Marine wildlife – Variegated sea urchin

Sea urchins have a bad reputation, but they are essential to a healthy marine environment including reefs. The Variegated sea urchin is one of several species of sea urchin.

Forests on the semi-arid ABC islands (9) – Sick; swallow a tree!

The active fight of plants against natural attacks, such as predation by insects and other animals, fungi that want to invade and fauna that use parts of the plants, has resulted in a variety of defence mechanisms. Some of these are highly beneficial to human kind.

Forests on the semi-arid ABC islands (8) – Trees under the magnifying glass

If you want a forest, you need trees. Trees are special organisms that are more complex than we often think. The ease with which trees are cut down would be a lot less if we realized how much a tree has had to go through to become as big and wide as we see it.

Island endemics – Bananaquit

Did you know that Curaçao and Aruba share an endemic subspecies of Bananaquit and that Bonaire has its very own endemic subspecies that is somewhat different! Read on for more…

Forests on the semi-arid ABC islands (7) – Local forests under the magnifying glass

Biologically, a distinction is made between different types of vegetation on our islands, and therefore different types of forests. The distinction is closely related to the geological composition of the soil on our small islands.

Wild flowers – Beyisima

One of the most conspicuous flowers you can find almost all over the place on all three islands of Aruba Bonaire and Curaçao is of the invasive plant called Beyisima, Beyísima or Coralita (Antigonon leptopus).

Stewardship vs. Conservation

It happens that someone uses one specific word in a speech which inspires you to write about, and elaborate on that topic. This time it is the word stewardship. In a world where there exists a deafening cry for nature conservation it is important to reflect on what certain terminology actually implies.

Forests on the semi-arid ABC islands (6) – Microclimates on a tree

One tree can have a variety of microclimates suitable to a wide array of species of animals, other plants, fungi, lichen and more.

Help make the seabird breeding season on Curaçao a success!

April, May, June, July and part of August are the months that mark the breeding season of seabirds on Curacao. In April, the breeding rituals and nesting begin, a crucial period that we point out every year. And where you too can make a major contribution to making this a successful breeding season. Read on and help!

Forests on the semi-arid ABC islands (5) – Undergrowth and Canopy

Forests have layers, called the undergrowth, middle layer and canopy. Even with the semi-arid environment of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao the mondi also has layers, only not as impressive and pronounced.

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