Christoffel / Shetebocapark

Date established: Christoffel Park established 1978 / Shete Boka Park established1994 (200 ha)
Area (ha): 2293 hectares

General description of site
The Christoffel/Shete Boca Park is located in the Western part of Curacao. The area consists of several former plantations and features a rich diversity of cultural, historical and ecological heritage. The cultural/historical elements features intact plantation infrastructure, and associated former land use systems as well as prehistoric Indian rock art and artifacts. The geological formations, biotic conditions and associated vegetation units provide a diverse and unique combination of flora and fauna within the more inland located hilly landscape and the flat calcareous terraces towards the coast. The park contains a number of endemic flora and fauna members including a number of species which are extremly rare or can only be found within the park boundaries. The park offers two main routes for cars and no less than eigh hiking trails.

Ecosystems

• Woodland
  
• Dryforest
  
• Desert/dryshrub

Threatened, endangered, endemic species: (a few examples)

• Fauna
  • Odocoileus virginianus curassavicus (White tailed dear) (endemic and endangered)
    
  • Tyto alba bargei (Palabrua) (endemic)
    
  • Buteo albicaudatus (Falki) (endangered)
    
  • Columba squamosa (Grote blauwe duif) (rare and endemic)
• Flora
  • Myrcia curassavica (endemic)
    
  • Sabal spec. (Kabana) (endemic)
    
  • Clusia spec.(endemic)
    
  • Ananas comosus ( very rare only to be found on the Christoffelmountain)
    
  • Anturium hookeri (very rare only to be found on the Christoffelmountain)
    
  • Centaurium quitense (rare only to be found on the Christoffelmountain)

Internationally recognition
none

Legal status
none, however the area is described as a conservation area in a national policy document (EOP), which offers a certain degree of legal protection.

Vision and goals
To protect natural and scenic areas of national or international significance for scientific, educational, and recreational use. The area should perpetuate in a natural state with representative samples of physiographic regions, biotic communities and genetic resources, and species in danger of extinction to provide ecological stability and diversity.
Site Management

Visitation:
2004, tourists 10.900, locals 8900 and school children 3700.

Management body
Carmabi Foundation

Type of management structure
The park has no official status, however Carmabi Foundation is mandated and subsidized by the local government to manage the area as a protected area.

Main challenges

• Extension of existing park boundaries towards a national conservation network.
• Obtaining legal status for the park

Does a management plan exist? Yes

Main stakeholders

• Local residents in the area (employment)
  
• Tourist industry
  
• General public (recreational visits)
  
• Schools
  
• Island Government Department of Spatial Development (DROV)

Listing of current/recent research activities

• The freshwater shrimps of Curacao, West Indies (Decapoda caridea) (2003).
• A review of the freshwater fishes of Curacao, with comments of those of Aruba and Bonaire (2003).
• Baseline study of submerged marine debris on beaches of Curaçao (2001).
• The butterfly fauna of Curaçao, 1996 status and long term species turnover (1996).
• Curaçao Barn Owl status and diet (1989).

Contact Information
CARMABI
Directeur: Michelle Da Costa Gomez
Adres: Piscadera Baai, Curaçao
tel: +599-9-462-4242
www.carmabi.org