Brownsberg Nature Park
The Brownsberg Nature Park is located in Suriname in the Brokopondo district , on the northwestern bank of the Brokopondo reservoir .
Natural park
It is the only nature park in Suriname and covers an area of 12,200 ha . The park was founded in 1970 and is under the supervision and care of the Stichting Natuurbehoud Suriname (STINASU), which operates a few mountain huts on a plateau at an altitude of around 470 m. The peaks of the Browns and Mazaroni Mountains, the highest peaks in this area, are 514 and 508 m high. From the camp there are hiking trails to some waterfalls such as the Irene, Leo and Mazaroni Falls.
The area consists of tropical rainforest and mainly high forest with u. a. Bolletrie ( Manilkara bidentata ), Bruinhart ( Vouacapoua americana ) and on the slopes and at greater heights from Ingipipa trees ( Couratari ) as well as from moss growth , orchids etc.
The howler monkey ( Babun ) is unmistakable on Brownsberg , and is still found in large numbers here. It is also the habitat of seven other primate species that exist in Suriname .
The park is a popular natural recreation area for both tourists and locals. It is around 130 km from Paramaribo and can be reached by car via a well-paved road, the so-called Afobakaweg . Only the last unpaved seven kilometers up the mountain from Brownsweg are difficult to pass.
Destruction by prospectors
In August 2007, the WWF press spokesman in Suriname, Jerrel Pinas, announced that the activities of illegal gold prospectors in the nature park are causing increasing damage. In addition to forest damage, larger amounts of mercury are measured in the immediate vicinity . Although these illegal mining activities have been reported for years, it was not until 2007 that the relevant authorities started investigations into the gold diggers.
Even after almost five years, the situation has not changed. On March 19, 2012, the WWF Guyanas handed over a photo report with current images of serious damage to the Brownsberg Nature Park to the cabinet of the President of the Republic of Suriname. During a sightseeing flight, the WWF registered around 50 locations where illegal gold digging activities take place. It is estimated that between 1500 and 2000 illegal prospectors are active here. After gold prospectors had presented receipts from STINASU stating that they had received approval for the excavation activities in the nature park area in exchange for payment, the director of STINASU, Frans Kasantaroeno, was suspended and criminal proceedings were initiated against him. On April 16, 2012, Kasantaroeno, one of the vice-presidents of the ruling coalition party Pertjajah Luhur, was taken into custody. The park ranger of the nature park was arrested before him. Due to a lack of evidence, Kasantaroeno was released from custody about a month after he was arrested by the examining magistrate. The park guard was also released after about nine months of pre-trial detention.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from January 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
literature
- CFA Bruijning and J. Voorhoeve (main editors): Encyclopedie van Suriname . Elsevier , Amsterdam a. Brussel 1977, ISBN 90-10-01842-3 , p. 103.
