Last month, Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort proudly joined the Food Forest Project at Scol Preparatorio Santa Jacinta in Dakota, contributing both financial support and the hands-on assistance of its dedicated associates. The initiative brought together children, parents, teachers, and community volunteers for a transformative day of sustainable learning and environmental restoration, planting the seeds for a healthier future for Aruba’s youth.
The event welcomed a total of 30 volunteers, including Santa Jacinta teachers and parents, community members, Living Soil volunteers, and the Bucuti & Tara team. Telearuba was present to capture the moment as Prime Minister Mike Eman and Minister of Kingdom Relations, Education, Youth, Innovation & Sports Gerlien Croes attended to show their support for the project and its far-reaching benefits for the Dakota community.
Cultivating Sustainability Through Education
Led by Living Soil agroforestry expert Rose Barros, participants planted 50 fruit and vegetable species, including papaya, mango, eggplant and cassava, carefully arranged using syntropic agroforestry principles. The day marked an important milestone for Living Soil as it celebrated its 60th successful food forest project across Aruba, reinforcing the island’s growing movement toward community-led ecological regeneration.
Children learned how plants grow, how ecosystems work, and how they can play an active role in creating a greener world, turning the schoolyard into a living classroom that will flourish for years to come.
“Supporting the Food Forest Project aligns perfectly with our mission to lead Aruba toward a regenerative future,” shares Crescenzia Biemans, Managing Director of the resort. “Seeing children, community members, and our associates working side by side reminds us that sustainability is most powerful when it grows from the ground up.”
A Community Effort Rooted in Sustainability
Bucuti & Tara donated essential materials, including mulch, cardboard, and a specialized donkey-manure soil regeneration system. These elements play a critical role in nutrient cycling and long-term soil health, ensuring that the new food forest will thrive sustainably.
In addition to its financial and material contribution, Bucuti & Tara’s associates worked throughout the day preparing soil, planting, and guiding students, reinforcing the resort’s commitment to meaningful, hands-on community support.
This project also strengthens Bucuti & Tara’s broader climate strategy, including its work to reduce Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions and its nature-based restoration efforts at the Bucuti Tara -GMC Nature Preserve. Supporting green spaces in less advantaged neighborhoods like Dakota is a key part of the resort’s mission to extend sustainability beyond its walls and help empower families through environmental education and self-sufficiency.
“Our commitment doesn’t end today,” adds Ewald Biemans, Founder and Owner of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort. “We will continue returning to the school as the plants grow, engaging with the children and supporting future sustainability projects, from improving and refreshing the school grounds and classrooms to building a new playground. By investing in both nature and youth, we help nurture a stronger, more resilient Aruba.”
Hope and Learning Take Root
Bucuti & Tara extends heartfelt appreciation to Prime Minister Mike Eman and Minister Gerlien Croes for their presence and support, and to the teachers and students of Scol Preparatorio Santa Jacinta for warmly welcoming the resort’s associates during this important milestone. The resort is honored to contribute to a project that enriches education, strengthens community bonds, and supports Aruba’s vision for a greener future.
