BONAIRE/SABA--The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) has allocated more than US $670,000 to four nature restoration projects on Bonaire and Saba through the first grant round of its Conservation & Restoration of Key Habitats Program.
Three projects will be carried out on Bonaire and one on Saba, focusing on the restoration and protection of mangroves, tropical dry forest, coastal areas and cloud forest. The projects mark the first implementation of the regional Key Habitats Program through specific restoration initiatives on the islands.
Launched in 2025, the Key Habitats Program is DCNA’s long-term regional initiative for protecting and restoring important ecosystems. Nature organizations from all six islands were eligible to submit proposals for the first funding round.
The projects selected for Bonaire include Mangrove Maniacs’ “Healthy Mangroves for a Climate Resilient Bonaire,” which will focus on restoring mangroves around Lac Bay while addressing water flow, erosion and sedimentation and supporting restoration of tropical dry forest upstream.
BonBèrdè will carry out its “Strategic Fencing for Lac Coastal Protection” project, installing 825 meters of fencing to help protect approximately 160 hectares of tropical dry forest and coastal habitat around Lac Bay. The project will also connect existing protected areas, creating a continuous natural landscape of almost 600 hectares.
STINAPA’s “Rewilding Washington” project will restore approximately 175 hectares of tropical dry forest in Washington Slagbaai National Park. The work is intended to improve conditions for native vegetation and allow the forest to recover naturally, while strengthening habitat for plants and wildlife.
On Saba, the Saba Conservation Foundation will restore between three and five hectares of cloud forest through its “Strengthening Climate Resilience of Saba’s Forest Ecosystems” project. Activities will include removing invasive plants, replanting native species and monitoring the recovery of the forest ecosystem.
The first funding round focuses on reducing the impact of free-roaming livestock and strengthening the ability of ecosystems to withstand the effects of climate change.
DCNA said the four projects represent the beginning of a multi-year regional effort, with additional grant rounds planned in the coming years and organizations from all six islands expected to remain eligible to submit projects.
DCNA Director Arno Verhoeven said the Key Habitats Program brings the six islands together under a shared regional plan with measurable nature conservation and restoration goals extending to 2100.
The program is supported by the Postcode Loterij, with additional funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies and WWF-NL.
