Bonaire’s First Team of Earthonauts Completes Mission

Successful eco-campaign launch encouraging the exploration of our planet will continue with future expeditions

In 2022, the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire recruited a crew of eco-minded individuals to participate in its innovative Earthonauts campaign. The program, which invited visitors to apply to not only experience and explore but also volunteer on Bonaire, was developed as a reminder that there are still untouched places left to explore on our own planet.

Interested travelers submitted videos on JoinTheEarthonauts.com to receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Bonaire to assist with local conservation efforts while exploring the world’s First Blue Destination. The four final Earthonauts selected for this hybrid adventure-travel-volunteer-mission consisted of travel bloggers, digital creators, and a Marine Sciences PHD student. The crew assisted with key projects such as mangrove surveys, local crop farming, and coral propagation as well as helped the island prepare for STINAPA’s Annual Planta Palu Festival, an event inviting the community’s 5th graders to plant trees in Washington Slagbaai National Park. Additionally, they had the opportunity to visit the uninhabited and protected island of Klein Bonaire where they supported conservationists in mitigating invasive growth.

“In this time of extremes when space tourism has become en vogue, we as humans find ourselves becoming more and more detached from our world,” said Troy Dunn, Founder and President of Dunn&Co, Bonaire’s advertising agency behind the campaign. “The goal of introducing the Earthonauts program was to put people back in touch with nature and remind them how imperative it is that we care for and cherish the beautiful planet we currently inhabit – something Bonaire has always prioritized. This first trip embarked travelers on this special journey that introduced them to the island’s culture, cuisine, and natural splendor along the way.”

For an inside look at the inaugural adventure of the Earthonauts, visit @BonaireIsland for videos created by Dunn & Co. that share a synopsis of the exciting exploration, along with first-hand accounts from each of the participants. The Earthonauts program’s goals are twofold: first, to honor the island and its conservation efforts. Second, to remind travelers that Earth still has so much to offer. Plans for future missions are in the works, as the island of Bonaire is fully committed to promoting more sustainable tourism initiatives and sees itself as an ambassador for the entire planet.