May, 2006 - - Bucuti Beach Resort - - Eagle Beach. Armed with a powerpoint presentation and video to visually support her presentation, Mrs. Edith van der Wal of Turtugaruba spoke to Bucuti Beach Resort Associates and Guests during a recent lecture about Aruba’s giant sea turtles.
Owner Ewald Biemans invited Mrs. Van der Wal with the goal of enabling his team to extend the reach of Turtugaruba by understanding how to protect the fragile turtle population both on Bucuti’s Beach during this nesting season as well as in their daily lives as they enjoy Aruba’s beaches. Bucuti’s guests were invited to attend the event and expressed their overwhelming praise afterwards for the interesting lecture and the vast work Turtugaruba does on behalf of the Aruba’s Turtles.
Bucuti's associates took great interest in Ms. Van der Wal’s presentation. Supervisor Marguerita Osbourne had many questionsÂ…”I never knew how interesting and endangered our Turtle population is. The video showing the egg-laying was amazing and I didn’t realize how hard the Turtles had to work to make a successful nest. It was heartbreaking to see how careless we are with their lives and I am happy to know how to protect them so my children and my grandchildren will know these wonderful creatures.”
“I believe the benefits of the training today will have results beyond this lecture” says Susan Biemans. “The Bucuti's Associates revealed a lot of interest and enthusiasm towards being part of the Turtugaruba effort and I believe they will share the information with family and friends. When our community joins together to understand the threats to Aruba’s Turtles, they will stop driving Quads and cars on the beaches and prevent the interruption of the egg laying and egg hatching process. After all, these are ARUBA'S Turtles and it should be a matter of national pride to protect them for future generations of Arubans. I don’t think any body in Aruba wants to have to tell their grandchildren that we drove Aruba's turtles into extinction because it was more important to drive on the sand or go camping on a nest.”
Turtugaruba is a volunteer organization which is part of WIDECAST, the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network. WIDECAST was founded in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 1981 to prepare a "Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan ... consistent with the Action Plan for the [UNEP] Caribbean Environment Programme." WIDECAST’s goal is to realize a future where all inhabitants of the Wider Caribbean Region, human and sea turtle alike, can live together in balance.
The volunteer network is comprised of Country Coordinators (mainly sea turtle experts and natural resource professionals) in more than 30 Caribbean States and territories. Because each Coordinator works closely with a national coalition of stakeholders, WIDECAST embraces several hundred scientists, conservationists, resource managers, resource users, policy-makers, educators and others.
“Aruba’s Giant Sea Turtles have a tireless and faithful friend in Edith van der Wal and her family as part of Turtugaruba. Their efforts to protect the turtles in Aruba have been outstanding and effective. We see Edith and her family before the sun rises everyday to search for turtle nests during the spring nesting season. During the summer hatching season, they stand guard for hours and often days to protect hatchlings and to guide them to the sea. Their energy and passion for Aruba’s Turtles is remarkable and we feel indebted to their efforts along with their 25 volunteers who help them patrol and keep watch. With community participation, Aruba can be successful in promoting their population and welfare.
Explains Susan.
To protect a nesting turtle or a nest, call Turtugaruba : 964-9138
Shown in the photo: Edith van der Wal educating Bucuti Associates & guests
