Blog Post #7

Picture taken from Carnival

Ripples echo through the once calm water, followed by the gentle wake of a kayak. Paddling through the mangroves of Bonaire you become witness to the vivid colors at one with the swirling wind; it is as if you are immersed in the opening musical number to an animated film. The trees begin to speak as an array of green, yellow, orange, and purple feathers chatter among the leaves. Then as swiftly as the coursing river allows, pushing through a thicket of branches, you find yourself transported to an arid terrain. Tropical swamps where marine and terrain life intertwine, the underbrush of a jungle like forest that houses the rainbow, and white sands that sprout cacti of the desert takes visitors on an experience that displays the paradoxes of life.

Photo credit to EchoBonaire

However like anything else, this land can become jaded if not well maintained. Coral reefs are decaying, bird populations have decreased, and the ecosystem teeters on change. As biodiversity begins to waver the Roy G. Biv* that illuminates the islands may blend and turn to grey. What can be done to preserve and maintain the colors and scenery that lures in tourist? Could the rise of ecotourism help conserve the islands biosphere? The two almost directly correlate with each other, for without ecotourism the attempts of conservation could easily falter. Biodiversity is an essential element of conservation and without it ecotourism would surely fail.
Hook; I used vivid imagery as a hook
Bridge
Thesis

*Roy G. Biv is and elementary style acronym used to teach the colors of the
rainbow to children; also stylized as the initialism R.O.Y.G.B.I.V.
Photos taken from:

Carnival - https://www.carnival.com/shore-excursions/bonaire/eco-tour-at-lac-bay-national-park-443005

EchoBonaire - http://www.echobonaire.org/parrots/bonaires-parrot/

To Keep the Pink Feathers

For my research paper I am writing about ecotourism and efforts to maintain biodiversity on the ABC Islands. To be honest it has been a little challenging to research, mainly because they are three small islands that dont gain much media attention. The information is hard to come by or its credibility is questionable.

Bonaire National Marine Park

The islands themselves however seem to be full of beautiful landscapes and creatures. From the pictures I have seen, during my research that is, you can experience desert like terrain or transverse through tropical forests.

Bonaire holds claim to the worlds pinkest flamingos, which I have mentioned before

Provided by:
Voyager Bonaire Cruise Tours

but it still surprises me. There is even a private island off the coast of Bonaire called Flamingos Beach, where beach goers can share the beach with these birds Flamingo's are not the only birds that inhabit the islands. The islands house a wide assorment of one of kind bird species.

Aruba host the region's first certified carbon-neutral hotel. Twenty percent of the island Aruba belongs to the Arikok National Park. This goes to show the islands awareness of the importance of preserving their ecosystem.

In the next step of my research I plan to look into the steps the islands are taking to preserve its biodiversity. For example the Bonaire Wild Bird Rescue and artificial planting of the coral reef system. I also hope to find some detailed statistics on tourism growth, economy growth, and increase or decrease of conservation funds.


In the end the islands seem to be pretty self-aware as far as the importance of conservation goes. They seem to focus on preserving the nature habitats and wildlife. These dutch islands depend heavily on tourism for their economic needs, and seem to place importance on preserving what brings so many to their wonderful shores.