The Les Fruits de Mer association will launch a new book this Saturday, Trees for Me and My Island. The bilingual book showcases native trees, which are trees originally from this island. It features 18 native trees that are ideal to plant in your backyard or neighborhood. The public is invited to the launch, where free copies of the book will be given away. Seedlings of native and heritage plants will also be available. The free event will be from 9am to noon on Saturday, June 27th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.

“This book is about trees that are great for people,” said author Mark Yokoyama. “It includes trees that provide delicious fruits and beautiful flowers. Every tree in the book has traditional uses in local culture. And they are all adapted to the conditions on St. Martin because they are native. So they grow well here!”

For each tree in the book, readers learn where and why to plant it, its cultural connections, and how it helps our local wildlife. The book is full of color photographs. It is bilingual in English and French.

“Many of our native trees really benefit people, and they have for centuries,” said Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “This book can help you find the right tree for any spot: one that doesn’t get too big, or can handle salty sea spray, or gives shade even during the dry season!”

During the event, the association will be giving away seedlings of some of the trees featured in the book and of other plants, while supplies last.

The book is available as a free download from lesfruitsdemer.com, and for purchase on amazon.com worldwide. Teachers and youth group leaders interested in copies are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer at [email protected]. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring copies for schools are also encouraged to contact the association.

Since 2020, the Les Fruits de Mer association has published over 60 books about St. Martin and has distributed over 60,000 books to students, schools and the public. The association’s book programs are supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, France and other funding partners.

Are you a teacher on either side of St. Martin? You are invited to Teacher Day at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House! It’s a chance to learn more about the Amuseum and our book program. We will be giving away books to teachers at the event. It’s also your chance to tell us about the books and materials you would love to use in your class.

Teacher Day is Saturday, May 9th from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.

We have 1,000 books to give away to teachers in May. Complete the survey and we will make a book pack for you! You can pick it up at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on our Teacher Day. If you can’t make it, we will deliver book packs to schools later in the month.

Survey link: https://forms.gle/V16v47oqWPGeLWvy7

Questions? Email [email protected]

Thanks to everyone who came out to the launch for The Last Frontier! We enjoyed spending time with you and hearing all the fascinating conversations that were inspired by the book! Here are a few photos from the event.

A new book by Roland Richardson launches at Amuseum Naturalis in French Quarter this Saturday. The book is titled The Last Frontier: Sir Roland Richardson’s French Quarter. It features artwork of people and places in French Quarter, and Richardson’s memories of the time he lived there. It is bilingual in English and French. The public is invited to the free, launch event. It will be held at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter from 9am to noon this Saturday, March 28th. The book was produced by the Les Fruits de Mer association.

“We are so excited to share this with St. Martin,” said Amuseum co-founder Mark Yokoyama, who developed the book with Richardson. “It is a book about art, about French Quarter, and about St. Martin’s past.”

The Last Frontier features 26 paintings and etchings by Roland Richardson. Subjects include an etching of the house where Richardson lived in French Quarter, and The Old House, the historic building where Amuseum Naturalis is located. The text, taken from oral history interviews with Richardson, reveals a French Quarter where traditions still survived on a rapidly changing island. He also shares insights into his artistic process.

Roland Richardson remembers his time in French Quarter fondly, “I felt that was part of my real privilege, that opportunity to sleep with my doors open. I didn’t have any worries and I felt totally at home, but I felt really privileged to have out of every door or window where I looked, the natural landscape. I did a huge, huge body of work during those years.”

Amuseum Naturalis is located at The Old House in French Quarter. It is always free to visit, and all displays are outdoors. Guests are welcome to make a self-guided visit any time during daylight hours, any day of the week. 

This book was produced with the support of the Fonds pour le développement de la vie associative (FDVA). The project was a collaboration between the Les Fruits de Mer association and the Roland Richardson Heritage Association. The funding includes giving copies of the book to all of the schools on the French side of the island. Teachers and youth group leaders interested in copies are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer at [email protected]. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring copies for schools are also encouraged to contact the association.

The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to the free, holiday-themed launch for Oualichi Kids Island. The new coloring book showcases our local wildlife. The festive launch event will be held this Saturday December 13 from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis. Kids and adults will enjoy free holiday crafts, including decorating cookies and wood ornaments in the shapes of our island wildlife. Free copies of the new book will be given away at the event, and light refreshments will be served.

Oualichi Kids Island features easy-to-color art of St. Martin animals and their names in English, French, Spanish and Dutch. It is the first book in the new Oualichi Kids book series from Les Fruits de Mer. The association created the new series in response to the requests of early education teachers for St. Martin coloring books with simple illustrations for the very young, and large-print animal names.

“Oualichi is one of the Amerindian names for this island,” said author Jenn Yerkes. “Oualichi Kids Island is specially made for the little ones who live in this unique multi-lingual place.”

“It’s a fun way for little kids to start connecting with the natural heritage of their island,” said Mark Yokoyama, co-founder of Les Fruits de Mer. “Plus it makes a great holiday gift,” added Yerkes. “So pass by and get a free copy at the Amuseum this Saturday morning!”

Free copies of Oualichi Kids Island will be given away at the launch, and festive art activities, cookie decorating and refreshments will be offered thanks to event sponsor Delta Petroleum. The free event will be held on Saturday December 13 at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter from 9am to noon.

The new book is also available as a free download from lesfruitsdemer.com, and for purchase on amazon.com worldwide. Teachers and youth group leaders interested in copies are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer at [email protected]. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring copies for schools are also encouraged to contact the association.

Free printed copies of Oualichi Kids Island will also be given to local schools as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s book program. This project is supported by Vie Associative and the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin. Oualichi Kids Island was produced with support from Vie Associative, the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.

The public is invited to celebrate the launch of the new bilingual English-Dutch edition of Animals Around Me/Dieren om mij heen. The book is a coloring book and nature journal featuring 41 animals that live on St. Martin. Originally published in a bilingual English-French edition, the translation and publication of the new English-Dutch edition was funded by Rotary Club of St. Maarten. Guests attending the launch will receive a free copy of the book.

“When we began giving books on the Dutch side of the island, teachers told us that the Dutch language is their hardest subject to teach,” explained Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “Dutch isn’t spoken much here, but knowing Dutch is key to many careers and educational opportunities. With the support of Rotary Club of St. Maarten, we were able to create a tool that can teach about local wildlife and also help build Dutch language skills.”

The Rotary Club of St. Maarten funded the translation and initial printing of the new edition of Animals Around Me/Dieren om mij heen. The project was a unique example of transboundary cooperation between organizations on each side of the island. This new edition will be printed and distributed to primary school students on St. Maarten for years to come. The Les Fruits de Mer association hopes to develop English-Dutch editions of many other books in the coming years.

“We are delighted to support local education,” said Rotary Club of St. Maarten President Adelena Chandler. “We are excited to support the students on our island and help them learn about the unique nature of the island. We also want to help our students gain language skills that will give them the broadest opportunities in education and careers.”

The book launch will be held on Saturday, November 29th from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on the hill above Coconut Grove. Free copies of the book will be given to those who attend the event. The launch is also a great chance to visit the museum. There will be a coloring station where kids can start enjoying the book right away. Light refreshments will be served.

Free printed copies of Animals Around Me/Dieren om mij heen will be given to local schools and students as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s book program. The book is also available as a free download from lesfruitsdemer.com, and for purchase on amazon.com worldwide. Teachers and youth group leaders interested in copies are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer at [email protected]. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring future English-Dutch editions of books about St. Martin nature and heritage are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer.

This book was produced with the generous support of Rotary Club of St. Maarten.

Kids are heading back to school on St. Martin. We’re getting ready to host school visits at Amuseum Naturalis so those kids can learn more about the amazing island where they live. We are also getting ready to launch some new books for kids to use in school, at home and at the Amuseum! We hope you are ready for an amazing year! Follow along on our website or Facebook.

Want to get involved? We want to give a book about St. Martin to every kid here, each year they are in school. This is about 15,000 books a year. Help us do it and we can reach every single child on the island!

Click here to give books!

Over the past year, the all-volunteer association Les Fruits de Mer and Fondation Air France have collaborated on Island of Discovery, an education project that spans both sides of the island. Since July of 2024, the project has distributed over 9,900 books to students on St. Martin and hosted over 500 students at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.

“The Island of Discovery project has had a huge reach and impact, and we’re thrilled to celebrate its successful completion!” said Les Fruits de Mer president Jenn Yerkes. “In fact, we were able to distribute even more books and host more class visits to Amuseum Naturalis than we had planned. It’s the biggest transboundary education project that we know of on this island. We are so grateful that Fondation Air France funded this amazing project for the students of St. Martin!”

The goal of the project was to boost education about local nature, heritage and culture for students on both sides of the island. Books were distributed to every student at all public and subsidized primary and secondary schools on the South side of the island. Over 2,000 books were also distributed to students on the North side in partnership with many associations. 32 school classes from both sides visited Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. Over 100 educational banners were distributed to schools.

“In addition to giving books and hosting class visits, we published three books about local nature as part of this project,” added project manager Mark Yokoyama. “We produced the bilingual Wild Things! Activity Book, which we give away to students when they come to the Amuseum. We also released new English and French editions of the full-color Wild Things! companion book.”

The Les Fruits de Mer association has distributed books to students on the North side of St. Martin for several years. 2024-2025 was the first school year the association has done wide-scale book distribution on the South side of the island, made possible by this funding from Fondation Air France. The program has received very positive feedback from teachers, students and parents on both sides of the island.

The association has published over 50 books about St. Martin nature, heritage, and culture. They include oral histories, and works created in partnership with Lasana M. Sekou, Lady Ruby Bute, and the Soualiwomen Kultural Association. Over the last few years, the Les Fruits de Mer association has distributed over 50,000 of these books for free. It has also offered free class visits to Amuseum Naturalis since 2016.

Since 1992, Fondation Air France has funded close to 1680 projects in 80 countries served by the airline company. It partners with associations on projects that impact children and youth, with a focus on educational, environmental, and humanitarian projects. The foundation funded the Les Fruits de Mer project Island of Discovery on St. Martin.

The Les Fruits de Mer association is launching updated books about St. Martin wildlife, Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin and the French version of the book, Le côté sauvage. The public is invited to celebrate these full-color books, with vivid photos of island wildlife, at the free launch event. It will be held from 9am to noon this Saturday, May 24th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. Free copies of the books will be given out at the launch, thanks to funding from Fondation Air France. People of all ages will also enjoy the Amuseum’s exhibits and gardens.

“We’re thrilled to release the new versions of these books,” said author Mark Yokoyama. “These new second editions have been updated with all the latest scientific discoveries. They are also easier to read, so more people can enjoy them.”

The new second editions were created as a companion to Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. They were made with support from Fondation Air France, which also funded the free books for this launch event, as well as activity books for students on class trips to the Amuseum. It is part of the Les Fruits de Mer association’s larger Island of Discovery project, funded by Fondation Air France. This major transboundary project was created by the all-volunteer association to boost education about local nature, heritage and culture on both sides of the island.

“We hope all will come celebrate these wonderful editions, and we are very grateful for the support of Fondation Air France who made these books and much more possible!” said Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “This is our first major project that is bringing books for all ages, museum visits and more to thousands of kids on both sides of St. Martin. We couldn’t have done this without them!”

Since 1992, Fondation Air France has funded close to 1680 projects in 80 countries served by the airline company. It partners with associations on projects that impact children and youth, with a focus on educational, environmental, and humanitarian projects. The foundation is funding the Les Fruits de Mer project Island of Discovery on St. Martin.

The launch for the new versions of Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin and Le côté sauvage ! Les animaux de Saint-Martin will be at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on Saturday, May 24th from 9am to noon. Free copies of the books will be given to those who attend the launch. The books are also available as free downloads at lesfruitsdemer.com, and for sale worldwide at amazon.com.

The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to the festive launch of a new coloring book, Soualiga Colors. The free launch event will take place from 9am to noon this Saturday, February 15th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter. The new book celebrates the rich colors found in St. Martin’s plant and animal life. It will be given away for free at the launch. The event will also feature a coloring station, and a craft station where kids and adults can decorate colorful wooden bookmarks to take home.

Soualiga Colors is the latest in the association’s popular Soualiga series of multi-lingual “color and learn” books for young children. Earlier books in the series include Soualiga Island, Soualiga Sea, Soualiga Birds, and Soualiga Creatures.

“English is the most common language here, but this is a very multi-lingual island,” said author Jenn Yerkes. “That’s why our all-volunteer association makes multi-lingual books for kids. In the Soualiga series, everything is in English, French, Spanish and Dutch.”

Soualiga Colors helps kids learn the names for colors while highlighting the spectacular colors of our local nature. An image guide on the back cover has bright photos of all the featured plants and animals. Inside, kids will find two coloring pages for each color name. Each one has a local plant or animal of that color, with the color name in all four languages. Each coloring page is also paired with a page where they can practice writing the color names.

“By showcasing the unique nature of this island, the Soualiga series makes practicing reading and writing fun! St. Martin educators and parents tell us that the local topics help kids connect more with these skills,” said Les Fruits de Mer co-founder Mark Yokoyama. “This series is specially created to help kids practice handwriting. And to help teachers inspire their students to practice it, too!”

“For parents and family members who might speak a different language at home, multi-lingual books give them a way to participate in kids’ education,” added Jenn Yerkes. “And it’s pretty cool to learn the names for colors in different languages!”

The free launch event and book giveaway of Soualiga Colors will be held at Amuseum Naturalis on Saturday, February 15th from 9am to noon, thanks to Delta Petroleum. Amuseum Naturalis is a free museum of nature and heritage located in French Quarter, St. Martin. It is open every day from sunrise to sunset.

The book is also available as a free download from lesfruitsdemer.com, and for purchase on amazon.com worldwide. Teachers and youth group leaders interested in copies are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer at [email protected]. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring copies for schools are also encouraged to contact the association.

Free printed copies of Soualiga Colors are being given to local students as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s book giveaway program. This program is supported by Vie Associative and the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, and by Fondation Air France. Soualiga Colors was produced with support from Vie Associative, the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires, and from Fondation Air France.

Thank you to everyone who came by to celebrate the launch of Homemade Games & Toys of St. Martin by Celeste Rollin Beauperthuy. We had a big crowd and gave away 200 copies of the book, signed by Celeste, Al, Dennis and Elton. If you missed it, check out the photos below. You can also download the book and we will be getting more copies in soon!

We’re going to be launching an amazing book: Homemade Games and Toys of St. Martin by Celeste Rollin Beauperthuy. The launch will be at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on Saturday, January 25th from 9am to noon. Guests will receive a free copy of the book and the author will be there to sign them! Put it on your calendar, because you do not want to miss this!