Archive for June, 2010

Palynological Study Shows Aruba was Greener and Quite Wet 400 Years Ago

Aruba was greener and definitely much more humid 400 years ago, before the arrival of the first European. That is the conclusion of Biologist Kees Nooren, who completed a palynological study here on behalf of the Aruba national park, Arikok. Palynology is the study of pollen, grains and spores, as well as other organic microfossils. Nooren conducted his investigation in the park, but particularly at the Spanish Lagoon area where he extracted fossilized spores and pollen from the ground, taking him back thousands of years.

The pollen and spores he collected were later analyzed at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and showed that Aruba’s vegetation was different as compared to how it is now, and similar to what can be found in Puerto Rico and the Windward Islands. For instance, there were a total of seven different species of ferns growing here, including a fern tree.

The study took two years and was financed by the Prins Bernhard Fund, and illustrates the vegetation history of Aruba. According to the results, Aruba’s vegetation was able to flourish without human intervention until some 6,500 years ago. That is when the study first showed human presence near the Spanish Lagoon and at other sites. That was also when the first fruit plant was introduced to the Aruba. However, the impact of humans was minimal.

Some 1,000 years ago, the island was lush, with enough rain to support a growing po­pulation. But things changed upon the arrival of Europeans, first the Spaniards, then the Dutch. With lack of minerals, the only valuable resource on the island was wood of the trees. A drastic deforestation took place on Aruba and according to biologist Nooren, this had an impact on the soil and eventually on the rainfall. The erosion of soil made it difficult for the vegetation to restore quickly. Even though no similar studies were conducted in the region, it can be assumed that similar activities took place in the nearby islands and the northern coast of South America, and thus also impacted the weather pattern.

Regeneration was also hampered by the aloe industry that took root in particularly the 19th century. Most of the fields were cleared for aloe plantations and thus, trees did not have the opportunity to regenerate.

But the news is not all bad. Nooren showed pictures of the area surrounding the Spanish Lagoon of some 100 years ago. The hills were relatively barren without tall growth. Nowadays, comparative photos show that the mangroves in the lagoon itself are more abundant, while the area, including the Frenchmen’s Pass has large, overgrown trees. Nooren attributes this to the diminished importance of aloe for the island’s economy and thus open fields were able to regenerate. The vegetation consists now of secondary, fast growing plants and trees, particularly the thorny acacia tree, Hubada.

Kees Nooren believes this is a good thing, as these ‘sca­vengers’ will help contribute to soil generation which eventually will enable local plants, who are under the threat of extinction, to regenerate. In fact, Nooren points out the existence of young saplings, indicating the success of the survival of some of the endemic trees.

The national park considers the study of high importance in light of its reforestation project. The results of the study make it clear what directions to take, and how the process should take place to ensure success. Arikok National Park spokesperson Jimmy Mijer says there are also plans to re- introduce the Aruba parrot in the wild, but before that happens, “we have to make sure the animal will be able to find its food in the wild.” And the reforestation project will contribute to that.

The next step is to safeguard Spanish Lagoon. The wetland area is of utmost value for the ecosystem on Aruba and has yet to enjoy legal protection here, even though it resorts under the Ramsar Wet­land Treaty. The intention is for the Spanish Lagoon to resort under management of Parke Nacional Arikok.

For more information about Arikok National Park click here.

Mangrove plants

With some of the best beaches and natural attractions in the Caribbean, Aruba is undergoing a strong campaign of maintaining the island’s cleanliness and preserving its beaches and reefs through a series of yearly events. Aruba’s largest event of this kind, the annual Reef Care Project, is a volunteer event in which locals and tourists gather to clean the underwater sites and the island’s beaches. The event takes place July 3- 4, 2010, along the coast from Baby Beach all the way north to Arashi Beach beyond the highrise hotels.

Each year, more than 40,000 divers explore Aruba’s pristine waters and over one million vacationers come to Aruba to enjoy its white-sand beaches and natural attractions.

Therefore, the island places a high value on protecting and preserving its marine environment. This project, along with other island-wide environmental initiatives, celebrates the efforts being made to ensure that locals and tourists alike can continue to enjoy Aruba’s picturesque beaches and turquoise waters for years to come.

Apart from the yearly Reef Care Project, Aruba is closely undertaking a series of environmental initiatives which help contribute to a green island, as part of a larger Sustainable Economic Development program. The reforestation of Arikok National Park is underway, with the planting of native fruit trees to re-populate the flora and fauna. A vast majority of Aruba’s beaches are part of a $6 million dollar project to receive the ‘Blue Flag’ certification, with phase one already completed and the beaches of Arahi, Baby Beach and Mangel Halto to be certified this year.

“The Aruba Reef Care Project is an ambitious and successful environmental program that has been supported by the Aruba Tourism Authority all along,” said Gina Lopez, PR director for the Aruba Tourism Authority. “A continuous celebration for the past 17 years, the project attracts over 800 volunteers, placing this awareness campaign amongst the top largest ecological initiatives in the Caribbean.”

The Aruba Reef Care Project started as an initiative to raise awareness of the island’s precious marine environment and the importance of its protection. This annual event encourages tourists to visit or re-visit the island and participate in the project helping to clean Aruba’s reefs and beaches.

For more information about the Aruba Reef Care Project, please visit online at www.aruba.com.

Recently, a delegation of the Women’s Club of Aruba returned from the U.S.A. with very pleasant news. Their ‘Medio Ambiente goes to school’ project won the first prize of the International Community Project contest, at the Annual Convention of General Federation of Women’s Club in Omaha, Nebraska.

The project was organized last year by the Children/Environment committee, with its chairwoman Ursly Silberie and the Stimaruba organization.

The project originated from the preoccupation, which Stimaruba shared with this committee. An investigation at the different schools on Aruba was done, resulting in a report that shows the large amount of waste that is produced by the school children who bring sandwiches and fruits wrapped in wax paper, foil paper, sandwich bags, etc. Not to mention the small juice cartons. By using lunchboxes for bread and fruit and a thermos for juice, all this waste can be avoided. And it is also more economic.

Stimaruba published a poster showing the results of the investigation at the different schools. The Women’s Club Committee also has a jungle/video clip, which was broadcasted for two months on the television and radio stations on Aruba to make parents aware of this project. Also a large amount of lunchboxes and thermos were bought and the committee saw to it that all first graders received their lunchbox to start the new school year.

The Women’s Club of Aruba and Stimaruba would like to thank all their sponsors for their help in achieving their goal: Cede Aruba, Aruba Timeshare Association, Bucuti Beach Resort, AHATA, Casa del Mar, Compra, Valero, radio and television stations. They also want to thank everyone who believed in and gave their support to the project.

We all love Aruba, let’s cooperate to keep in clean and beautiful!