Kralendijk, Bonaire –The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) released the first edition of Bionews Kids. Bionews Kids is a free printed and online nature magazine for children of ages 9-11 on the six Dutch Caribbean islands. It was designed based on increasing reading, sparking curiosity and educate kids about the extraordinary nature and its threats on the six Dutch Caribbean islands. This in support to the nature education programs of the Protected Area Management Organizations on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten. The first Bionews Kids edition includes a drawing competition and DCNA encourages all kids to participate.
Supporting Nature Education and public awareness
DCNA’s mission is to support the Protected Area Management Organizations on the six islands of the Dutch Caribbean. One of DCNA’s goals is the promotion of educational outreach and public awareness. Hence, the creation of the first issue of Bionews Kids, which is a branch of Bionews (for adults). Bionews is a free monthly digital newsletter that gives updates on the latest nature news with a focus on research and monitoring, events and overall activities concerning the members of DCNA.
Multilingual nature magazine for kids
Bionews Kids is a magazine comprising of various elements that is made freely available to youth between 9 and 11 years old on the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten in the languages of English, Dutch, Papiamento, and Papiamentu. The magazine will be made available through the nature education programs at the Protected Area Management Organizations. The aim of the magazine is to promote reading on the islands with a magazine that is applicable to the experiences of the children on these islands with the nature they can find in their own backyards. DCNA introduces their new marine mascot of the magazine, Tara the Turtle, who will make a reappearance in future issues.
Theme: sea
For this first issue of Bionews Kids, the main theme is the marine environment. Kids can read amongst others about coral reefs, tidepools and mangroves that are particularly specific to some of the islands and about many creatures that they may or may not encounter. The magazine also includes activities such as coloring pages, beach journal, and puzzles. Besides these activities, readers can begin grasping environmental words and use the photo ID of sea animals continuously.
Drawing Competition
To create stewards of the sea surrounding the readers’ island, kids can participate in a drawing competition that is found in Bionews Kids. It is centered on the theme “Why I love the ocean and why I want to protect it.” Readers can become creative in their drawings and the chosen drawing will be featured in the next Bionews Kids magazine. This magazine hopes to encourage reading and learning of nature on the islands to empower our children and continue the investment of nature education.
To participate in the drawing competition, the reader needs to include their name, age, island, and phone number and upload it on the Bionews Kids page on the DCNA website at BioNews Kids Online: https://dcnanature.org/bionews-kids/. You can also hand it in to the local park organization education officer on their respective island (https://dcnanature.org/nature-education/). Deadline for the drawing to submitted is March 18th, 2022. Announcement of the winner will be found on the DCNA website and social media by April 1st, 2022.
Read BioNews Kids
BioNews Kids is generously supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and National Postcode Lottery and created by the DCNA.
Access the magazines here:
BioNews Kids Online: https://dcnanature.org/bionews-kids/
BioNews Kids Hardcopy: contact your local park organization education officer on your respective island (https://dcnanature.org/nature-education/).
BioNews (adults)- free monthly digital newsletter: https://dcnanature.org/news/
For questions or interviews, please contact projects@dcnanature.org.
