~ Drawing competition, deadline on Friday ~
There’s a brand new, free, online nature magazine for kids ages 9-11. It was made especially to spark your curiosity and teach you all about the amazing nature found all around us, on all six Dutch Caribbean islands: St. Maarten, Saba, Statia, Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba! The first edition of Bionews Kids is already available.
Bionews Kids will teach you all about the natural environment, from the hills, to the beach, to your own backyard. It includes activities such as colouring pages, a beach journal, and puzzles.
The main theme of the first issue is the marine environment. You can read all about coral reefs, tidepools and mangroves that are specific to some of the islands, and about many creatures that you may or may not already be familiar with. In this first edition, you’ll also meet the magazine’s mascot, Tara the Turtle.
If you love nature, and love to draw, you’ll be happy to hear that Bionews Kids is hosting a drawing competition with the theme “Why I love the ocean and why I want to protect it”. Submit your Ocean-themed drawing online or in-person. The chosen drawing will be featured in the next Bionews Kids magazine!
The contest is open to kids ages 9-11, on all the Dutch islands. When submitting, you’ll include your contact information, a title for your drawing, and a short explanation about why you love the ocean, and why you want to protect it. The deadline is upcoming Friday, March 18 – so don’t delay! The winner will be announced on the website of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) and its social media accounts by April 1.
Bionews Kids is a publication made by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA), which is the parent organisation of the protected area management organisations in all the Dutch Caribbean islands. Hard (printed) copies are available at each organisation. The magazine is available in English, Dutch and Papiamento (Papiamentu). It is an offshoot of Bionews, a free monthly digital newsletter that gives updates on the latest nature news with a focus on research and monitoring, events, and general activities.
Ask an adult to help you, and visit dcnanature.org/bionews-kids to access the magazine. Scroll down and click “English” and the full PDF file will pop up (or chose another language). On this same link, you can upload your drawing for the competition.
To get a printed version of Bionews Kids, or to submit a drawing for the competition in person, visit the local organisation on your island. For readers of the KIDS Herald, that’s:
* Nature Foundation St. Maarten, in Cole Bay (weekdays from 9:00am to 4:00pm).
* Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) in Fort Bay (weekdays from 8:00am to 4:00pm).
* St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation STENAPA, on Oranjebaaiweg (weekdays from 7:00am to 5:00pm).
