Lee’s Reef Project at
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2005 Annual Report: Getting Our Sea |
Lee’s Reef Project at
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2005 Annual Report: Getting Our Sea |
When you find a pristine reef, which has known only a fraction of the
devastation suffered by other reefs, you must protect it. You must try. That is
the dream of Lee’s Reef Project.
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OUR GOALS: |
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Coral reef protection and conservation Education and awareness Community
participation with international support |
Dear Friends,
I’m both humbled and buoyed by the growing
community and international support for Lee’s Reef Project.
To the many people who have joined our
preservation efforts, my thanks: the staff at Sunset Waters Beach Resort
and Sunset Divers; the volunteers of ReefCare Curaçao; Kids for Coral;
CarribbeanSea.org; and the educators at Akademia Pedagogiko,
I especially thank the Netherlands Antilles Ministries of Conservation and
Agriculture for their advice and efforts, and the Netherlands IUCN
Eco-Tourism Microfund for its generous contribution.
Together we are finding
workable community reef protection solutions. The growing enthusiasm and
involvement of so many makes our goal of preservation through education and
sustainable practice attainable.
I am so proud of our 2005 accomplishments.
Warmly,
Ricki B. Harris
Ricki B. Harris
Founder, Lee’s Reef Project
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2005: Preservation through
Education and Partnership |
In 2005, we took these steps:
·
Last year we alpha
tested Expedition Santa Marta, our grade school environmental curriculum with
two local schools. This year these 650 students will again broaden their
experiences and appreciation of their reef by participating in our
classes.
·
We formed partnerships
with local educators and environmental groups to expand and enhance our
Expedition curriculum which studies the entire eco-system of
·
Academia Pedagogiko,
the local teacher training college, made Expedition Santa Marta part of its
students’ practical training experience. Local student teachers are intimately involved
in developing curriculum and teaching classes.
·
Working in unison with
us, Kids for Coral taught 120 underprivileged children to snorkel and
experience the wonders below the surface of
·
We upgraded Lee’s
Snorkel Trail with new, easily replaceable sign buoys and printed waterproof
maps in three languages: English, Dutch and Papiamentu.
·
To take pressure off
the breeding grounds of the reef, the Agriculture and Fishing Department of the
Netherland Antilles installed three moorings for buoys to be placed in and
around
·
We organized our first
Sustainable Development and Eco-tourism Conference, bringing international,
community and government experts together to formulate strategies which balance
the economic and environmental pressures on the reef.
·
Our first grant from the Netherlands IUCN Eco-tourism Microfund provided us
with core tools and the subsidy to run most of our 2005 programs.
·
We became a tax-exempt
foundation in the Netherlands Antilles and are currently applying for
not-for-profit status in the
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2006 and Beyond: Action
Plans and Priorities |
·
Only a handful of
children today have the opportunity to see, experience and learn about their
reef. Our hope in 2006 is to expand the Expedition exponentially to reach more
teachers and students. By enhancing our curriculum and strengthening our
community partnerships we can build on our momentum and success of last year.
·
We formed strategic
partnerships with local government, business and educational entities. Our
focus now is to strengthen these partnerships, encourage their sponsorship, and
help find meaningful ways to participate together in preserving this beautiful
reef.
·
In 2006 we are
sponsoring a two-day Reef Fest. On Day One, international and local educators
will come together to enhance and develop a local environmental
curriculum. On Day Two, the local
community is invited to experience the Expedition, Lee’s Snorkel Trail and the
wonders of
·
^ Reduce erosion of beach sand back to the sea;
^ Enhance the Sunset Water’s wastewater garden recycling program; and
^ Give tourists a discreet opportunity to oversee Sunset
Waters and Sunset Divers environmental
practices.
·
We are developing a
hiking trail along the coastal shoreline so people can view the entire ecosystem.
·
We are adding a second
field coordinator (intern) to our staff. One coordinator will focus on the
Expedition and one will oversee community programs.
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A Legacy to Lee |
In 1999, Lee Harris became a co-owner of Sunset Waters Beach Resort. A rugged
outdoorsman, entrepreneur and environmentalist, Lee quickly realized that the
coral reef at the mouth of the resort’s lagoon was one of our earth’s great
treasures.
In loving memory, Lee’s Reef Project was
established in 2003 by his wife, Ricki Blumberg Harris, and his family to
preserve the fragile underwater paradise that Lee loved. Lee’s Reef Project is a place to learn about the coral reef
at
Our project is a place where divers and tourists from around the world,
local fishermen and most especially, local children, can learn to share the
responsibility and the sheer joy of this natural wonder.
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What Can I Do to Help? |
Our programs are limited by our current funding.
Partnership and sponsorship opportunities are available at many levels.
Experience the
beauty of
Participate in our
programs. Tourists are welcome to
participate in many of our education and community programs and we encourage
you to oversee Sunset Waters and Sunset Divers environmental practices. We are
always looking for a few good men or women to fill six-month field coordinator internships.
Make a donation. Lee’s Reef Project relies completely on funding by our generous donors.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for many of our discreet projects. We
encourage you to consider individual as well as corporate partnerships.
To send a donation, or for more information, contact
Ricki at:
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Lee’s Reef Project 3649 W. Cornelia #1 |
Attn: Lee’s Reef Project Groot Santa Marta z/n |