Balcones Del Atlantico Looks After Las Terrenas Life, Land & Sea

Beachfront Community Promotes Environmental Awareness through Various Programs
By: Megan Palmer
 
Jan. 28, 2009 - PRLog -- Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  – Hidden in the North coast of the Dominican Republic are some of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders including white sand beaches, pristine coral reefs and whale watching in Samana Bay.  What’s more is that this tropical island also offers the most exquisite fresh seafood including lobster and a variety of fish.  It’s no wonder vacationers and second home owners are flocking to Las Terrenas.  However, with privilege comes responsibility and the new beachfront community of Balcones Del Atlántico is taking extra measures to safeguard these island charms through education and action so future generations can continue to enjoy the magnificent land and its inhabitants.

Bringing in an expert like Ruben Torres ensures the Bisonó Group means business when they commit to look after the beaches and community. With tours of duty at Parque Nacional and the National Aquarium in Santo Domingo, Ruben Torres has more than two decades of experience in the Dominican Republic exploring, researching and protecting the islands natural wonders.  After establishing his own consulting firm, Tec Unlimited, Ruben is surely the most qualified individual to assist Balcones Del Atlántico with their mission to maintain the beautiful beaches and national treasures they proudly call home.  Together, Balcones Del Atlántico and Ruben Torres are bringing the cause to the community.  While working with Bisonó Group, Ruben said “It was clear Maximo [Bisonó] understood right away that the beach he’s on is prime property. More importantly he understands that tourism in the Dominican hasn’t been environmentally friendly and wants to ensure that he would positively impact the area of Las Terrenas that he was developing.”  

A former fisherman’s village, Las Terrenas allows residents and visitors to enjoy succulent lobster and out-of-this-world fresh fish, the local fruit of the sea in the area’s bustling restaurants and pescaderias.  Nonetheless, the need for educating the fisherman on the problem of overfishing has been brought to the surface. Through his efforts with Reef Check: Dominican Republic, Ruben has been educating the community with lectures, children’s camps, and coral reef monitoring programs.  Ruben believes that “…it’s important to start with the community, showing the locals how protecting the area trickles down to preserving the beaches and marine life.  That’s why we’re working with these development projects to create a network of marine protected area.”  To provide for and protect marine life, Balcones Del Atlántico will create habitats where sea creatures can live, such as lobster houses made out of cement.  Ruben is largely concerned with sea-life population and he hopes to develop more substantial fisheries to alleviate the loss of fish population and that by educating the fisherman, they will learn to fish in a more sustainable way.

Pollution from agricultural runoff and sewage, recreational overuse and misuse, marine debris, dredging and shoreline modification, and global climate change stand to threaten the existence of the coral reefs. The coral reefs that surround the Dominican Republic are an integral part of the local Dominican communities.  These reefs protect the shoreline and beaches from waves and storms, and support the industries that benefit from their existence including food and tourism.  The coral reefs also provide habitats for a wide variety of sea creatures, including fish and sea turtles.  Ruben holds fast to the belief that there is no quick fix; it’s a long process of changing people’s behaviors and actions and raising awareness. Fortunately Balcones Del Atlántico is dedicated to seeing Las Terrenas thrive and will continue to make every effort to protect this magical paradise.
In addition, through it’s design Balcones Del Atlántico has taken careful consideration to preserve the areas natural surroundings and wildlife.  Beginning with the coconut trees, Balcones Del Atlántico carefully removed the trees during construction to be able to preserve and replant afterward, instead of uprooting the trees and discarding them.  Coconut trees are extremely important to the community and can be seen throughout Las Terrenas’ culinary culture and history, where the coconut is included in many of the regional dishes.  Incorporating lakes and waterfalls, as well as fruitful plants in the residential community, Balcones has created a welcoming habitat for birds and other wildlife.  With the help of landscape artist Andres Zaglul, Balcones Del Atlántico has also taken cues from The Sustainable Sites Initiative Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks a coalition of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin and the United States Botanic Garden.  The guidelines focus on ways a site can protect, restore and regenerate ecosystem services as well as how they benefit from the measures taken. Andres Zaglul is a proponent of this program as it “…tries to establish norms to manage the environment in a way that minimizes the impact of building and how to accomplish a sustainable use of the spaces”.  In the coming months, Balcones Del Atlántico will create a photographic registry of the flora and fauna they’ve designed to be used in a guide explaining the benefits each provide for the environment and surrounding community.


About Balcones Del Atlántico:
A dreamlike beachfront community, Balcones Del Atlántico is a collection of more than 250 apartments, penthouses, town homes and villas for those seeking a life of leisure on some of the Dominican Republic’s most stunning beaches.  Available in 1-5 bedrooms, the units are decorated with local elements, as well as pieces from Spain, Italy and Indonesia, to reflect the tropical architecture and location. Residents will enjoy the warm sun and white sand beaches while basking in the beauty of abundant marine life and azure seas. For more information visit www.balconesdelatlantico.com.do or call 1.800.770.3359.



Media Contact: Megan Palmer, AMG PR WORKS
305.572.9883 x304 megan@americasmediagroup.com

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Source:Megan Palmer
Email:***@americasmediagroup.com
Zip:33137
Tags:Beachfront, Enviromental Awareness
Industry:Real Estate
Location:Miami - Florida - United States
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