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                                                                                                           local Wednesday 14 december 2022

            1822 – 2022
            200 years of the Protestant Church in Aruba



























            The  purpose  behind  these
            December  meetings  is  to
            thank  God  for  200  years
            of the Protestant Church in
            Aruba, to wonder afresh at
            the love that God has giv-
            en us in the coming of His
            Son and to invite people to
            deepen  their  faith  and/or
            reconnect with God.

            Saturday 17 December
            Christmas  sing-along  ‘Les-
            sons and Carols 2022’ Sing-
            ing carols with each other,
            hearing    the   important  many  carols  will  be  sung  mas  stollen  and  mulled  Pearl Peters, piano            Nora Ritter, violin
            biblical  texts  and  prepar-  together.  An  evening  with  wine in the candlelit church  Father Jairo Maduro, trum-  Oranjestad  church,  Satur-
            ing  for  a  wonderful,  soul-  worship, music, poems and  garden.                     pet                          day  17  December,  7  PM,
            stirring  Christmas.  Various  Christmas singing. After the  Musicians:                Ruth Bonevalle, violin       church  open  from  6.30
            musicians will perform, and  Christmas  concert:  Christ-  Bert Rodenburg, organ       Viola Heutger, violin        PM.q


              More than 20 new plant species discovered in Aruba



             ORANJESTAD  –  Aruba  Na-    cies  of  new  plants  were  the  vegetation  report  for  Aruba.
             tional Park Foundation, an  discovered in Aruba.         Aruba.
             independent     foundation                                                           The  vegetation  study  will
             in  charge  of  conservation  During  a  period  of  two  As  part  of  the  vegeta-  provide data that can be
             and  management  of  land  weeks,  Dr.  Andre  van  tion  study,  the  team  of  used for a preliminary anal-
             and  marine  protected  ar-  Proosdij and Dr. John Jans-  international  experts  cur-  ysis  to  see  how  Aruba’s
             eas  in  Aruba,  together  sen from WUR together with  rently  in  Aruba  also  did  a  vegetation  has  changed
             with  Wageningen  Univer-    Erik  Houtepen,  Head  of  survey of the areas where  in the past 25 years. What
             sity & Research (WUR) and  Consultancy  Department  the  vegetation  study  was  can  be  confirmed  is  that
             Carmabi  announced  that  at  Carmabi,  Giancarlo  done  in  the  1990s,  and  more than 20 different new
             more than 20 different spe-  Nunes,   Research     and  also  mapped  protected  plant species were discov-
                                          Conservation  Manager  at  areas  that  were  not  part  ered for Aruba, and some
                                          FPNA,  local  partners  and  of  the  vegetation  study  of  these  species  are  new
                                          volunteers  visited  different  done  previously,  and  reg-  for  the  ABC  islands  and  and  were  intentionally  or
                                          areas  in  Aruba  like  Saliña  istered plant species found  some are even new for the  accidentally   introduced
                                          Malmok,    Saliña   Cerca,  in  Aruba  in  the  database  Dutch  Caribbean.  About  in  Aruba.  Some  of  these
                                          Ser’i  Teishi  and  Sero  Colo-  of  plant  distribution  which  half of the new plant spe-  plants  are  invasive  and
                                          rado to study more of Aru-  was  launched  last  week.  cies discovered are native  present  a  threat  to  Aru-
                                          ba’s vegetation.            And  finally,  the  team  to  the  Caribbean  region  ba’s  natural  ecosystem.
                                                                      came  to  create  capacity  and  can  be  considered  Examples of these are Cyl-
                                          The  last  vegetation  study  in  our  local  partners  and  natural  for  Aruba’s  flora.  indropuntia  tunicata  and
                                          done  in  Aruba  was  in  the  volunteers at organizations  Some  examples  are  the  Scaevola taccada.
                                          1990s,  and  it  was  carried  like  DNM,  StimAruba,  Ban  Melochia  parvifolia  and
                                          out  by  John  de  Freitas  of  Lanta  y  Planta  and  Santa  the Cienfuegosia cf. affinis  The data that was collect-
                                          Carmabi.  This  report  was  Rosa  to equip other orga-  (pictured) which were dis-  ed  about  plant  and  veg-
                                          not  published,  however,  nizations  with  knowledge  covered by local experts.     etation  species  will  con-
                                          last year Dutch Caribbean  and ability in order to have                              tribute  to  improve  knowl-
                                          Nature  Alliance  (DCNA)  more people with the ca-      The other half of newly dis-  edge,  understanding  and
                                          and  WUR  allocated  funds  pacity of carrying out flora  covered plants come from  conservation  of  Aruba’s
                                          to  complete  and  publish  and vegetation studies for  other  parts  of  the  world  natural patrimony.q
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