ORANJESTAD – St Eustatius National Parks Foundation, STENAPA, will be hosting a tree planting event on Saturday 25th of November at Zeelandia for ReforeStatia Day.

Stenapa says the community is invited to come and plant trees with friends and family. The activity will both stabilize the soil in areas prone to erosion and beautify the island. The tree planting will take place from 2:00 to 4:30pm and will be followed by a barbecue and drinks to show appreciation to all participants.

Planting trees in Zeelandia will help stabilize the cliff for the future, preventing sediments from washing out into the sea, creating a positive impact on our ocean and Statia’s main sea turtle nesting site. We use cocoons to allow minimal maintenance following the planting by keeping moisture around the tree. During this event, participants will learn about the different species used by the reforestation project in the Zeelandia area and how to plant a tree using a cocoon. The trees and all the necessary equipment will be provided by ReforeStatia along with snacks and drinks for the participants and games for the children during the barbecue.

Beatrice Zampieri, the Reforestation Project Coordinator, said, “We are looking forward to making ‘ReforeStatia Day’ stand for community and action. Each tree planted will remind participants that we can have a positive impact on our environment for our collective benefit, both now and for future generations.”

ReforestStatia is funded by the EU to the tune of €737,165, through the Resilience, Sustainable Energy, and Marine Biodiversity (RESEMBID) programme and implemented in partnership with STENAPA and the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF). The project is designed to enhance St. Eustatius and Saba National Parks Foundations’ and Public Entities’ ability to improve the protection and restoration of the shoreline and other ecologically important areas through reforestation. This will improve the ecosystem services, biodiversity, and economic resilience of the islands.

Resembid

RESEMBID is a 47-project progamme funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France – the development cooperation agency of the Government of France and supports sustainable human development efforts in 12 Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) – Aruba, Anguilla, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Montserrat, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Saint Barthélemy, Sint Maarten and Turks and Caicos.