Support Bonaire, Inc. has established the following projects for which it is seeking funding. Under a generous grant, all of Support Bonaire's operating expenses through the end of 2006 have been covered, which means that every dollar and cent donated towards a particular project will be applied directly to that project - effectively a 100% pass through with no operational expenses deducted.

Bonaire Animal Shelter Project
The Bonaire Animal Shelter, Bonaire's answer to the SPCA, is in constant need of financial support to provide for the basic care of the animals at the shelter. Necessities include flea & tick medicines and preventatives, deworming pills, dog toys, cat furniture, cat carriers, and even singular items such as a washing machine and digital camera to take pictures of new tenants and encourage their adoption. The Support Bonaire Animal Shelter Project involves helping raise funds to help provide for these basic needs.

Bonaire Art & Culture Project
Every July, the Stichting voor Kunst en Cultuur van Bonaire (Foundation for Bonaire Art & Culture) organizes the Dia di Arte (Day of Art) event on Bonaire to showcase art in various media as well Bonairean folk music and dance. The organization has very limited resources, and one of its biggest annual expenses is the rental of tents and chairs for the event. Support Bonaire's Bonaire Art & Culture Project supports this event and the organization behind it by using funds donated to the project to purchase portable, folding tents and chair, which will also then be able to be used for smaller "Art Days" on Bonaire as well as the bigger annual event, as a way to promote study and appreciate of the arts on Bonaire - both traditional arts as well as new ones developed and created by those on Bonaire.

Bonaire Coral Health Project
Fundashon pa Bon Koral (which also goes by the name of 'Coral Resource Management') is taking an innovative approach towards conserving Bonaire’s magnificent coral reef. Founded by former Bonaire Marine Park manager, Kalli DeMeyer, the organization is working to strengthen local conservation efforts by giving advice, providing training, access to tools and information and assisting with fund raising and capacity building. Exchanges of staff and stakeholders with other Marine Parks planned for 2004 will substantially enhance the management capacity of the Bonaire National Marine Park, while the development and completion of a much needed management plan will help to guide its future management efforts. Articles, lectures and weekly “open house” sessions raise awareness about protected areas and coral reef issues and build local support for conservation. Fundashon pa Bon Koral is also working hard on a UNESCO transboundary marine World Heritage Site nomination, which would recognize Bonaire as an area of outstanding universal value. You can become a critical part of this pioneering work by donating to Support Bonaire’s Bonaire Coral Health project.

Donkey Sanctuary Project
The Bonaire Donkey Sanctuary, which takes care of injured and stray donkeys, is presently in the middle of a major expansion project which involves the purchase of additional land, fencing to enclose that land, as well as the ordinary day-to-day supplies, such feed and medicines, and for donkey sterilizations to ensure that herd populations stay at a stable level. Once the additional land for the Donkey Sanctuary is purchased and enclosed, the government approved plan is to move all the wild donkeys into the Donkey Sanctuary in order to protect them from a variety of dangers, including speeding vehicles and abuse. The Support Bonaire Donkey Sanctuary Project involves fund raising to help purchase land, provide enclosure, and support the Donkey Sanctuary's care for donkeys already in the Sanctuary.

Maria Hoppner Foster Home Project
For children on Bonaire who are neglected, abused, or parentless, there is only one option - the Sister Maria Hoppner Foundation's foster home, Villa Candidus. But, with over a dozen boys of all ages already living there, there is now a waiting list of several dozens of children, all of whom really need to get into an environment of care and support. The Maria Hoppner Foundation has been renovating its facilities, but a second building, Villa Carlos, which would allow the organization to take in girls, is presently closed due to lack of funding. The Support Bonaire Maria Hoppner Foster Home Project's goal is to help the Foundation reopen the second home and expand the ability of the Foundation to care for children who are sorely in need.

Marine Park Patrolling Project
The Bonaire National Marine Park, which is 2,700 hectares in size, supports some of the most diverse and healthiest coral reefs in the Caribbean, with high coral cover and diverse populations of fish (350+ species of fish, 50+ species of stony coral). Despite becoming one of the Caribbean’s largest and most successful marine park systems, the Marine Park still faces a number of threats. Illegal activities such as sand removal for construction, poaching of conch and destructive fishing practices still take place. Poaching of conch is the most pressing issue, with conch stocks close to collapse as very young individuals are removed from their habitats in different locations of the Marine Park. While the Bonaire National Marine Park has been working hard over the years to address and reduce these threats, it is currently faced with a shortfall in equipment. The four boats currently owned by the Marine Park are all in poor condition, hindering its ability to efficiently carry out patrols. The Marine Park urgently needs a new sturdy and functional boat that will be adapted to the tropical conditions found on the island, and will be able to meet the rangers’ needs for years to come. This boat will significantly increase the Marine Park’s capacity to effectively protect its reef, ensuring that their value is kept for present and generations future. Support Bonaire strongly supports the Bonaire National Marine Park’s efforts to protect Bonaire’s exceptional reefs, and funds donated to the Support Bonaire Marine Park Patrolling Project will help purchase a new patrolling boat for the Marine Park.

Marine Park Youth Education Project
One of the many things the Bonaire National Marine Park does on Bonaire is help educate Bonaire's youth about the marine environment - for example, that it is not indestructable, that it needs to be cared for, and that the marine environment needs to be respected. The 'Turtuganan di Boneiru' ('Turtles of Bonaire'), which started in 1993, is an educational program for children from 8 to 12 years old and presents opportunity for children to be introduced to the sea in a playful way and to learn about it and its inhabitants. Among the activities involved is teaching youngsters to snorkel. The Junior Ranger Program is for boys and girls from the age of 12-18 years old and serves a different purpose, which is to make the youth aware of the values of preservation of the reef, and to introduce them to the skills and basic knowledge needed to become Ranger of the Bonaire National Marine Park. This is intended to also make them aware of possible professions in the area of marine protection. Support Bonaire strongly supports such educational efforts, and funds donated to the Support Bonaire Marine Park Youth Education Project will go to the Bonaire National Marine Park to help support their Turtuganan di Boneiru and Junior Ranger programs.

Sea Monitor Project
There is something that everybody on Bonaire – tourists, locals, and cruise ships in port – contributes to: waste water. Where does it all go? The ugly truth is that septic systems are inadequate and that there are locations in the island’s interior where raw sewage is dumped directly into huge open trenches. What happens then? Is this untreated wastewater seeping into the ocean?  Many think so, but thinking isn’t enough: we need data in order to demonstrate that in fact this water is seeping into the coastal region and therefore affecting the reef.

Under the direction and approval of the Bonaire National Marine Park (BNMP) and STINAPA, the Light & Motion Sensor Program (LMSP) (e-mail link), a project to monitor and collect Sea Water Data, for the next 10 years, around the coast of Bonaire & Klein Bonaire was launched in August of 2007.  Over a dozen “Rainbow Moorings” have been deployed with data collected by On-Island volunteers each week.

The goal of the Rainbow sensors is to measure biological productivity & nutrient load that may be caused by runoff or seepages. The Rainbow sensor approach seeks to create a chlorophyll sensor using low-cost materials. Phase 1’s goal is to deploy sensor arrays at 30 locations along the leeward coast. Each Rainbow array is on an independent mooring line. Deployment consists of three Optical Sensors - one white, one blue, and one green - at each depth, 5 meters, 12 meters & 20 meters (total of nine per array). Each sensor uses its advanced optics and temperature readings to collect data every eight minutes.  The raw data is then transmitted to the USA lab where it is analyzed and then posted as public information.
 
The addition of a Salinity Sensor will indicate where the contaminants come from. Salinity sensors measure freshwater flows. By adding a separate Salinity sensor to a Rainbow array, this data would be combined with the organic matter data and would, if freshwater flows were found, strongly indicate seepage. 

A donation to the Support Bonaire Sea Monitor Project provides funding for the addition of more sensors around Bonaire to monitor water quality, as well as the maintenance and replacement of current sensors as they wear out or succumb to the elements (a rare event but one that happens regardless).

Sea Turtle Conservation Project
The Bonaire-based Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) non-profit organization helps protect Bonaire’s sea turtles and preserve their natural habitats through research, conservation, and education and public awareness programs. Research consists of in-water surveys and tagging, beach patrols, and biological monitoring of nesting activities and resident populations in Bonaire coastal waters. Data collected documents the health, growth and movement of the local turtle population, as well as, providing insights to the health of the reef. Satellite tracking of Bonaire’s breeding population continues to provide valuable information regarding the migration paths of these creatures. Conservation actions include beach-ups, protection of nests and nesting beaches, and turtle rescues. Education and public awareness activities include slide presentations to the schools and public, regular local media updates and the distribution of educational materials. Your contributions to the Support Bonaire’s Sea Turtle Conservation Project will enable STCB to continue with their mission: to ensure the protection and recovery of Bonaire’s sea turtle populations throughout their range.

Support Bonaire Short Term Project Fund
In addition to our larger scale projects, described above, Support Bonaire regularly finds itself in receipt of requests for smaller one-time donations. For example, at present we are finalizing a grant to cover the purchase of safety equipment for the Bonaire National Marine Park's boats, which are used to teach local children appreciation of the marine environment via snorkeling instruction. And we are also arranging for a grant to the Bonaire Sunfish Sailing Association to pay for the completion of a concrete pad and shelter for the storage of the Association's Sunfish sailboats, used to teach local children how to sail.

Past Projects
Other recent projects have included the donation of a notebook computer to the Sea Turtle Conversation Bonaire (STCB) organization, donations of books to Jong Bonaire, financial contributions to the Donkey Sanctuary, and equipment donations to Maria Hoppner, Nature Alliance, and Wowo di Bario.

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If you represent a Bonaire non-profit organization, or are involved in one, and want to submit a project proposal, please take a look at our Bonaire Non-Profits section for an overview of our funding requirements and the forms necessary to apply.

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