International Coastal Cleanup 2022 Yields 100% Greater Impact for Aruba
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba amassed more than 100 volunteers to join the global community in Fighting for Trash Free Seas®. Leading the world effort is the Ocean Conservancy.
Bucuti & Tara guest volunteers joined resort staff and their families and friends, Park Arikok staff, and along with more than 60 students from the University of Aruba and International School came together at Dunes Beach behind the California Lighthouse.
This year’s collected debris doubled what was gathered in 2021 during the International Coastal Cleanup® Day at Arashi. Project partner Park Arikok graciously hauled away two huge trucks filled with the shoreline debris.
The collaborative effort led by the Caribbean’s first certified carbon-neutral hotel also included transportation, food and drinks, and supplies. Bucuti & Tara Executive Chef Alex and the Elements restaurant staff prepared sandwiches for everyone. Team members also provided ice water, guidance along the beach, and made sure participants had buckets and gloves during the cleanup. Fofoti donated a comfortable air-conditioned bus.
Kinziah Rodriguez, Cruise Operations Supervisor of Fofoti shared their participation in this year’s International Coastal Cleanup Day reminded them of the Jennifer Nini quote, “We can't just consume our way to a more sustainable world.” Rodriguez went on to add to that, “but we can take part in help saving the world for our own tomorrows."
Dunes Beach, protected by Park Arikok, is a popular nesting place for vulnerable sea turtles. During this year’s beach cleanup, there were three turtle nests. By removing debris and relocating driftwood further from the coastline, hatchlings taking their first steps will have a better passage to sea.
“Plastic debris in particular is now found at every level of the sea from shoreline to seabed. While Aruba has banned single-use plastic, this global issue continues to threaten the island’s delicate sea life,” shares participant Ewald Biemans, Owner/CEO of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba. “Bucuti & Tara supplements this annual global coastal beach cleanup with monthly beach cleanups that bring together guests and staff to keep the resort’s stretch of Eagle Beach safe and pristine.”
About Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort
Declared the first CarbonNeutral®/net zero hotel in the Caribbean in August 2018, Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort is one of the Top 10 Hotels for Romance in the World (fourth straight year), No. 1 Hotel for Romance in the Caribbean (seventh straight year) and No. 3 Hotel for Service in the Caribbean. Aruba’s premier adults-only boutique resort is led by celebrated hotelier and environmentalist, Ewald Biemans, named by Caribbean Journal as the 2017 Caribbean Hotelier of the Year. The resort is nestled on the powdery white sands of Eagle Beach, home to protected sea turtles and named one of the “Dream Beaches of the World.”
Now home to the Caribbean’s Safest, Healthiest Vacation Experience thanks to its physician-developed COVID-19 safety protocols and Aruba’s Health & Happiness Code seal, Bucuti has 104 well-appointed guestrooms, suites and penthouses. It offers sunbeds and shade for every guest; freshwater infinity pool; spa; WiFi; and complimentary iPad with Skype for use during stay. Award-winning healthy dining is enjoyed at oceanfront Elements, Tara Lounge and private beach dining. Reserved exclusively for guests and their friends, the newly renovated open-air SandBar offers top-shelf cocktails and live music daily along with the Caribbean’s first Healthy Hour. The resort is TAG Approved® as a LGBTQ-friendly hotel. Bucuti, a worldwide sustainable tourism leader, holds eco-certifications of LEED Gold, Green Globe Platinum and Travelife Gold and was named the World’s Most Sustainable Hotel/Resort in 2016 by Green Globe.
