Expert Team Supports Statia’s Nature Conservation Through Vegetation Monitoring in Boven National Park

ORANJESTAD - Earlier this month, botanists from Wageningen University and Research (WUR) visited Sint Eustatius to support local conservationists with a vegetation assessment in Boven National Park. The goal was to establish a baseline and train the local team to monitor nature recovery in the long term.

The baseline is essential to evaluate whether invasive species control is working and whether native flora is recovering. Native birds and bats depend on this vegetation, while greater species diversity strengthens the island’s resilience against climate change.

A key challenge is the lack of young saplings, as seedlings are frequently consumed by invasive species, threatening long-term forest survival. The programme therefore maps how invasive species removal influences the regrowth of new trees. The WUR team also included a specialist with roots in Curaçao, bringing valuable Caribbean-specific expertise to the project.