The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to see the new snail exhibit at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. The free launch event for the panels will be held on Saturday, December 6th from 9am to noon. Guests can see the new snail panels and visit the Amuseum. There will also be free coloring pages featuring local snails. The panels were created with the support of Stibeman and Stichting ANEMOON.

“Snails are some of St. Martin’s most interesting animals,” said exhibit designer Mark Yokoyama. “We have snails that live in the trees, on the ground and in the soil. We have snails that are hunters, some that are scavengers and others that are plant eaters. We even have rare snails that are only found in a few places on the planet!”

The Les Fruits de Mer association has been researching snails with the help of Tello Neckheim, a snail expert and frequent visitor to St. Martin. One of the new panels includes native snails and the other features snails that were brought to St. Martin by people. The association plans to develop more snail panels, a coloring book and a field guide to local snails. There are about 50 species of land and freshwater snails on St. Martin.

Funding for the panels was provided by two foundations based in the Netherlands. Stibeman (STIchting tot BEhartiging van de belangen van de MAlacologie in Nederland) is a foundation dedicated to the study of snails. Stichting ANEMOON is a foundation dedicated to the study of marine life.

The exhibit launch will be held on Saturday, December 6th from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on the hill above Coconut Grove. The free event is also a great chance to visit the museum. There will be a coloring station with a variety of snail coloring pages for attendees to enjoy.

In November we were on Statia and had a chance to share some early drafts to get community input. Thanks to everyone who attended our community feedback event or shared feedback in another setting!

The public is invited to a free festival celebrating St. Martin’s migratory birds this Saturday, October 11th! The Migratory Bird Festival will be held from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter. The event will include the launch of a new coloring book: Amuseum Around Me. The book will be available for free at the event while supplies last. Kids can dive right into the books at the festival’s coloring station. Guests can also play fun bird games in the Amuseum’s gardens, and explore the museum exhibits and grounds. A special snail station will also highlight island snails.

“We’re super excited to host the Migratory Bird Festival and launch this fantastic new book!” said Jenn Yerkes, President of the Les Fruits de Mer association. “This new book is something kids can use at the Amuseum and bring home to continue learning and discovering.

Like the other books in the Around Me series, Amuseum Around Me is bilingual in English and French, and is also a nature journal where kids can record their own observations and make their own drawings of animals that live on St. Martin. Free copies of the book at the event were funded by the State and the Collectivité of St. Martin through the Politique de la Ville program. The book will also be given to students when they make class visits to Amuseum Naturalis.

Festival guests can enjoy BirdSleuth Caribbean activities like Bird Bingo and the Bird Habitat Scavenger hunt. These activities were adapted specifically for the Caribbean, featuring local birds and nature. They are perfect for kids and families to enjoy in the Amuseum’s gardens.

This year there will also be a snail station, where guests can learn all about St. Martin’s snails. Our snails are an important food for many of the migratory birds that come to our island.

The Migratory Bird Festival will take place from 9am to noon on Saturday, October 11th. It will be held at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on the hill above Coconut Grove in French Quarter. The event is proudly sponsored by Delta Petroleum.

Amuseum Around Me was produced with support from the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires. The book project is supported by the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin. The book is also available for purchase on amazon.com worldwide, and as a free download at http://lesfruitsdemer.com.

Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House will host three free activities on the morning of Saturday, September 20th. The Les Fruits de Mer association will lead a guided tour of the Amuseum at 10am. The Société d’Histoire de Saint-Martin will present exhibits about St. Martiners in WWI, WWII and the Algerian War in two sessions, at 9am and 11am. The Soualiwomen Kultural Association (SKA) will give two demonstrations of traditional johnny cake baking at 9am and 10:30am.

All of the activities are free. They are part of the celebration of Heritage Days organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Collectivity of St. Martin. Limited spaces are available for each activity. A signup link is posted on the social media accounts of the Collectivity of St. Martin.

“We are excited to host three activities showcasing St. Martin history and culture,” said Les Fruits de Mer president Jenn Yerkes. “Sign up, come out, and enjoy the Amuseum and the great work of our partners SKA and the Société d’Histoire!”

Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House will be open to the public on Saturday, September 20th from 9am-noon. Those who are unable to attend one of the scheduled activities are still welcome to stop by to visit.

Let’s work together for a future where heritage is preserved and shared, where elders have a way to pass on their knowledge, and kids know their island, love their nature, and are proud of their culture.

Over the last few years, we’ve expanded our free museum, Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. We’ve also grown our book program, with the goal of giving least one book about St. Martin to every single kid on the island, every school year. We’ve now published 45 books about the island for all ages, and distributed over 40,000 books to local students, teachers, and families. This school year, we hope to give a book to every student on both sides of the island. Help us make it happen!

Your donation helps us put local knowledge into world-class educational materials that can reach everyone. It helps us document and share local nature, heritage and culture. It helps us survey local biodiversity, and record oral history interviews. It helps us collaborate with St. Martin authors, artists, and people of all ages to create more amazing books and exhibits. It helps share our free museum with school groups and the public. And it helps us distribute tens of thousands of books to students every year.

We’ve reached some incredible milestones. Help us continue to build this powerful positive impact on this entire generation, and the ones to come!

Donate: https://wp.me/P6qQA3-31z

Join the association: https://wp.me/P6qQA3-Ao

Download books: https://wp.me/P6qQA3-1kR

Send us a message: info@lesfruitsdemer.com

Or come by and see us at Amuseum Naturalis (https://amuseumnaturalis.com/)!

The future is waiting. Let’s make it a great one, together!

Jenn, Mark & Christian
Les Fruits de Mer

Soualikids: Creatures • Créatures • Criaturas • Beestjes

Soualikids Creatures
This word book invites kids to explore the amazing nature on Soualiga, the island of St. Martin! Inside, they can discover local creatures and learn their names in four of the many languages spoken here. Big, bright photos show little ones their island’s fantastic creatures. And animal names in English, French, Spanish and Dutch help them build early word skills about the special creatures around them!

Soualikids: Creatures • Créatures • Criaturas • Beestjes Coloring Book

Color and learn the names of creatures on the island of St. Martin in English, French, Spanish and Dutch! Here are photos of them with their page numbers.

The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to the free, holiday-themed launch for 1, 2, 3 St. Martin! The new coloring book stars local wildlife and the numbers 1, 2, and 3. The festive launch event will be held this Saturday, December 21 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.

1, 2, 3 St. Martin! features easy-to-color art of the numbers 1, 2, and 3, paired with one, two or three St. Martin animals. The association created the new book in response to the requests of early education teachers for a St. Martin coloring book with simple illustrations for the very young.

“1, 2, 3 St. Martin! is our first Color, Learn & Count book!” said author Jenn Yerkes. “It helps little ones learn the numbers 1, 2 and 3, while they have fun counting local land and sea animals.”

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

Free copies of 1, 2, 3 St. Martin! will be given away at the launch, thanks to Vie Associative and the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin. 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 21st 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 http://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 info@lesfruitsdemer.com. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring copies for schools are also encouraged to contact the association.

Free printed copies of 1, 2, 3 St. Martin! 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, and by Fondation Air France. 1, 2, 3 St. Martin! 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.

The Book of Cures

In a small notebook, an unknown 19th-century author on the island of St. Martin recorded medical remedies and other useful information. Preserved for perhaps 200 years, through hurricanes and other calamities, this book of cures provides a unique window into life on St. Martin. Dive into this unique artifact on a page-by-page journey of discovery.
Buy the book.
Download the book for free. (PDF, 38 pages)

Find all the books by Les Fruits de Mer here.

Help us give a book to every child on St. Martin every year they are in school. Make a donation today!