Nirvana Reef Garden is an underwater park for the preservation and active restoration of coral reefs; a platform for sustainable and scientific tourism, environmental education and research on the island of San Andrés. It has coral cultivation areas, in nurseries and fixed structures, and coral transplant areas, where tourism, educational and research programs will be carried out, which will be planned, coordinated and executed in alliance with diving centers, operators tourism, educational institutions and NGOs.
Guided tours and programs will be offered, with different levels of participation and duration: from two-hour observation visits to multi-day restoration courses for more specialized audiences. Tourist or educational activities will always have the accompaniment and / or supervision of trained environmental professionals.
The nature tourism sector and specifically, scientific tourism, brings great economic benefits, since, on the one hand, it actively participates in the protection and restoration of the ecosystems that support the economy through the different ecosystem services they provide. And on the other hand, it generates income for the people involved in the provision of nature-based tourism services.
The Nirvana Reef Garden park seeks to offer an attractive and organized place where people can get involved with the conservation of the coral reef ecosystem in a meaningful and fun way, preserving the scientific rigor of this practice. And at the same time, maintain a stock of corals, available to restore degraded reef areas inside and outside the park. Additionally, this project facilitates learning about the dynamics of the reef and raising awareness about its importance, which brings environmental benefits in the short and long term.
Financial aid required: US 70.000
Thanks to your donation, the whole world will learn the ecological value of corals.
You can donate to this project here:
- Mariana Gnecco
- The project promotes the care of nature and ecology | The project promotes gender equality | The project does not violate the rights of girls, boys and adolescents | The project does not incur animal abuse | The project is inclusive with the different ethnic identities | The project promotes work alternatives for the disabled population
- This project is led by a team of women biologists, the project will directly benefit the Raizal community, the ancestral population of the islands, considered an ethnic minority. The park team is largely made up of professionals, whether they are Raizales or members of Raizales families. Also, many of the people who carry out economic activities related to the park (diving, transportation, accommodation, food service) are locals. Additionally, local artisanal fishermen will be involved in field work. This will be the practical component of a short reef ecology and restoration training program to be provided to local communities. It is estimated that 100 people from the vulnerable population will be impacted, between direct work and family benefits.
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