piscaderabaai. The “shimaruku” is one of the plant species with the highest vitamin C content known to man. The planting that took place recently is part of a bigger project that Carmabi has been contracted for by the KC and that entails the planting of a total of 47 trees and 83 shrubs near the section of patients that live a more independent life on the premises of KC (‘Kas Florisol’).

All the 130 plants that will be used are indigenous plants. Carmabi has expertise on the use of indigenous plants for landscaping and reforestation. The purpose that KC wants to meet with the project is that it wants its patients to rehabilitate in a familiar surrounding and involve them in the keeping and watering of the plants. The planted “shimaruku” trees (although still relatively small) have already produced their first fruits which have been enjoyed by the patients and personnel of KC. Persons or organizations interested in contracting Carmabi for landscaping purposes using indigenous plants can contact drs. John de Freitas (freitasj@cura.net) or tel. 4624242 ext. 16.

“The ripe fruits of the ‘Shimaruku’”

“The planting of the first “shima-ruku” tree by André Stoltenborg (facilities manager Klinika Capriles) and John de Freitas.”

7

CARMABI newsNew members on the CARMABI board

Miguel Goede was born in Para-maribo, Surinam, but spent most of his later youth in Curaçao. He took an early interest in the fields of psychology and sociol-ogy and in how to achieve results with people. In 1987 he earned a master’s degree in political sci-ence and public administration (University of Nijmegen) while in 2005 he earned a doctorate in public administration and man-agement from the University of Tilburg. He and his wife Graciela have two children (Christopher and Stephanie) and run their own consultancy firm. Miguel has a long and diverse carreer in policy and management matters and has served several key functions for the island government of Curaçao since 1987. Today he is a faculty

Peter Bongers joined the board in January 2007 and accepted the function of treasurer starting in June. He was born in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands and took an early interest in nature. As mem-ber of the local scouting he organized and led many hikes and summer camps, also in the surrounding woodlands of the Veluwe. He studied business economics and accountancy at the University of Tilburg and later served in the Dutch army. He and his wife (Myriam) and three children (Bas, Eva and Otto) moved to Curaçao in 1996 where he served as auditor with Ernst

and Young for several years and later became partner of the local partnership. Seeking a new chal-lenge, in 2005 he accepted the function of Chief Financial Officer of Maduro & Curiel’s Bank N.V. As of 1999 Peter has also been active for the Albert Schweitzer school: first as treasurer of the ‘oudercommissie’ and as from 2002 as treasurer of the ‘Books-fund’. Peter has immediately immersed himself in administration matters of Carmabi and is intensively coaching the staff and personnel in their efforts to upgrade this aspect of the organization.

member of the University of the Netherlands Antilles where he among others serves as program coordinator for the program in Public Administration and Gen-eral Management. Has been executing multiple projects in the Netherlands Antilles in such fields as interim management, writing business plans, change manage-ment, Governmental organization subjects, leadership, and tourism awareness and has authored more than 17 books, articles and scien-tific reports and studies on related subjects. He joined the Carmabi board in January 2007. During an informal Carmabi new year’s re-ception on January 12, he gave an inspiring presentation on change management to the Carmabi staff and board.

During the first three quarters of 2007 we welcomed four new members to the Carmabi board. In chronological order of their acceptance of board membership these are Peter Bongers, Miguel Goede, Jeffrey Sybesma and Dito Abbad, all four of whom are well-known and respected members of the local community. We thank them all for their willingness to serve on the board and are delighted to literally have them “on board”.

Peter Bongers, Msc. RA CIA CFSA

Miguel Goede, Msc., Dr.

8

Jeffrey Sybesma was born in Jakarta, Indonesia but spent most of his youth in Curaçao. He at-tended high school at the Maria Immaculata Lyceum (MIL) in Willemstad and studied biology at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, specializing in marine biology. After serving in the Dutch armed forces he re-turned to Curaçao in 1983 to serve as the manager of the Curaçao Marine Park and as scientific staff member of Carmabi. In 1992 he accepted a policy function in the Department of Public Health and Hygiene of the Netherlands Antilles. In 1996 he completed a law degree at the University of the

Netherlands Antilles (UNA) and in 1998 accepted a faculty posi-tion in the law school there, where he served as Dean in 2000. As of 2001 he works as head of the legal department of the Central Bank of the Netherlands Antilles. Up to this day he continues as guest lecturer at the UNA and is chairman of the board of the law journal Stichting Tijdschrift Antil-liaans Recht-Justicia. Throughout his career he has published dozens of scholarly studies and articles on topics relating to marine biology and natural resources legislation. He is married to Verna Garmes with whom he raises his step-daughter Shakira.

Jeff Sybesma, Mr. Msc. LLM.

Dito Abbad was born in Curaçao and spent his childhood in post-war Willemstad. He graduated with a masters de-gree in engineering from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands in 1971, and returned to Curaçao to work as an archi-tect, urban designer and develop-ment planner. Dito took an early interest in nature. His first principal assign-ment for his studies at Delft was a plan recommending Savonet as a national park. The project was conducted under auspices of the Curaçao Service of Public Works (DOW) and Carmabi associ-ate and conservationist, Dr. Jan Westermann, and gave critical impetus towards the ultimate gov-ernment purchase of the Savonet plantation from the Schotborgh family and its opening as a nature

park in 1978. He is co-founder of PLAN’D2, Institute for Plan-ning, Development & Design with offices in Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten and works as a lead consultant in projects on regional planning, strategic planning stud-ies, urban design and planning and architecture. At times he also serves as manager of interdisci-plinary research and design teams. His specific fields of expertise include insular development plan-ning, coaching of government agencies, conservation policy studies, development and urban master planning and urban and architectural design. Since 1973 he has been active in community advocacy and interest groups, and since 1989 in environ-mental organizations. Dito is mar-ried and has three adult children.

Dito Abbad, Ir.

New members on the CARMABI board (continued)

Farewell to two retiring boardmembers in 2007Two board member retired from their function this year. These are Percy Virginia, attorney at law and director of Banco di Caribe. who served for five years in the function of Treasurer and board member Mrs. Joke Curiel, attorney at law. We thank them for their support and efforts on behalf of Carmabi. Both pledged to continue supporting the foundation behind the scenes. A sincere thanks for your years of input!!

CARMABI news

9

CARMABI news

S.E.L. Maduro & Sons (Curaçao) N.V.

Sponsors

Several companies sponsored CARMABI during the past months for all sorts of projects and general pur-poses.Here is a list of those who contributed to sustainable management of our natural resources:

DVB Bank America N.V.

The Curaçao Marine Park is standing on the verge of big changes. To start everything off, it is important to reestablish the basic infrastructure in the Marine park. The sponsoring of the DVB Bank America N.V., represented by mr. Bote de Vries, will be 30 new mooring buoys for the different dive sites in the Marine Park. With their more than generous donation of Nafl. 9750 the mooring buoys can be purchased and deployed. Mooring buoys are very important to avoid mechanical damage to the coral reef caused by boat anchors. During the last few years the mooring system was not kept in the most adequate condition. With this financial injection we are able to reinstate this important protective measure. We hereby sincerely thank mr. de Vries and the DVB Bank America N.V. for their valuable contribiution to the protection of our coral reefs.

The S.E.L. Maduro & Sons (Curaçao) N.V. represented by mr. Hugo Meyer is the sole sponsor of CARMABI’s new lecture room for the Visitors Center in the first floor. The company generously donated Nafl. 6,938.25 for the entire project. Read more about this educational center on page 4 in “Meet the new lecture room”. CARMABI would like to express its gratitude for this wonderful contribution. Thanks to S.E.L. Maduro & Sons (Curaçao) N.V. we do not only have a classroom but also a well prepared educational room in which we can organize courses like we did with our most recent Marine Biology Course and Mariculture course (during the summer), and offer presentations and lectures by our staff, visiting scientists and associate researchers of the institute; most recently the presentation in August by Dr. Sophie Petit about the importance of bats and cacti.

HICC office Furniture

A lecture room needs furniture and chairs are particularly important. We would like to thank HICC Office Furniture for their very generous discount of Nafl. 1125 on the chairs that we bought from them.

Truus and Daan Rijkers

The Adopt a tree project is still going strong and several people find the way to this project to give a hand and help our reforestation efforts. Mrs. and Mr. Truus and Daan Rijkers are also giving a hand by adopting 3 rare native trees which are to be planted in October when the rainy season is in full swing, in this way guaranteeing a good start for the plants. Thank you very much for your contribution!

Stichting Sinkuentenario ABN AMRO Trust

We have great news. De Stichting Sinkuentenario ABN AMRO Trust (a foundation), sponsored the CARMABI foundation with a fantastic amount of NAF. 25.000 last August. Now that CARMABI is working very hard to upgrade the laboratory facilities, develop study and lesson rooms and of course the introduction of the Curaçao Marine Park Visitor Center, this incredible sponsoring will assist in these efforts. Thanks to this we can make an effective start to transfer knowledge about coral reefs to the public through different kinds of methods. And with the equipment we can sustain several research projects by visiting scientists, work that never finishes and is important to increase our understanding about our sea’s ecosystems. It therefore is indeed a sustainable contribution to our institute. We therefore thank the Stichting Sinkuentenario ABN AMRO Trust very very much for their incredible support and we wish to particularly thank mr. Gosse de Vries (from Equity Trust) and mr. Pim van der Burg (from FirstCaribbean Bank), respectively the chairman and secretary of this foundation.

CARMABI news

10

CARMABI newsHurricane readiness

The Carmabi institute represents more than 50 years of investment in materials references, equipment, resources and scientific infrastructure, much of it donated. As such it is important to protect the totality from potential natural calamities such as hurricanes. On Friday the 31st of August it had become clear that hurricane Felix (category 1 but growing rapidly in strength) was heading more or less straight to the the Leeward Dutch islands and precautionary measures were called for. On Saturday, September 1st Stanley Criens and son Rainier and Dolfi with son Ingvar spent 4 hours hammering boards, taping windows, moving

valuable equipment to safe rooms and putting loose items in wind-protected areas. On Friday the boats had already been moved into the sheltered Piscadera Bay and heavy tree branches that could cause structural damage to the building had been sawed down. On the morning of Sunday, September the 2nd Felix passed the island at short distance but fortunately left the island unscathed. Recent years have seen several close calls on hurricanes menacing Curaçao and in the near future Carmabi will come with measures to reduce its vulnerability to hurricane damage, including the development of a hurricane protocol.

Ingvar Debrot showing some of the prepara-tions he helped with in an effort to ready the institute for the fast-approaching hurricane

Felix (Saturday, 1 September, 2007).

Upgrading Administrative capacityA properly functioning administration is vital to any organization. To this end several measures have been taken this year to reinforce the organization’s administrative capabilities. Purchases were made of a new laptop and scanner for the administration. New Exact Globe software was purchased and our administrator Ella

received two days of training in its use. Janie de Windt was taken into temporary service as an administrative assistant to help reduce some of the administrative backlog. She will be with us for at least several more months. Next on schedule will be to purchase and install internal network capabilities and a program for the administration of fixed assets

(E-Activa). Special thanks go to treasurer Peter Bongers for quite intensively coaching the administration towards more effective procedures and for helping to implement measures previously recommended by our auditors. He has spent many hours together with the administration towards streamlining working and reporting procedures.

Summer workshops have met their expectationsCarmabi’s academic program together with the UNA, opened in July 2007 with a one-week workshop on Mariculture and a ten-day workshop on Tropical Marine Biology and Environment. Interest in the workshops came from the USA, Japan, Europe, Caribbean countries and Curaçao. The two workshops were lead by top scientists and both workshops were accredited by UNA.

The workshop SUSTAINABLE MARICULTURE of FISH & CRUSTACEANS was instructed by Prof. Dr. Sheenan Harpaz from Israel. This workshop aimed at understanding the interactions between mariculture and the environment in a manner that will help the protection of tropical marine ecosystems while enabling the production of fish and crustaceans. Issues addressed

were sustainable mariculture methods, feed inputs and proper feed utilization to reduce costs and reduce environmental impacts. Participants in the workshop included people from government services, the private sector and NGO sector in Curaçao.The workshop MARINE BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT was instructed by Dr. Sean Lema from the

11

CARMABI news

For the last two years, including several times as recent as September 2007, a number of the rare scaly-naped pigeon have been seen during the early morning hours in the tall manchineel trees at the institute at Piscadera Bay. The scaly-naped pigeon, Columba squamosa, is locally known as the blauwduif. The bird is very rare in Curaçao but this may be changing. A growing number of recent sightings by Dr. Debrot in wood lots near residential areas

such as Julianadorp, De Savaan, the Kura Hulanda hotel grounds at Playa Kalki, and even one sighting each at Girouette and Seru Domi are interpreted as a positive sign heralding a gradual recovery of the species on the island. The blauwduif is a pigeon that is quite wary, especially during nesting, and depends principally on native wild berries for food. As agricultural activities have drastically decreased in recent decades (grazing and

USA. The workshop was an intensive introductory program on tropical marine biology and covered aspects of the physical properties of tropical marine systems, coastal ecosystems (coral reefs, sea grass habitats and mangroves), reef fishes (ecology and behavior), environmental impacts and conservation, and field survey methods. Participants in the workshop included students

of the UNA and local high schools, Columbia University (USA), national park staff from STINAPA-Bonaire, and local government agencies. The workshops, their syllabi, organization, learning conditions and instructors were highly scored by the combined total of 21 participants. While the courses were run at a net financial loss to Carmabi, they did signify a

great and encouraging kick-off for the academic and vocational training program. In 2007 and 2008 Carmabi will conduct and facilitate at least two courses of the University of Illinois, as well as workshops on such topics as Marine Biology and Ecology, Mariculture, Aquaculture Development Planning and Water Management in Semi-Arid Areas.

Summer workshops have met their expectations (continued)

Regular sightings of the rare scaly-naped pigeon at Carmabithe felling of trees), woodlands around the island have been gradually recovering. Recent decades have also seen hunting for sport decline precipitously as environmental consciousness has grown. These are probably the reasons underlying the apparent comeback of this species. This is good news considering the fact that the species has already been extirpated on Aruba in the 1950s due to a combination of hunting and habitat loss due to deforestation.

A Blauwduif (Columba squamosa) sitting on top of one of the Machineel trees

on the CARMABI premises at Piscaderabay.

Note the fiery red patch around the bill and the red naked skin around the eyes

that give the bird a particular look. The slade-blue hue on

the feathercoat are reason for the name.

Picture by mr. Drs. L Pors

11

CARMABI news

For the last two years, including several times as recent as September 2007, a number of the rare scaly-naped pigeon have been seen during the early morning hours in the tall manchineel trees at the institute at Piscadera Bay. The scaly-naped pigeon, Columba squamosa, is locally known as the blauwduif. The bird is very rare in Curaçao but this may be changing. A growing number of recent sightings by Dr. Debrot in wood lots near residential areas

such as Julianadorp, De Savaan, the Kura Hulanda hotel grounds at Playa Kalki, and even one sighting each at Girouette and Seru Domi are interpreted as a positive sign heralding a gradual recovery of the species on the island. The blauwduif is a pigeon that is quite wary, especially during nesting, and depends principally on native wild berries for food. As agricultural activities have drastically decreased in recent decades (grazing and

USA. The workshop was an intensive introductory program on tropical marine biology and covered aspects of the physical properties of tropical marine systems, coastal ecosystems (coral reefs, sea grass habitats and mangroves), reef fishes (ecology and behavior), environmental impacts and conservation, and field survey methods. Participants in the workshop included students

of the UNA and local high schools, Columbia University (USA), national park staff from STINAPA-Bonaire, and local government agencies. The workshops, their syllabi, organization, learning conditions and instructors were highly scored by the combined total of 21 participants. While the courses were run at a net financial loss to Carmabi, they did signify a

great and encouraging kick-off for the academic and vocational training program. In 2007 and 2008 Carmabi will conduct and facilitate at least two courses of the University of Illinois, as well as workshops on such topics as Marine Biology and Ecology, Mariculture, Aquaculture Development Planning and Water Management in Semi-Arid Areas.

Summer workshops have met their expectations (continued)

Regular sightings of the rare scaly-naped pigeon at Carmabithe felling of trees), woodlands around the island have been gradually recovering. Recent decades have also seen hunting for sport decline precipitously as environmental consciousness has grown. These are probably the reasons underlying the apparent comeback of this species. This is good news considering the fact that the species has already been extirpated on Aruba in the 1950s due to a combination of hunting and habitat loss due to deforestation.

A Blauwduif (Columba squamosa) sitting on top of one of the Machineel trees

on the CARMABI premises at Piscaderabay.

Note the fiery red patch around the bill and the red naked skin around the eyes

that give the bird a particular look. The slade-blue hue on

the feathercoat are reason for the name.

Picture by mr. Drs. L Pors

12

Christoffel cornerChristoffelpark in Brazilian magazine

The Christoffelpark received very nice coverage in the Brazilian nature-oriented glossy magazine named Terra da Gente. The article was written and photographed by mr. Haroldo Castro, who visited the park last March. Together with mr. Leon Pors, mrs. Michelle da Costa Gomez and mr. Cyrill Kooistra he explored the diverse locations in the park and joined us on a Deer Spotting Sunset Tour. Although we searched for over three hours we only saw one deer in the dark when going back to the entrance. This did not provide a very good photo opportunity so in stead Haroldo used one of the most popular pictures by Leon Pors of the white tailed deer with twins.

Haroldo was particularly interested in the historical part of Savonet and this, together with spectacular pictures formed an important part in his article. The next day mr. Castro joined us on a tour trough the southern part of the park, climbing the Christoffel mountain in search of wild orchids and birds. Haroldo is off to other foreign places, of which Tibet is the most recent, to report stories and share photographs of beautiful cultures and nature. Are you interested in reading about his adventures, than take a look at his blog at http://viajologia.globolog.com.br/ It is in Portuguese!

Christoffelpark Activities in September and October

Our activities plan for the months of September and October is set. Take a look at the list below for full moon walks, camping days, morning walks and family excursions. For more information about these activi-ties you can contact mr. Cyrill Kooistra at c.kooistra@carmabi.org. Or join the mailing list to get regular updates!

Date Activity price p.p. in Naf Time Including

September 22 Full Moon Walk Adults 15,00/ kids 10,00

19.00 hrs Drink and snack

September 30 Tourism Open House

All locals get a discount. Several guided tours!

from 06.00 hrs Ask at the front desk for info about guided tours!

October 7 and 8 Survival morning for kids ages 4-15

10,00 09.00-13.00 hrs

Drink

October 10 and 11

Survival morning for ages 15 and up

10,00 09.00-1300 hrs

Drink

October 12 Savonet history tours (hiking)

Only entrance fee 08.30 and 11.00 hrs

with guide

Camping facilities 17.50 Catering possible

**Price for camp-ing is calculated in accordance to services provided

13

Christoffel corner

Museum Savonet... an updateAgain, an important step forwards has been taken in the process of implementing the Savonet museum. We now know pretty well what will be included in the museum and how. In July, Felix the Rooy and René Wissink of the “designers team” chose Rancho El Sobrino at Westpunt as their base for this phase. It became the brain centre for the analysis of historical and natural data and the preparation of the long term vision for the Savonet museum. Mr. Stefan van Raay, director of the Pallant House Gallery in England, assisted us with his priceless experience and suggestions. He made us realise how huge the scope will be and needs to be for a living and sustainable museum implementation.

Just after they flew back to their respective homes we received a set of very flashy design maps. Clearly, René and Felix are on mental “steroids”. These maps provide also the information that Techcon, the group responsible for the planning of the restoration process, needed in order to finalize their preparatory work.So, we are on track and the plans are huge and fascinating! A lot of work is in order, though: video recordings of oral history, reconstruction of a number of skeletons, pictures and sounds of birds and bats, and

so forth need to be prepared in the months to come. It will be fun!Felix and René will be back around the end of November for more detailed work. We will keep you posted on their (and our) progress.

Birds-eye view of the complex

Opening Hours CHRISTOFFELPARK

Monday- Saturday7.30 AM -16.00 PM (no admittance after 14.30 PM)

Sunday6.00 AM - 15.00 PM (no admittance after 13.30 PM)

New interns in ChristoffelparkThere are some new faces walking around in the Christoffelpark. Two interns are visiting us from the Netherlands to assist us in the activities and events organisation and the PR of the park. Evert Prins is visiting us from the HAS Den Bosch en works side by side with Cyrill Kooistra, the activities and events coordinator in the park, focussing on the development of new activities and schedules for the coming periods. Besides this job Evert is working on a client survey to get some insight in the motivations of our visitors and their opinion of the services provided. With just a couple of

weeks of joining the team Evert is already fully integrated in our team. Besides Evert, we have an intern from the Hogeschool INHOLLAND in Diemen. Dinotra Andrade Costa will be assisting us with the general PR and marketing work for the park and CARMABI in general. She will be assisting for example with the CARMABI Clear Water Challenge. As part of her internship she will be working on a PR and marketing strategy for the months that the Savonet restauration will take place. We wish you both succes and welcome to our team.

“Evert working at the CARMABI offices.”

Raindrops work their magic

14

Christoffel corner

Just a few drops of rain can make a huge diffence in the overall ap-pearance of the Christoffelpark. A couple of weeks ago the flora and fauna were still suffering from the drought. A large part of the trees and plants lost their leaves and flowers and fruits were very scarce. The rain showers that drenched the island in August and September changed everything with the full charm that our nature has. Just a few drops of the precious water make all plants go in overdrive. In a record time all plants have leaves and start flowering and fruiting. All with the main goal to reproduce as fast as possible before the water dries up, the ground dries in, and the heavenly circumstances cease to exist. Of course this dramatic display of nature gives visitors spectacular views of colorful flowers and mysterious appearances of fungi in all colors of the rainbow. Naturally the several fruits that appear are delicious treats for all kinds of birds and other animals. It is a common sight now to see Tropical Mockingbirds eat all they can get and groups of Banaquits and other birds feasting on the Vitamin C rich lucious red shimaruku fruits (see page 6 for a picture). Cottontails and White-tailed deer enjoy the sometimes succulent fungi that grow in moist areas. During hikes you will often see fungi with clear bite marks of these species. Other animals that are re-apearing are several species of crabs which are on the move in search of partners. During the dry periods these animals hide in holes that they dig themselves with their

legs and pincers in soft moist earth. These places stay cool and moist even when the ground starts drying up. With all the moisture, insects thrive too. Much to the delight of insect eating animals like the Big Grey Flycather which gives spectacular air performances while hunting and catching the flying insects. And now that there is plenty of food, the Flycatchers start showing off to each other to attract females to mate. If you observe closely you can see the aerial acrobatics the males perform in order to impress the females. Of course the mating season is a very nice season to observe nature, and if you watch carefully you can see all kinds of fights, dances, flirtings and seductions taking place all over the place, wether it is birds, insects or mammals. Of course the best time to see these all happenings is in the mornings when it is still cool. Our different hiking trails in the park give plenty of opportunities to spot flora and fauna and observe the interactions that take place. A photo camera and binoculars are no luxury. Be sure to catch this short luscious period, for the dry season will be back way too soon. If you want to visit the park with the assistance of a guide, please call and make your reservations. Hiking or exploring the park safari-style with one of our trained guides makes the experience all the more pleasant and interesting. Call (5999)864-0363 for your reservations or email info@carmabi.org after you have taken a look at the regular activities we organize in the park on www.carmabi.org.

“Christoffel mountain with a green coat of vegetation just after the first rains.”

“This Lantana species gives bright flashes of color everywhere in the park. Hummingbirds

love these flowers and visit them often.”

“One of the several species of fungi that appear in the park after rainshowers. Little is known still about the existing species on

the island and their ecological relationships. A simple count on a moist day gave us about 40 different variations in the Christoffelpark

alone. An astounding number! This particular one is very interesting because of the obvious bite marks of presumably a

White-tailed deer.”

“An example of the CARMABI badges for personnel.”

15

Education/ CARMABI newsNews in a flash!

EDUCATION

- Our educational semi-volunteers are on the road again to visit all the primary schools on the islands to give them the opportunity to participate in our educational programs. Mrs. Retty Schoop en mrs. Sonaly Rijnschot are driving all over the island to handle everything with a personal touch. If all goes well, all schools will be registered by the third week of September, when our programs start.

- However, there is some sad news, since we lost three very good semi- volunteers in the summer. • Mrs. Yvette Albertus had to stop guiding classes in the park beacause of medical reasons. We sincerely hope all goes well with her health and that she will be joining us back soon. • Mrs. Sharline Jamanika left our team to start an exciting new full time job. We wish her all the best with the new challenge. • Mrs. Lara de Jonge, who was helping us with the development of educational materials also left us to start a new job. We would like to wish her all the best with her new challenges.

CARMABI NEWS

- A fair amount of our visitors have trouble finding us. But now it is very easy to find the CARMABI offices. Since a couple of months there are new signs on the main road that shows the way to hotels and other pints of interest. These signs, at three locations along the mainroads, together with the sign that we placed ourselves makes it a lot easier for visitors to track us down.

- All the CARMABI and Christoffelpark Personnel wear identification badges as of this summer. The project started in the Christoffelpark. It gives visitors the opportunity to clearly identify rangers and other employees of the park, to know their names and approach them with questions or requests for information. The next step was the production of badges for the personnel of the CARMABI offices at Piscaderabay. This is especially handy when giving presentations or talks, to make identification easier. The next step will be the introduction of badges for the board of CARMABI.

- New products for sale at CARMABI and Christoffelpark. Our new collection of T-shirts, shorts, duffelbags and caps are in and we have some nice new additions to our regular collection. New are the t-shirts for kids with a beautiful portrait of a family of white-tailed deer, painted by Mr. Peter van der Wolf. Other new additions, are the strong canvas duffelbags and the cheerleader shorts. Stay tuned for our online catalog which can be seen at www.carmabi.org. The products can be bought at the CARMABI offices and at the Christoffelpark. The catalogue will be online as soon as possible.

“The Duffelbag in the new collection.”

“The new signs.”

New CARMABI outdoor

apparelShorts

TopsCaps

Bags

T s,

Buy yours now!!!!