"Saba's
Unique Cloud Forest" book launch
The Opening Night of Sea & Learn 2010 will be highlighted
with the official launch of Tom van't Hof's new book. As
always, Opening Night will be October 1st.
Tom van't Hof has just published a booklet on the cloud forest
in Saba, entitled "Saba's Unique Cloud Forest". The cloud
forest on the top of Mt. Scenery is unique because the
Mountain mahogany is the "signature" tree in Saba's cloud
forest, whereas it is uncommon or absent in other Caribbean
cloud forests. In addition, the Saba Mountain mahoganies can
reach a height of 50 ft, while canopy height in other cloud
forests seldom exceeds 20 ft. However, very little research
has been done to describe the characteristics of the Saba
cloud forest.
The book price on Saba or Amazaon.com is only $13.
Get your copy at Opening Night for just $10 cash.
The author, a biologist and conservationist who has lived on
Saba since 1986, provides the reader with a compilation of
available information on the cloud forest, combined with his
own unique observations. In particular he describes how the
climax state of this forest ended in 1998 following a series
of major hurricanes and how it has evolved since. A
fascinating tale, filled with information never published
before, of natural impact on the environment and nature's
resilience. As Van't Hof wrote in the introduction: "Since my
observations of the cloud forest represent about the only
knowledge available of the history of the cloud forest during
a period of intense hurricanes, I decided that I should put my
knowledge in writing before it gets lost. The result of that
decision lies here before you. "
The book is being shipped to Saba. More details of
Opening Night, the price of the book and the full schedule of
the 8th annual event will be updated on this site.
Tom van’t Hof is a biologist and conservationist who has lived
on Saba since 1986. He was responsible for the development of
the marine parks in Bonaire , Curacao and Saba . As a private
consultant he was involved in numerous conservation projects
around the world. Economics and financing of marine protected
areas became his field of special interest.
Tom was co-founder of the Saba Conservation Foundation and
functioned as its chairman for almost 10 years. He is the
author of “The Nature of Saba” and of several marine park
guidebooks. Together with his family he founded the Ecolodge
Rendez-Vous in 2002. He retired in 2009, but he and his wife
Heleen Cornet have no intention to move.
Making a trip to Saba to buy the book is a great idea but if
it's just not possible, the book is also available on Amazon.com You can even link to the e-version.
