From left: Arno Verhoeven (DCNA Director), Erik Matroos (financial expert), Jaime Saleh (patron), Paul Stokkermans (CARMABI Curaçao), Ron van der Veer (governance expert), Hellen van der Wal (DCNA Chairperson), Kai Wulf (Saba Conservation Foundation), Norman Kuíperi (Treasurer, financial expert), Erik Boman (DCNA Vice Chair, STENAPA St. Eustatius) and Leslie Hickerson (Nature Foundation St. Maarten).
BONAIRE--Last week, Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) hosted its biannual board meeting on Bonaire.
The DCNA board meeting provided an important platform for discussing and strategising the most effective ways to support protected area management organisations (parks) in the Dutch Caribbean and exchanging knowledge and experiences. With a united voice the DCNA aims to safeguard nature throughout the region.
The DCNA is a non-profit conservation network which provides support to the parks of all six islands of the Dutch Caribbean. The DCNA board meeting created an important opportunity for each of the parks to collaborate, share resources and exchange information and ideas. By working together, each island can learn from the other islands, maximising their successes and learning from the more challenging experiences.
Critical components discussed during the board meeting were the DCNA 2030 strategy, the disbursement of the DCNA Conservation Trust Fund and fundraising strategy. In the coming years, DCNA will increase its fundraising efforts to secure sustainable sources of funding for nature conservation. During the meeting DCNA’s first draft of its project portfolio was presented, based on project wishes by the parks, which will help search for targeted project funding.
Furthermore, updates were provided by the Secretariat and DCNA working groups set up to improve research and monitoring efforts and youth participation.
Presentations were given by major donor Blue Marine Foundation, World Wildlife Fund – The Netherlands (WWF-NL) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality LNV. Aside from conservation managers and the various experts of the DCNA board, these organisations joined as observers together with BirdLife Netherlands.
On the last day of the board meeting, the participants went on a field trip with the Mangrove Maniacs. They learned about the impressive mangrove restoration work of Mangrove Maniacs in Lac Bay and helped with widening a channel. Valuable lessons were learned and are being taken back to the other Dutch Caribbean islands.
The next DCNA Board Meeting is planned for April 12-16, 2023, on St. Eustatius.
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