Samenvatting

La Prosperité is an old colonial timber plantation in the rural district of Para in Suriname, which was purchased by a group of former plantation workers after the abolition of slavery. It is occupied by the small village of Bersaba which consists primarily of descendants of those who passed it on as heritage. One of these descendants and simultaneously heir is Guno C. Pocorni, the founder of Stichting Pocorni International, who has the ambition to focus and improve the future of this estate. The foundation is in search of sustainable opportunities, activities and mechanisms to utilise the capacity of its forest which should provide economic benefits to the community of Bersaba and allow for sustainable development of the forest whilst conserving its natural environment. No detailed information regarding the natural environment of La Prosperité is available, preventing sustainable and adequate development planning. Therefore, the objective of this research is to improve knowledge towards the ecological condition of La Prosperité and its ecosystem services, as well as identify suitable goods or services that can serve as a mechanism to support economic development in La Prosperité whilst conserving its natural surroundings.