Our publications

BOOKS

 
The four volumes in the series of books on nature of the Dutch Leeward islands, published by Stichting Dierenbescherming.

‘Nos Paranan / Onze Vogels / Our Birds’
In this book author Dr. Bart A. de Boer describes 50 of the most common local birds to be found on Curaçao, Bonaire and Aruba. The texts are written in three languages: Papiamento, Dutch and English and each description features a beautiful color photo. It is an excellent book of reference for everyone with an interest in birds.This first volume in a series of books on nature was printed in 1994. The book was a tremendous success which resulted in a fourth revised edition with nine new photos from different sources in 2006. The fifth edition appeared at the beginning of 2009.

  
‘Yellow-shouldered Amazon        'Caracara’ by Rob Riemer                 ‘Bare-eyed pigeon’ by Ineke Cijntje
parrot’,by Sam Williams
(Bonaire)
 
 
‘Nos Mata- i Palunan / Onze Planten en Bomen / Our Plants and Trees’, the second volume in this series of books on nature emerged in 1996, after schools and book stores requested that we publish a book on the flora of our islands. In this plant and tree guide 63 photos with descriptions reflect the unique character of the flora of the Leeward Islands. This book became as popular as the ‘Bird book’ and was reprinted in 2004.

 ‘Nos Bestianan / Onze Dieren / Our Animals’. Much of what wriggles or slithers through the undergrowth is eyed suspiciously by man. Yet these animals occupy a valid place in nature too, and by that fact alone, deserve to be recognized. In this third volume of the series of books on nature, which appeared in 2001, opportunity is given of becoming acquainted with those animals we know are there, but know little about. Those animals on our islands, which we see on a daily basis, are also given attention in this volume. This book appeared in a second revised edition in the beginning of 2009 with some new beautiful photos by Michelle da Costa Gomez, Leon Pors, Ad van Buurt and Olwin Carolina.

   
Honey Bee                                White-tailed Deer                                  Cottontail
Michelle da Costa Gomez            Leon Pors                                            Gerard van Buurt                     

'Nos Ref di Koral / Ons Koraalrif / Our Coral Reef’, the fourth and final volume in the series about the natural world of the Leeward Islands, was officially launched on Thursday January 10 at the Cultural Center Curaçao. This book aims to contribute to people’s awareness that the coral reefs in the Netherlands Antilles form a treasure of immeasurable value, which needs to be preserved.
Unfortunately the beautiful underwater world is threatened in its very existence due to environmental causes such as pollution and the global rise in seawater temperature. Humankind unfortunately also forms a severe threat to the reef as few of the rapidly increasing numbers of divers realize that just by touching a coral, or whirling up sand with flipper movement, can kill off entire colonies. More information on this matter can be found in the ‘Our Coral Reef’, written by Dr. Bart de Boer and with magnificent photos by Gordon Cox. The book comprises 168 pages with text in Papiamento, Dutch and English and is available to the public at the Animal shelter, in bookstores and souvenir shops.

The ‘Reef book’ was partly financed by ‘KNAP Fonds’, a fund that seeks and provides finance for small nature projects. "KNAP Fonds" is managed by the Environment Department of the Ministry of Public Health & Social development. Prins Bernhard Natuurfonds from the Netherlands sponsored 1.500 books and USONA 4.000 books for the schools of te Netherlands Antilles. The books were distributed by Fundashon Material pa Skol.
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Photo: inauguration

 
‘Our Coral Reef’ available to the public at the Animal shelter, bookstores and souvenir shops

 
Minister Omayra Leeflang happily displays her book.

 
Invited guests offer their books to Bart de Boer and Gordon Cox for autograph.

Following: two of Gordy Cox’s photos

Second edition of the book ‘Our Coral Reef’

The first edition of ‘Nos Ref di Koral/ Ons Koraalrif /Our Coral Reef’ which appeared in January 2008 is almost sold out. The second edition of the book will be expanded with the description of four further species and eleven magnificent new photos by Barry Brown, a colleague of Gordy Cox who was the photographer for the first edition of the book. The book will be published in March and will be available to the public at the Animal shelter, in bookstores and souvenir shops in April.

Country bird Place mat

The design of the country bird poster was used to make an attractive place mat, a beautiful souvenir of our islands’ nature. The place mat is admitted at the collection of place mats of Curaçao scenes distributed by Caribbean Handcraft and also available at the Animal Shelter, in book and souvenir stores and even in the supermarkets.

In May 2004 our latest nature project, the Reef Poster, was submitted to the Environment Department of the Ministry of Public Health & Social development with a request for financial subsidy. This department manages the "KNAP Fonds", a fund that seeks and provides finance for small nature projects.
In July this project was approved and entirely financed by KNAP Fonds, and by request from that organization the project was even extended to provide schools throughout the Netherlands Antilles with posters to mark Animals' Day on October 4th.
KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines, partly financed the fare to Curacao of Dick Poppe, the Reef Poster's designer, when he came to take photos and make sketches of the reef inhabitants. Honorary Board Member of Dierenbescherming, Mrs Hanny Kooijman contributed too, by kindly putting an apartment and car at the disposal of Mr Poppe during his stay on the island.
As a token of appreciation the logos of these sponsors appear on the Reef Poster.

Our grateful thanks to the administrators of the KNAP Fonds, KLM and Mrs. Hanny Kooijman!

DVD

The following productions that formerly were available as films were burned on a DVD:
Bestia ta nos amigu, trata nan bon” which means: “Animals are our friends, take good care of them!” a 30 minute film which educates the young on how to take care of their pets.
“Bestia di mondi no ta bestia di kas!” (Wild animals do not make proper pets). This 22 minute film aims to create awareness of the importance of nature preservation and shows in a persuasive way why people must not take animals from the wild to keep as pets.
“Bida di Bestia tin Balor” (An animal’s life has value!) dramatically reports on the miserable and tragic circumstances of abandoned, neglected and abused animals on our island. This film is one of the informational aspects of the OPSC (Operation Pet and Stray Control) project and aims to make people aware of the current situation and provides information on how to care properly for pets.