Putting Down Roots
The locally-based SKF started in October 2006 as a lasting community benefit financing mechanism that provides ongoing local support for all three pillars of sustainable development: social, ecological and economic. As the island develops it's tourism industry, we are here to preserve the natural and cultural resources on St. Kitts that make it such a wonderful place to be.
The parent foundation,The Ocean Foundation, has outlined the initial environmental priorities for the St. Kitts Foundation through March 2008. They will include:
Outlining the best strategies for conservation of the peninsula's surrounding coral reefs
Reduction in coral-damaging sediment from soil erosion and nutrient runoff caused in part by over-grazing and over-abundance of feral animals such as goats.
Creation of marine parks and protected areas in and around the island of St. Kitts.
The first 18 months will also be used for a detailed assessment of the threats to St. Kitts natural resources and the identification of the opportunities to protect them.
Read our Brochure: Click here to download our printable brochure in PDF format.
"Peninsula Marine Ecosystem Survey Week, April 24-29, 2007"
The St. Kitts Foundation hosted is first event to get a real-time snapshot of the fish and corals of the local nearshore waters and their current health status. These data will be used in support of the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis' current efforts to create a Marine Management Area network.
Check out our video on the St. Kitts Coral Reef Ecosystem!
NEW! Workshop Reports & Photos
Thanks to our local contributors who lent time, resources and services to make this event spectacular!
Special thanks to
Request for Photographs
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
November 2006
The St. Kitts Foundation, housed at The Ocean Foundation, is a non-profit community organization that contributes local financial and technical support for all three pillars of sustainable development: social, ecological and economic on the island of St. Kitts, West Indies.
The St. Kitts government has recently committed to establishing the country's first Marine Management Area network to sustain valuable marine resources that are critical to the island's future sustenance. Unfortunately, the majority of the Government's records, including photographic data, were destroyed by fire many years ago. In an effort to replace as much of the lost archive as possible for this project, The St. Kitts Foundation is seeking the donation of underwater photographs from near St. Kitts and Nevis showing both beautiful and healthy coral reef ecosystems, but also images illustrating human impacts on the marine environment.
In order for photographs to be useful, it is important to include as much information as possible. This information should include where the photograph was taken (ie. name of reef/dive-site, or closest approximation) and the date taken. Photographs can be copied and mailed to: The St. Kitts Foundation, PO Box 1978, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies, or sent as an electronic file via email to: <kfreeman@oceanfdn.org>. We would appreciate the right to reproduce any submitted photos for educational purposes, but photographer credit, if provided to us, will be given.
Your help in collecting photographs will help the sister islands establish a baseline of data from which to measure future marine resource status as the economy shifts from commercial agriculture to tourism. This baseline data serves as the collective memory of what once existed below these crystalline waters. Without it, we could forever lose the understanding of what a thriving coral reef ecosystem looks like.
We are grateful for any assistance you can provide to collect this data.
Best regards,
Mark J. Spalding, President
The Ocean Foundation
1990 M Street NW, Ste 250, Washington, DC 20036
202-887-8992, www.oceanfdn.org
