November 20th, 2009: Tree Planting Festival
On Sunday November 22nd the first Tree Planting Festival was held at Mangazina di Rei. The idea to have such a day on Bonaire was conceived by the Dutch organization ‘Stichting Nationale Boomfeestdag’ (Foundation National Tree Planting Day). In the Netherlands every year they organize a big party around this event. In 2005, when Queen Beatrix celebrated her 25th anniversary on the throne, they gave her a small forest as a gift. During that ceremony the queen asked the foundation to also organize similar events on Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, as they are also part of the Dutch Kingdom. In 2007, the ‘Stichting Nationale Boomfeestdag’ organized their first tree-planting day on Curacao and this year it was Bonaire’s turn.
To give the Tree Planting Day more news coverage and attention, Mr. Adi Figaroa was asked to let his students create a painting that would be used to showcase the festival. Romery Marin made a beautiful painting of a boy laying under a tree. Romery is 10 years old and said about her own painting “ We are planting trees today so other children of the future can ‘be cool’ under them.” Romery’s painting will be used on posters and invitation letters.More than 200 children were at Mangazina di Rei to take part in the festival. The children did sing “A Bira tempu” (It’s about time), accompanied by the Tutti Frutti band and all others present. This song is a translation into Papiamentu of the ‘Stichting Nationale Boomfeestdag’-song : ‘Het wordt tijd’ (It’s about time).
The children assisted the grown-ups while they planted the trees. A total of about 100 young trees were planted that day at Mangazina di Rei.The idea of a “Kingdom Tree Holiday” came just in time. This year the Salba nos Lora foundation has a project that is financed by the Dutch ‘Vogelbescherming Nederland’, (Bird Protection foundation), the Mangazina di Rei Foundation has a project which is financed by ‘Prins Bernhard Cultuur Fonds’ (Prince Bernhard Culture Fund), and STINAPA is celebrating its anniversary. All three organizations had the tree-planting as a main activity in 2009. Together they joined forces and organized this activity at Mangazina di Rei. The organization also received help from the LVV (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock) the Ban Boneiru Bèk foundation and Stichting Elisabeth from the Netherlands. Even with all subsidies more financial help was needed so we would like to acknowledge and thank: TCB, Plaza Resort Bonaire, Budget Car-rental, Duijn Blokkenfabriek, Green Label, Bonaire Holding, Bonhata, Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties, Arkefly, and KLM.
Festival di planta palu
Djadumingo dia 22 di novèmber pa kuator di atardi lo tuma lugá e Promé Festival di Planta Palu na Mangazina di Rei. E idea pa hasi un aktividat di plantamentu di palu un tipo di fiesta a sali for di e organisashon hulandes ‘Stichting Nationale Boomfeestdag’. Na Hulanda tur aña nan ta organisá un fiesta grandi pa plantamentu di palu. Na 2005 ora ku Reina Beatrix a selebrá su 25 aña di reinado, a regal’é un mondi. Einan el a pidi e organisadónan pa nan organisá fiesta di planta palu na Antia i Aruba tambe, ya ku nan tambe ta parti di Reino. Na 2007 e organisashon di ‘Stichting Nationale Boomfeestdag’ a organisá e promé plantamentu di palu den reino na Korsou i e aña aki Boneiru ta na turno.
Pa por propagandá e Festival di Planta Palu, a aserká Adi Figaroa pa bou di su alumnonan bin ku un pintura ku por usa komo e kara di e festival. Romery Marin a pinta un bunita kuadro di un mucha hòmber drumí bou di un palu. Romery tin 10 aña di edat, el a bisa tokante di e pintura ku; “nos ta planta palu awe pa hobennan por ‘chill’ bou di dje despues”. Lo usa e pintura di Romery riba poster i tambe riba e tarhetanan di invitashon.
Djadumingo dia 22 lo spera mas o ménos 200 mucha na Mangazina di Rei pa bin engrandesé a festival. E muchanan lo kanta huntu ku Grupo Tutti Frutti i e sobrá di invitadonan e kantika ‘A bira tempu’. E kantika ta un tradukshon na papiamentu di e kantika na hulandes di ‘Stichting Nationale Boomfeestdag’, ‘Het wordt tijd’. Tambe e muchanan lo asistí e adultonan den e akto di plantamentu di palu. Lo planta mas o ménos 100 palu en total na Mangazina di Rei.
E idea di ‘Koninkrijks Boomfeestdag’ a yega nèt na ora. E aña aki fundashon Salba nos Lora tin un proyekto finansiá pa ‘Vogelbescherming Nederland’, fundashon Mangazina di Rei tin un proyekto finansiá pa ‘Prins Bernhard Cutluur Fonds’ i STINAPA ta selebrando su aniversario. Tur e tres fundashonnan aki tin plantamentu di palu komo aktividat den 2009. Asina ta ku nan a uni forsa i huntu ta organisando e aktividat na Mangazina di Rei. E organisashon a haña sostén tambe di e departamentu di LVV, fundashon BanBoneiruBèk i di Stichting Elisabeth di Hulanda. Apesar di e supsidio mester a buska mas spònsòr pa por realisá e dia aki, asina es ku nos ta yama danki na; TCB, Plaza Resort Bonaire, Budget Car-rental, Duijn Blokkenfabriek, Green Label, Bonaire Holding, Bonhata, Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties, Arkefly, i KLM.