The Best Practice of Sustainability: Conservation

Saba is an immaculate island because of its constant efforts to preserve their habitat and culture. Protecting their environment through conservation is the best practice of sustainability because it ensures that their destination will retain its natural value. The Saba Conservation Foundation was founded in 1987 and is a non profit organization that has a ten person board of directors and seven full time employees. The organization is in charge of managing the Saba Marine Park, Saba Trail network, and the Saba Trail and Information Center. Saba first started its mission for nature conservation in 1987 when they created the Saba Marine Park which surrounds the island. The Saba government worked hand in hand with the conservation foundation to create protected areas, so that  Saba does not lose its natural resources and beauty. The Marine park keeps the coral reef ecosystem flourishing, which supports over 150 different species. The island's trail network promotes eco-tourism and instructs tourists to become aware of their conservation efforts. The island has also taken an old mining field and turned it into a conservation park. They understand that they cannot undo the damage that has already occurred, but they want to prevent any further disruptions to the island. Currently, Saba is in the process of creating more protected areas and is working with the Federal Ordinance Nature Conservation to ensure certain areas where species need to be protected. If the ordinance passes they will design more protected areas where strict conservation is enforced (Saba Conservation Foundation, n.d.). 

Saba Marine Park

Saba's Marine Park has an abundance of marine life because Saba has created strict restrictions on fishing, anchoring and diving. Research has shown that over 150 healthy species of marine life are thriving because such restrictions. Saba's Marine Park has developed a zoning system to show restricted areas and other areas that show different marine life. This is the best solution because it shows recreational zones, multi-purpose zones, and no-take zones (Saba Conservation Foundation, n.d.). Therefore, tourists encouraged to enjoy the environment without destroying it. 

Saba Trail Network

On the island there are three main vegetation zones which are around Mount Scenery, hill tops, and meadow areas. On top of Mount Scenery there is thick vegetation within the Elfin Forest, covering about 20 acres of land. Most species reside at the hill tops and slops because they are filled with tall vegetation. The grassy meadows have small shrubs but do not have vegetation near the shore due to the steep cliff drop offs that go straight to the shore line (Saba Conservation Foundation, n.d.). The environment is healthy because Saba ensures that tourists are aware of nature conservation before they travel on hiking trails.

Saba also prohibits the establishment of commercial franchises on the island, which keeps the economy of Saba rooted in their history and culture. This allows locals to be involved in tourism and receive the benefits of tourism dollars. It also creates an opportunity for locals to share their unique culture with tourists, which adds to the small island charm. Saba tries to preserve every part of the island to its original state before European settlers found it in 1640 (Saba Tourist Bureau, n.d.).