Located along the upper reaches of the Coesewijne River about 100 km from Paramaribo, the Boven Coesewijne Nature Reserve covers an area of about 27,000 ha. It was created in 1986 and is accessible by road and boat.
It is a complex system of great biological wealth and diverse landscapes with swamps and swamp forests on the riverbanks, savannahs, and dry forests. Flagship species in the reserve are the Giant River Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), the Manatee (Trichechus inunguis), and the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). Sound management is necessary to sustain the biological diversity and natural enduring features of the area.The periphery of the reserve is home to the "Akarani", an Amerindian community, living in the village of Bigi Poika. Together with STINASU (Foundation for Nature Conservation in Suriname), NCD (Nature Conservation Division of the Forest Service), The Burgers Zoo in the Netherlands and the villagers, a 3 year project, started in 2004, was launched.
This project, with its goal "to foster the protection of biodiversity in the Boven Coesewijne Nature Reserve", seeks to actively involve and gradually turn over the management of the area to the Akarani people. The project also included activities to increase the "ecotourism" to the area; thereby enabling the Akarani to arrive at a sustainable source of environmentally friendly income generation.
In 2006, a visitor's lodge, a boat ramp, and in the village a visitor's interpretation center were completed and handed over to the village council. The visitor's center, including a permanent exhibition of traditional handicraft, cultural heritage, and biodiversity conservation displays, is managed by the local women's organization and is the first stop for every visitor to the reserve.
A training program, an educational and environmental awareness program, and a tourism training program in collaboration with the Tourism Foundation for Suriname (STS) for the villagers, was warmly welcomed and successfully completed in September. The implementation of the Management Plan and the Business Plan, completed earlier in 2006, will add to the improved management of the reserve.
WWF Guianas, nature reserves and people, naturally!
"What we have now, we have borrowed from our children", said Gerold Zondervan, WWF Guianas Regional Forest Officer, at the closing ceremony of the Boven Coesewijne Nature Reserve Effective Management Project. "We have the responsibility to teach our children to preserve the natural wealth they live in", he continued in the jam packed community center, where people gathered to join the celebrations.
This three-year project was implemented in collaboration with STINASU (Foundation for Nature Conservation in Suriname), NCD (Nature Conservation Division of the Forest Service), The Burgers Zoo in the Netherlands and the villagers.
The children of the local elementary school raised the flag and sang the Surinamese anthem at the beginning of the ceremonies. The representative of the District Commissioner, Mr. Palmtak, and collaborating partners and organizations attended the closing ceremony. He emphasized the importance of working together to reach the goals set for the preservation of the reserve and economic growth of the community.
In the early afternoon, the delegation headed to the completed tourist lodges that are part of the project to promote eco tourism. There the keys to the lodges were handed over by the project coordinator, Mr. Ferdinand Baal, to STINASU that has the formal management over the facilities. He emphasized that the collaboration between STINASU and the local community would help generate sustainable and environmentally friendly income for the community of the Akarani.
The Boven Coesewijne Nature Reserve covers an area of about 27,000 ha. It was created in 1986 and is accessible by road and boat. The great biological wealth and diverse landscapes with swamps and swamp forests on the riverbanks, savannahs and dry forests are major attractions for tourists.
The Giant River Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), the Manatee (Trichechus inunguis) and the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) are species that can easily be seen at Boven Coesewijne. The visitor’s center, including a permanent exposition of traditional handicraft, cultural heritage and biodiversity conservation displays, is managed by the local women’s organization and is the first stop for every visitor to the reserve.
WWF Guianas promotes the sound management of the reserve to sustain the biological diversity and natural enduring features of the area.
