The Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) is a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

that is concerned with the

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

of the natural and cultural heritage of the small

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

island of

Saba Saba may refer to: Places * Saba (island), an island of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea * Şaba (Romanian for Shabo), a town of the Odesa Oblast, Ukraine * Sabá, a municipality in the department of Colón, Honduras * Saba (river), L ...

, which is a part of the

Kingdom of the Netherlands , national_anthem = ) , image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg , map_width = 250px , image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png , map_caption2 = Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale , capital = ...

.Saba Conservation Foundation
Official site. Retrieved March 2012. Saba is part of the inner arc of the

Leeward Islands french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean , coor ...

chain of the

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...

. The SCF was founded in 1987. Its mission is "to commit to the preservation and enhancement of the marine and terrestrial environment on Saba through education, scientific research, monitoring and enforcement." The SCF has seven employees, and a board with ten members. The Foundation forms part of the

Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) is a regional partnership of conservation organisations, including the national parks on the six islands of the Dutch Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten) and is inte ...

. SCF is headquartered at

Fort Bay Fort Bay is the official and only port on the island of Saba and sits on the south side of the island, about by road from The Bottom. The port is very important for the island as most of its supplies arrive here by boat. The port currently has tw ...

(Saba's only harbor), with a second office at the Saba Trail and Information Centre in

Windwardside Windwardside is the second largest town on the island of Saba, aptly named for being on the windward side of the island. Geography The hike up the stairs to the top of Mount Scenery can begin from the road just outside Windwardside. Tourism Tw ...

Managed areas

Marine areas

Saba National Marine Park

Completely surrounding the island of Saba is a National Marine Park, which extends from the high-water mark to a depth of . The SCF manages the marine park and also two

hyperbaric Hyperbaric medicine is medical treatment in which an ambient pressure greater than sea level atmospheric pressure is a necessary component. The treatment comprises hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), the medical use of oxygen at an ambient pressure ...

facilities for divers.

Saba Bank National Park

In 2010, the very large submerged

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gr ...

known as the Saba Bank, which lies southwest of the island of Saba, was designated as a Netherlands National Park. This atoll is the flat top of a

seamount A seamount is a large geologic landform that rises from the ocean floor that does not reach to the water's surface (sea level), and thus is not an island, islet or cliff-rock. Seamounts are typically formed from extinct volcanoes that rise abru ...

. The Saba Bank park is in size.

On land

Saba Walking Trail Network

The SCF is the management agency for the numerous hiking trails, which are known as the Saba Trail Network.

Land-based nature reserves

Legislation to support the official status of the "Saba National Land Park" was in process in 2012. An "Elfin Forest Reserve" near the top of

Mount Scenery Mount Scenery is an active volcano in the Caribbean Netherlands. Its lava dome forms the summit of the Saba island stratovolcano. At an elevation of , it is the highest point in both the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and, since the dissolution of th ...

(the highest point on the island) is also a possibility.Saba Tourist Bureau
Official site. Retrieved Mar 2012.

References

External links

SCF website

{{Saba Nature conservation organizations based in North America Nature conservation in the Caribbean Saba (island) Environmental organisations based in the Netherlands Environmental organizations established in 1987 1987 establishments in the Netherlands Antilles