Jeanette Kawas National Park

Jeanette Kawas National Park
IUCN category II (national park)

Punta Sal peninsula beach near entrance to the Sendero Los Curumos
Map showing the location of Jeanette Kawas National Park

Location of Jeanette Kawas in Honduras

Location Honduras
Coordinates 15°49′06″N 87°22′03″W / 15.81833°N 87.36750°W / 15.81833; -87.36750Coordinates: 15°49′06″N 87°22′03″W / 15.81833°N 87.36750°W / 15.81833; -87.36750[1]
Area 781.62 km2 (301.79 sq mi)[1]
Established

4 November 1994[2]

Official name Parque Nacional Jeanette Kawas
Designated 28 March 1995

Jeanette Kawas National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Jeannette Kawas) is a national park located in the municipality of Tela, on the northern Caribbean coast of the Atlántida department of Honduras. It was established on 4 November 1994.[2] The park covers an area of 781.62 square kilometres and has an altitude of 900 metres.[1] The park was created and is managed by the PROLANSATE foundation (protection of Lancetilla, Punta Sal and Texiguat).

History

Sign welcoming visitors to Parque Nacional Jeannette Kawas

The park was originally named Punta Sal National Park, but the name was changed to Jeanette Kawas National Park in honor of Jeanette Kawas, an environmental activist and PROLANSATE president who was murdered on February 6, 1995 for her work trying to keep the palm plantations out of the park.

Jeanette Kawas National Park is part of the Ramsar Convention List of Wetlands of International Importance and was designated as such on March 28, 1995.

Geography

Located at 15º51'N 087º40'W between longitudes 87º29' and 87º52' west and latitudes 15º42' and 16º00' north on the northern coast of Honduras. It has an area of 781.5 square kilometers.

Ecosystems

The park is made up of varied marine, terrestrial and wetlands ecosystems with a large number of species. These ecosystems include: beaches, tropical forests, inundated forests, mangroves forests, lagoon and rivers.

Species

Birds

Mammals

Fishes

Reptiles

Arthropods

Golden silk spider from the Punta Sal peninsula

Plants

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "Honduras - Jeanette Kawas". United Nations Environment Programme. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  2. 1 2 Blanca Jeannette Kawas Fernandez (1946-1995)

References

External links

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