PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- Her Royal Highness, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, will visit Sint Maarten and Saba from Tuesday, 12 November, to Friday, 15 November.
The visit will focus on the work of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) and social initiatives on the islands. The Princess is the patroness of DCNA. In addition, the Princess will reopen the airport terminal building of Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten.
In the morning of Wednesday, 13 November, Princess Beatrix will visit Emilio Wilson Park. Originally a plantation where enslaved people were put to work, today it is a historically and ecologically important area with native flora and fauna.
After a short walk through the park, the Princess will attend a poetry and storytelling reading organized by the DCNA. Children will recite poems or stories about invasive species and the importance of nature conservation.
The Princess will then plant a native tree and attend an interactive class on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) at Milton Peters College. Marine Spatial Planning is a process in which human activities at sea are organized so that the ocean can be used sustainably without these activities interfering with each other.
This helps to set up Marine Protected Areas (MPA) to protect nature. The Nature Foundation Sint Maarten works with the Blue Marine Foundation and DCNA to establish more MPAs.
During the lesson, students present the outcome of negotiations in the role of various stakeholders, mimicking the MSP process.
In the afternoon, Princess Beatrix will visit the 'Perpetual Plastics' project of EPIC Sint Maarten, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that works on nature conservation and environmental education.
The project is a sheltered workshop for plastic recycling, where local plastic is recycled into usable items. The Princess will be given a tour of the EPIC workshop. The Junior Rangers of Nature Foundation Sint Maarten (NFSXM) will talk about the impact of plastic waste on nature and the importance of recycling.
On Thursday 14 November, the agenda entails a visit to the Great Salt Pond, Simpson Bay, and the reopening of Princess Juliana International Airport Terminal Building.
In the morning of 14 November, Princess Beatrix will take a short walk on the recently completed boardwalk at the Salt Pond. Here Her Royal Highness will get an explanation about local birds. The boardwalk is part of the NFSXM's New Birding and Ecotourism project and has been built to allow for a good view of the birds.
The Princess will then take a boat trip in the Simpson Bay Lagoon, the only Ramsar nature reserve on the island. The Princess then sails past Little Key – a small island in the middle of the Simpson Bay Lagoon – where mangroves are planted. The Princess is given an explanation of the importance of planting the mangroves. On shore, in the presence of the Princess, the legislation for Little Key is signed, making Little Key the first protected nature park on Sint Maarten.
In the afternoon, Princess Beatrix will attend the reopening ceremony of the airport building of Princess Juliana International Airport, which was heavily damaged during Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
The Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Dr. Luc Mercelina, and Dutch State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitalization, Zsolt Szabó, will also be present. The Princess reopens the airport terminal building by unveiling a plaque. Her Royal Highness will then be given a tour of the renovated airport terminal building and will speak with those involved in the project.
On Friday, 15 November, Princess Beatrix will visit the Saba Conservation Foundation's maritime research laboratory, where research is being done on the marine life around Saba. During a guided tour, the Princess will learn about the breeding and release of the herbivorous sea urchin, which plays a crucial role in the restoration of Caribbean coral reefs.
The Princess will then visit Queen Wilhelmina Park, a centrally located park in The Bottom that is being renovated with the support of Jantje Beton. With the help of children and residents, a new design for the park has been created that takes into account the different needs in terms of playing, meeting and nature.
The Princess is given a tour of the park and talks to children about the importance of good playgrounds. The Princess will also unveil the park's new nameplate. Princess Beatrix is the patroness of Jantje Beton.
In the afternoon, Princess Beatrix will visit the botanical garden, which opened in 2019. Here Her Royal Highness will be explained by Junior Rangers of the Saba Conservation Foundation about the current reforestation project and the birds that have settled there.
They also demonstrate the so-called seed bombs that contribute to biodiversity. The Junior Rangers are students who attend an after-school program of the Saba Conservation Foundation and learn skills related to nature (conservation).
Afterward, the Princess will visit the youth center The Spot, opened in 2023 by the Public Entity of Saba. During a tour of the youth center, the Princess will talk to young people about the UNICEF program 'Children in their Power', where young people think about how they can make the island even more child friendly.
There will also be a conversation about the 'Raising Our Future' campaign, which focuses on making positive parenting a topic of discussion.
The DCNA is a non-profit organization founded to protect nature in the Dutch Caribbean and originated as an alliance between Aruba Conservation Foundation (ACF), Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (Carmabi), Nature Foundation Sint Maarten (NFSXM), Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF), Sint Eustatius National Parks Foundation (STENAPA) and Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire (STINAPA Bonaire).
The nature organizations on the six islands of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom have entered into a partnership for the sake of improved nature management, sustainable fundraising, nature education and knowledge exchange.
