ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius - St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation (STENAPA) has installed the island’s first Motus monitoring tower, marking an important step in wildlife conservation and migratory research on Sint Eustatius.
The tower is capable of detecting radio signals from tagged birds and butterflies, allowing researchers to track migratory movements across the Caribbean region. According to STENAPA, Statia has now become the first major location in the Dutch Caribbean to join the Caribbean Motus Collaboration, a regional initiative coordinated by BirdsCaribbean.
While the system can also monitor Monarch butterflies, the primary focus is on bird migration and the collection of data that can help researchers better understand migration routes and the effects of climate change on ecosystems.
The project forms part of the island’s Nature and Environment Policy Plan and is expected to support conservation efforts involving invasive species control, protection of native wildlife and forest restoration. A second Motus tower is planned for the Atlantic side of the island.
