Nature Foundation St. Maarten and the St. Martin Reserve Naturelle each received a much needed donation from Heineken St. Maarten this week, to put towards their conservation programmes on both side of the islands. The funds were raised through the sale of black 'St. Maarten Heineken Regatta' bracelets during the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta 2008.

"During the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, we want to raise the exposure concerning the importance of keeping our island and it's waters clean," says Heineken St. Maarten Managing Director John Leone. "We started with the green 'Meet You There' bracelets which we donated in 2006 and followed up with 'Serious Clean Fun' bracelets in 2007. Through the sales of these bracelets we were able to donate a total of $6000.00. We hope we can continue to work together to find solutions that benefit both the island's natural environment and the businesses that depend on the island's waterways."

"We are extremely grateful for this contribution," says Beverly Mae Nisbeth of the Nature Foundation. "The Foundation is funded purely through grants and fund raising efforts. A donation like this makes a significant difference to the work we do. The natural environment is one of St. Maarten's most important resources- clean beaches, healthy seas and green hills are the reason why many of our visitors come here every year. It is everyone's responsibility, from the individual to our Government and from small businesses to large international corporations, to protect our natural resources and conserve the beauty and biodiversity of our island for the benefit of current and future generations." When asked what Nature Foundation would spend their money on, Ms. Nisbeth replied, "Staff training and mooring maintenance."


The new bracelets for the 2009 St Maarten Heineken Regatta will be on sale soon, and the 2007 and 2008 bracelets are still available from the Nature Foundation offices and Heineken St. Maarten.

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