Hotel L’Esplanade are more than just sponsors of the Migratory Bird Festival, owners Kristin & Marc Petrelluzzi have been members of the association from the beginning and have helped us out as volunteers at almost every event we’ve ever done. And not just the easy stuff—they led a beach clean-up in Cul-de-Sac at the very first Migratory Bird Festival. Les Fruits de Mer wouldn’t be where we are today without them.
Hotel L’Esplanade
This hotel has established a cult following from guests that enjoy an authentic, luxurious, unpretentious and un-touristy Caribbean experience with a homey feel. Acknowledged by TripAdvisor as one of the Caribbean’s “Best Hidden Gems”, and more recently named #19 of the top 25 hotels in all of the Caribbean. Hotel L’Esplanade has been a benefactor member since 2013 and has sponsored many Les Fruits de Mer events. http://www.lesplanade.com – Hotel L’Esplanade on Facebook
You know who’s helping make this year’s Migratory Bird Festival Possible? These guys are! Delta has been one of our sponsors from the beginning. One reason why we’ve done so many things is that we know we can count on their support.
Delta Petroleum
Founded in 1985, Delta serves the Caribbean with superior performance diesel, gasoline and LPG meeting U.S. and European standards. Delta is a proud and growing member of the communities from the Virgin Islands to Martinique. Delta Petroleum was a sponsor of many of our events. http://deltapetroleum.com
Do you want all the good feelings that come from supporting wildlife education on St. Martin? Would your company like to do something for the community and get recognized for it? Contact us! We are more than happy to welcome new sponsors and corporate members.
You can’t save a species if you don’t know what’s hurting it. In this week’s Wild Statia we take a look at how field research can point the way to the conservation efforts that will make the biggest difference, and what’s going on with Red-billed Tropicbird eggs on Statia.
It’s not just the best place in Grand Case to watch the sunset while enjoying a cool drink, they also support wildlife education on St. Martin, including this year’s Migratory Bird Festival.
Calmos Cafe
Located on the beach in Grand Case, St. Martin, Calmos Cafe is a restaurant and bar serving great food in a friendly, casual atmosphere seven days a week. Calmos Cafe has been a benefactor member of Les Fruits de Mer since 2013 and a sponsor of many of our events. http://lecalmoscafe.com
Do you want to support wildlife education on St. Martin? Do you think you could convince your boss to support it? Contact us! We are more than happy to welcome new sponsors and corporate members.
The theme this year for our Migratory Bird Festival—and hundreds of other International Migratory Bird Day events from Canada to Argentina—is Restore Habitat, Restore Birds. For us, that means Club Gaïac will be back, and we will be doing education about this amazing tree and giving away as many seedlings as we can.
Do you know what you need to make seedlings? Seeds! Right now happens to be a great time to gather them. Many trees are dropping their seeds and the ground beneath them is covered in dry fruit and seeds. For trees that are growing over concrete or other flat surfaces, you can actually use a broom and dustpan to sweep up the fruit and seeds and then sort them later. In some cases it only takes about five minutes to gather a thousand seeds, and sorting them at a table is a lot easier on your back than picking up seeds one-by-one off the ground.
Be sure to put the Migratory Bird Festival on your calendar: Saturday, October 17th, 9am-1pm at University of St. Martin. You can also join the event on Facebook and use the “Invite” button to invite your friends.
We are very excited to be putting on the Migratory Bird Festival at University of St. Martin this year. It is a wonderful location for easy access to migratory birds and they are a fantastic event partner.
About University of St. Martin
The University of St. Martin is committed to offering quality career and academic education that will provide students with a solid foundation to enter the field of their chosen career or to pursue further academic studies. The University of St. Martin was founded on the principle that education can improve the quality of life for people on St. Martin and in the region, and continues to be steadfast in its commitment to the community. For over two decades, USM has been offering students the opportunity to discover their potential and helping them realize their academic and professional goals. http://usmonline.net
Everyone on St. Martin—not to mention the plants and animals around us—is deeply familiar with the drought that has gripped the island in recent months. To the migratory birds that are just arriving from North America, it must be quite a surprise. What will they find when they arrive? We take a look in this week’s Bird Watch SXM.
Mark Yokoyama offers some advice during his event photography workshop. (Photo by Leno Davis.)Every two years, bird educators, scientists and conservationists from throughout the Caribbean and beyond gather for BirdsCaribbean’s International Meeting. At this year’s meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, over 200 international delegates from 33 countries/islands gathered to share the latest in Caribbean bird science, conservation and education. Representing St. Martin, Les Fruits de Mer co-founder Mark Yokoyama facilitated two media-related workshops during the meeting and released a free ebook, Look Sharp! Promote Your Organization with Great Photography.
Birds—Connecting Communities and Conservation was the theme for the meeting, and the event photography workshop presented by Mark Yokoyama focused on forging that emotional connection through the power of great images. Michaela Roberts of ECHO Bonaire found the workshop “very dynamic, fun and informative” and Leno Davis commended the hands-on portion as excellent, delivering “instant results.” Deanna Albert from the University of the West Indies commented that it was “good to know how to make non-governmental organizations visually appealing to the public—locally, regionally and internationally.”
The conference opened with “Jamaica Day—A Celebration of Jamaica’s Unique and Wonderful Birds” which included a dozen presentations about Jamaica’s birds, from the latest research in tracking Jamaican seabird populations to the role of birds in pest control on Blue Mountain coffee farms. The extended look at Jamaica’s birds also included reports on the launch of the Caribbean Birding Trail program in Jamaica and Jamaica’s historical contribution to ornithology. Other highlights included the announcement of the rediscovery of the Black-capped Petrel in Dominica over 150 years after it was last documented and the release of a new book—The Endemic Birds of Cuba—by Nils Navarro.
In addition to over 120 presentations, workshops and panel discussions, the delegates enjoyed a variety of field trips to explore Jamaica’s wilderness areas first-hand. Conference trips visited Hope Gardens, Goat Islands, Cockpit Country, Portland Bight Protected Area, and the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, amongst other destinations. Many meeting participants were particularly eager to catch a glimpse of some of the 29 bird species endemic to Jamaica that can be seen nowhere else in the world.
The event photography ebook is available for download on the websites of both BirdsCaribbean and Les Fruits de Mer. The free, 26-page book draws from experience working with many talented photographers on St. Martin as well as advice from local journalists and media experts about how to use photography to promote non-profit events and activities. Mark, a member of BirdsCaribbean’s Media Working Group, also hosted a workshop to help bird educators partner more closely with the Media Working Group to promote their activities more effectively through traditional and online media.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Lagoonies Regatta on Saturday to get your free Gaïac seedlings. We gave out about 50 seedlings to folks all over the island. Hopefully some of them will be big, beautiful trees in 100 years! We’ve also added some additional trees to the Gaïac Map, so be sure to check that out if you haven’t seen it recently!
Club Gaïac is a heritage tree restoration project.Learn about one of our island’s most amazing native trees and take home a free seedling to plant in your backyard or neighborhood at the Lagoonies Regatta, this Saturday, June 27th. This seedling giveaway is part of Club Gaïac, the Les Fruits de Mer association’s heritage tree project. The Gaïac, also known as Lignum Vitae, is an endangered native tree.
Sometimes called the Tree of Life for its alleged medicinal properties, the Gaïac is a hardy, slow-growing tree native to our region. Prized for their incredibly strong wood—the densest of any tree in the world—these beautiful trees were over-harvested for centuries, particularly during the colonial era, and are now officially endangered. Like other native trees, they provide food and shelter to many of the island’s animals. Replanting these trees, even in our own backyards, helps create habitat for native animals and helps restore this important heritage tree for future generations. The Club Gaïac project promotes Gaïac restoration through seedling giveaways and other outreach activities, both online and at events.
Sixty Gaïac seedlings were grown for the giveaway at Saturday’s regatta.Sixty Gaïac seedlings have been raised specifically for the giveaway at the 2015 Lagoonies Regatta. They will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis at Les Fruits de Mer’s Club Gaïac station at the event, which will also feature displays and presentations about the Gaïac’s role in the local ecosystem and its fascinating historical uses on this island and around the world. Anyone with a Gaïac tree in their yard is encouraged to bring seeds that can be cultivated for future seedling giveaways.
The Lagoonies Regatta will be held from 9am-5pm, followed by an awards ceremony and free live rock concert, on Saturday, June 27th at Lagoonies Bistro, located at the Lagoon Marina, Wellington Road 33-35 between ELECTEC and FKG in Cole Bay. The Club Gaïac station will be open from 10am to 6pm.
BirdsCaribbean is the Caribbean region’s largest conservation organization.St. Martin’s connection to the regional conservation community just grew a little bit closer. Local non-profit association Les Fruits de Mer recently became the first institutional member of BirdsCaribbean in the French Caribbean. BirdsCaribbean is the largest regional organization devoted to wildlife conservation in the Caribbean. Although the two organizations have been working together for almost two years, joining helps integrate Les Fruits de Mer, St. Martin and the French Caribbean into the regional bird education and conservation community.
“Working with BirdsCaribbean has really helped us have a big impact quickly, even though we’re a young association,” explained Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “They’ve provided training and materials developed for the Caribbean that have really enhanced many of our events and educational workshops. Simply being part of something bigger also makes an event more meaningful and interesting to our members and the public.”
BirdSleuth Caribbean is one of many BirdsCaribbean programs Les Fruits de Mer participates in.Les Fruits de Mer has collaborated with BirdsCaribbean on a number of projects and events over the last two years, primarily in the areas of education and outreach. Les Fruits de Mer’s annual Migratory Bird Festival and Endemic Animal Festival events are part of Caribbean-wide programs organized by BirdsCaribbean to celebrate migratory and endemic birds: International Migratory Bird Day and the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. Les Fruits de Mer has also added birdwatching sites to BirdsCaribbean’s flagship eco-tourism project, the Caribbean Birding Trail.
Les Fruits de Mer works closely with BirdsCaribbean on multiple education programs. Last year, Les Fruits de Mer co-founder Mark Yokoyama received training on two ecology-oriented programs: Wondrous West Indian Wetlands and BirdSleuth Caribbean. In addition to incorporating activities from these programs into their outreach and education programs, Les Fruits de Mer has partnered to help translate materials into French and train local educators in the BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum.
The organizations began working together after a Les Fruits de Mer member attended BirdsCaribbean’s international meeting in 2013. “For someone new to wildlife education, it was a real eye opener,” according to Yokoyama. “It’s probably the only opportunity to spend a week with hundreds of Caribbean educators and conservationists, learning, sharing and tackling issues on a regional level. More than anything, BirdsCaribbean is a network of inspired individuals and organizations. Being a part of that network is key to our mission, and being the only member organization in the French Caribbean makes our role even more important.”
Membership also gives Les Fruits de Mer a chance to help BirdsCaribbean. “We support our member organizations, but our accomplishments are also the work of our member volunteers,” explained BirdsCaribbean’s Executive Director Lisa Sorenson. “Les Fruits de Mer are partners in many of our education and outreach programs, but members are also part of internal working groups managing BirdsCaribbean’s media and technology.”
The Brown Pelican is featured in a new collection of desktop wallpapers of St. Martin birds released to commemorate the partnership.Les Fruits de Mer have released a collection of desktop wallpaper and screensaver images to celebrate the partnership. It features 24 images of St. Martin birds and can be downloaded for free from their web site. Looking to the future, Les Fruits de Mer will continue to collaborate with BirdsCaribbean on education and awareness projects. Yokoyama will also lead a workshop at the 20th International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean in Jamaica this July. Once again, it will be a chance to connect St. Martin—and the French Caribbean—to the regional conservation community.
It seems that the marlin were the big winners this year, since all those that were caught were released. We did get some mahi-mahi and wahoo stomachs to analyze and found a few parasites, some small fish and squid and in a couple cases, a significant amount of sargassum. We also collected more traditional fish names and had a lot of fun overall.
Yesterday was the opening day of the St. Martin Billfish Tournament, and we were at our booth doing marine life education. It was a good day for the fish—no marlin big enough to keep were caught—so we didn’t get to analyze any stomach contents. We did begin gathering local knowledge about fish and fishing, including many of the traditional local names for fish on St. Martin and elsewhere in the Caribbean. Stop by today 4pm-9pm or Saturday 11am-10pm and share your knowledge about local fish and fishing.
In the latest Bird Watch we look at the Gray Kingbird and why one subspecies lives only in the Lesser Antilles, while the only other subspecies is spread around the hemisphere.
Once again we were blessed with fantastic support from local and regional media for the Endemic Animal Festival. We had exceptional coverage which helped bring record crowds to the event. Below are some press clippings and links to online coverage of the event.
The Endemic Animal Festival was a huge success this year and we will be sharing more about the event in the coming days as we recover and unpack, but first some wonderful images from Marc Petrelluzzi. Also, a huge thank you to all the volunteers, the event couldn’t have happened without you, and it wouldn’t have been amazing if you weren’t amazing!
The Green-throated Carib hummingbird depends on a steady source of flower nectar to feed herself and her chicks.
“Restore Habitats, Restore Birds” is the theme for this year’s Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF). At dozens of events throughout the region, participants of all ages will learn how restoring local habitats can benefit the unique birds found only in the Caribbean. Events on many islands will include habitat restoration activities like clean ups and distribution of native tree seedlings for planting.
The festival, now in its 14th year, is led by BirdsCaribbean, the largest organization devoted to wildlife conservation in the Caribbean. The month-long festival includes Caribbean-wide activities beginning today – Earth Day (April 22), through to International Biodiversity Day (May 22), in more than twenty countries. The event celebrates the 150 bird species that are found only in the Caribbean, known as endemics. The highly successful program attracts over 80,000 participants and volunteers each year.
CEBF on St. Martin kicks off with the Endemic Animal Festival on Saturday, April 25th from 9am to noon. This festival was created by the association Les Fruits de Mer to celebrate all of St. Martin’s endemic animals, from birds and lizards to insects and spiders. The free event will take place at the Discovery Farm and Garden at Seaside Nature Park in Cay Bay. At the event, Les Fruits de Mer will launch Club Gaïac, a habitat and heritage restoration project centered around one of the most iconic native trees in the Caribbean.
The Caribbean Elaenia can live in both forest and scrub areas, but only lives in the Caribbean.
“Over the last several hundred years, natural habitats in the Caribbean have been degraded and destroyed in every way imaginable,” explained Leo Douglas, President of BirdsCaribbean. “Many unique Caribbean birds are now extinct, and many others are threatened. Restoring habitat helps endemic birds and also restores the natural heritage of Caribbean people.”
Habitat restoration is a boon to birds, but benefits abound for people, too. Mangrove wetlands, for example, prevent erosion, serve as nurseries for fish, and reduce the impact of major storms on our coastlines. Restored habitats and their restored bird populations may also open the door to a growing industry: birdwatching tourism.
“Birding and wildlife tourism is a huge market that is just starting to make a real impact in the Caribbean,” commented Lisa Sorenson, who is leading BirdsCaribbean’s regional bird tourism project called the Caribbean Birding Trail. The United States Fish & Wildlife Service estimated that birding travel spending was US$15 billion for 2011 in the United States alone, over half of which was spent on food and lodging. “Our endemic birds are a unique asset because they can’t be seen anywhere else. Restoring their habitat can bring revenue and jobs to the region, while also protecting nature.”
The goal of the month-long Festival is to increase public awareness of the region’s exceptionally rich and threatened bird life, using the Caribbean’s celebrated endemic birds as flagships of conservation. Festival activities include a diverse array of public events. In addition to the annual Endemic Animal Festival on April 25th, this year a “Mystery Birding Tour” is being organized for May 16th by birding guide Binkie Van Es with help from Nature Foundation St. Maarten, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean and Les Fruits de Mer. The free tour will include presentations about local birds and guided bird watching at multiple sites on the island. Sign-ups for the tour will be available at University of St. Martin and on Facebook. To find out more about the Endemic Animal Festival, visit https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/events/endemic-animal-festival/.
The Zenaida Dove depends on the seeds of many local plants for its diet.
Here are Les Fruits de Mer we are excited about the upcoming launch of Club Gaïac, a multifaceted heritage tree project. The project is centered on the Gaïac tree, also known as Lignum Vitae or Tree of Life. It is a magnificent native tree that is endangered because it was overharvested for its wood—the hardest in the world. The project includes an interactive map of local Gaïac trees (please help us add any that you know about), a crowdsourced experiment to develop and document the most effective growing practices, a repository of information about the biology, heritage and local use of the tree, and ongoing plantings of the tree to restore habit on St. Martin.
Come to the Endemic Animal Festival on Saturday from 9am-noon to participate and take home a seedling.
Things are looking good for the upcoming Endemic Animal Festival! On Saturday we got together with a few of the volunteers to work out some of the planning and activities and enjoy the beautiful coastal scrub at Seaside Nature Park. Our “preview event” with volunteers is a fun tradition that helps us make sure we’re organized for the actual event and also gives volunteers a chance to experience some of the activities, because they are often too busy to do so at the event. Without our amazing volunteers, none of what we do would be possible!
We’ll be releasing more info soon about the activities at this year’s festival, including a great new project related to the “Restore Habitats, Restore Birds” theme of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, which includes dozens of events in the region, including ours. For now, enjoy some photos from Saturday and don’t forget to share the event info and invite friends on Facebook.
We’re getting ready for the Endemic Animal Festival by releasing a free eBook about some of our regionally-endemic birds: Eye on Endemics. You can download the PDF from the Resources page on our site. Be sure to mark your calendars for the festival itself, which is coming up on Saturday, April 25th!
The Lignum Vitae, also known as Gaïac, is a beautiful tree native to the Caribbean that is now endangered due to overharvesting, primarily for its extremely hard wood. This slow-growing tree has beautiful blue flowers and intricately-packed branches in its wide crown. It is sometimes described as a small tree, but this may be primarily because so few old, large trees are left.
In order to promote this wonderful heritage tree, I have been experimenting in order to develop best practices for germinating seeds, growing seedlings and transplanting them into permanent locations. Here are some images and notes about the germination process.
Small, orange fruits contain two seeds each. The seeds themselves are covered in a red, fleshy coating called a sarcotesta.
I started by separating seeds by the presumed age, based on how much of the sarcotesta remained.
I attempted germination by keeping them in damp paper towels.
After a week or so, the seeds retaining a sarcotesta began to mold and none germinated, even after several weeks.
Seeds without a sarcotesta (because it had worn off before I collected them, or because I had removed it) did not mold, but they didn’t germinate, either.
It turns out, the key is to remove the black casing around the seed. This time-consuming, but not too difficult to do with a pocketknife. To make the process easier, it seems that exposing the radicle, the embryonic first root, is all that is necessary, so one can scrape off just the casing around the rounder end.
Prepared this way, the seeds germinate surprisingly quickly, usually in just a couple days. So far, the best process I have found is to soak the seeds in water for a day or so: this helps remove any fleshy sarcotesta so the seeds won’t mold. It may also help kickstart the germination process. Once the seeds are clean, I scrape the round end to expose the radicle and leave them in moist paper towels in a warm room. So far, the majority of seeds prepared this way seem to be germinating.
This morning we went on a nature walk to see the birds and other animals that live on the island. We were able to see many species that are endemic to the region or have a regional sub-species, like the Zenaida Dove, Carib Grackle, Black-faced Grassquit and Caribbean Elaenia. It was also just a lot of fun to take a walk and see how the local critters are doing in the scrub and around a couple ponds. Thanks to everyone who came!
After Hurricane Gonzalo delayed what would have been a fall workshop, we had the pleasure of doing a workshop with students from French Quarter during their spring break instead. This year, the activities included creating a portable pond to study the freshwater animals—insects, fish and shrimp—that live on St. Martin, and decorating bird feeders made from local calabash while learning about the different foods eaten by different birds.
Our workshops are part of a larger program of activities offered to select students by the Foyer socio-educatif du collège de Quartier d’Orléans.
A banner day for Les Fruits de Mer was mired in controversy when naysayers claimed the association’s newly redesigned logo appeared to share similarities with the French flag. The special launch promotion, featuring the new logo on flags throughout the island, was hailed with enthusiasm by most, but besmirched by accusations from a vocal minority.
“After working on this unique new design for months, it is shocking that some people would focus on any superficial ‘similarities’ between the strikingly different designs,” complained designer Stephen Winkel, “It really makes you wonder about their motivation.”
Les Fruits de Mer stand by their groundbreaking logo redesign with pride. “We’re ready to compare our new logo and the flag of France side by side in front of Parliament if that’s what it takes,” declared association President Jennifer Yerkes. “If anyone truly feels the flag of France is too similar to our logo, perhaps it is time to change the flag of France.”
A little controversy hasn’t stopped individuals and businesses from promoting the association’s new logo.
For now, the new logo and the flag promotion continue to fly. Local businesses and individuals continue to feature the new Les Fruits de Mer logo atop their flagpoles with pride. French Président François Hollande declined to comment on the controversy, but has appeared in photographs with a flag featuring the association’s new logo.
Creating a brand new logo for a globally-recognized brand is no small undertaking. Team Les Fruits de Mer knew this from the start and committed to spending months in search of an original design that would be both instantly recognizable and inextricably linked to their mission and their attitude.
The process took months of long days and late nights. The team developed countless original designs—many of which were worthy in their own right—before finally developing the perfect visual metaphor for the association.
In this rare, behind-the-scenes photo essay we see the collaborative efforts of the team, and a bit of the heat that was used to forge this unique design. Photographer and association member Olivia Roudon was given unprecedented access to the team and their work space, and the amazing chance to capture the difficult birth of this astounding new logo.
Not just creative inspiration: logo development is painstaking, exacting work.Even designs that were ultimately rejected often went through many revisions.Each member of the team contributed unique ideas about the logo and how it should function.“Thinking caps” play a key role in maintaining creativity during long design sessions.The team often used a combination of traditional and digital design tools.Exacting measurements were necessary to deliver the visceral proportionality of the final design.Even many of the rejected designs could be considered graphic design masterworks.Tension filled the room as the team came closer to a final design.The culmination of months of work was a moment of ecstasy for the team.
Three new colors are brightening skies—and flagpoles—all over the island for the launch of the new logo of the Les Fruits de Mer association. The updated icon is being celebrated with an exciting large-scale publicity campaign: flags showcasing the redesigned logo are flying all over St. Martin and even around the world.
The non-profit association Les Fruits de Mer, dedicated to wildlife and heritage education, spent the last few months developing the new look. Countless creative designs were considered before the team decided on the new logo, chosen for its visual appeal, originality and symbolic meaning. The logo features a unique “trilogy” of equal-sized color blocks: red representing the red hat worn by Commandant Jacques-Yves Cousteau, white symbolizing the blank page upon which the future is written, and blue for the boundless depths of the sea, the cradle of all life.
Les Fruits de Mer co-founders pose beneath a flag of the association’s new logo at Fort Louis in Marigot.
“Creating the final design, I felt an electricity coursing through me,” explained designer Stephen Winkel. “The logo was so unique, but also so simple, as if a mystical force had revealed to me a design that had existed since the dawn of time, waiting to be discovered.”
Rather than simply unveil the new logo online, the association decided to promote the launch with flags featuring the novel design. “We felt the flag concept was a great way to introduce the new logo, but we had no idea how popular it would be,” said association President Jenn Yerkes. “It seems like overnight the Les Fruits de Mer flag is everywhere, from businesses and schools to public buildings. You really can’t miss it!”
Local businesses have started featuring flags of the new Les Fruits de Mer logo.
With the success of the new logo, Les Fruits de Mer is considering updating other aspects of the association. According to co-founder Mark Yokoyama, “We may rework the official motto of the association to focus more on our core values of freedom, equal rights and the spirit of brotherhood.”
Les Fruits de Mer co-founders proudly display a flag with their new logo in Grand Case.
Les Fruits de Mer had a great season with our booth at the Mardis de Grand Case street fair. We presented on seven different topics this year, connecting with locals and visitors of all ages. Here are links to all the presentations we gave:
Last week was the final Tuesday street fair of the season for Mardis de Grand Case, and Les Fruits de Mer wrapped up the season with a presentation about Our Endemic Animals. You can get it from iCloud or download a PDF with presenter’s notes. It was another great year for us and we look forward to next year!
On Tuesday we were presenting about iguanas at Mardi de Grand Case, both the Green Iguana that has colonized the island so extensively in the last 20 years and the Lesser Antillean Iguana that was lost so many years ago. If you missed, it, you can check out the presentation in iCloud and download a PDF with presenter’s notes.
Last week at Mardi de Grand Case we presented about the amazing anoles of St. Martin. These lizards are some of our most distinctive residents, including one species that is found nowhere else in the world. If you missed it, you can view the presentation in iCloud and download a PDF with presenter’s notes.
Les Fruits de Mer participated in a couple very nice events so far this week. On Sunday, we were at the opening of the Discovery Farm and Garden where we had free nature journals for kids to decorate and then take home so they could draw and document their nature sightings.
We also has a wetland-themed presentation at the Mardis de Grand Case street fair this week: Exploring St. Martin’s Wetlands. Lots of people stopped by to learn about local wetlands, why they are important to people and wildlife and three great places to visit and enjoy wetlands on the island. If you missed it, the presentation is on iCloud here and a PDF with presenters notes can be downloaded.
Les Fruits de Mer kicked off the Mardis de Grand Case season with a presentation about the explosion of butterflies we are experiencing right now. If you didn’t make it to our booth, you can check out the presentation here*. We also have a few photos of the booth, which is looking awesome this year. Seven weeks to go, so we’d better see you there one of these Tuesdays!
* Maybe. iCloud is in beta. Right now, I can see the presentation, but I don’t know how to show the slide notes, which is where the text is.
The new column Wild Statia launched in The Daily Herald’s Weekender section this morning. It will document the wildlife of Statia, the island itself, and the process of making a book about the island’s wildlife. Being on Statia is amazing, hopefully reading about it will be at least a bit interesting!
Please help us celebrate island heritage and the work of photographers of all ages at the 2014 Heritage Photo Exhibition. The gala opening of the Exhibition will be held at 7pm on Saturday, December 6th at Lagoonies Bistro and Bar at Lagoon Marina in Cole Bay. This event is free and open to the public, and will include large-format displays, voting for the People’s Choice Award, and an official prize ceremony at 9pm. The winning works and other entries will be on display throughout the following week.
The Heritage Photo Contest and Exhibition was developed by Les Fruits de Mer to showcase art created here on St. Martin/St. Maarten, and to engage residents–especially kids–in thinking about their heritage. The Be the Change SXM Foundation provided funding for the contest and exhibition.
The panel of judges faced many difficult decisions when selecting the winners of the 2014 Heritage Photo Contest. With over 75 entries, the competition was fierce, and the works submitted beautifully captured many diverse aspects of the island’s heritage.
The theme of this year’s contest, “Vibrant and Vulnerable”, followed an unusual format and was chosen to raise awareness about the island’s unique natural, cultural and historic heritage, as well as the threats facing this heritage and the need to preserve it. Each entry included two photos–one representing a “Vibrant” aspect of the island and one representing a “Vulnerable” aspect–and the artist’s statement about the photo selections. This format was very open to creative interpretation, and the entries that poured in touch on many different facets of local heritage, from plants, animals and landscape, to history, architecture and culture.
In the end, the first prize in the overall competition went to Alexandre Guerre, and top honors in the youth competition were awarded to Luna Valenti. Their photos, along with many other fantastic entries, will be featured at the upcoming exhibition.
One remaining prize, the $100 People’s Choice Award, will be decided by those who attend the opening of the exhibition. “We’re thrilled to invite everyone to take the opportunity to enjoy the stunning, thought-provoking photos at this exhibition,” says Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes, “And, of course, to vote for their favorite!” Voting will be done by ballot between 7pm and 9pm.
A green turtle takes center stage in the “Vibrant” photo from Alexandre Guerre’s winning entry. Photo by Alexandre Guerre.The “Vulnerable” photo from Alexandre Guerre’s winning entry captures the bright colors of the island’s traditional architecture. Photo by Alexandre Guerre.Young photographer Luna Valenti showcased this hummingbird as a “Vibrant” part of St. Martin’s heritage. Photo by Luna Valenti.Luna Valenti’s “Vulnerable” photo spotlights the time-weathered pier in Grand Case. Photo by Luna Valenti.
We had an awesome time at the preview event for Migratory Bird Festival 2014. We did the portable pond activity, went birdwatching and planned a bit to make sure everything goes smoothly. Here are some photos from Jenn Yerkes and Tim Chin. You should definitely be there on Saturday!
Here are some photos from a recent excursion we made to two great birding sites, Étang de la Baie Lucas and Étang de la Barrière. It was a great time and we had a chance to see many migratory species as well as many year-round resident species. Heading to the first site early, I had a chance to see the morning light slowly illuminate the pond. Birds arrived throughout the time we were there, individually and in small groups. It was like hanging out at the airport, but better!
Les Fruits de Mer has had a Twitter account for a while, but moving forward, it will actually be updated in case you want to follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lesfruitsdemer
Les Fruits de Mer partnered with the Saint Martin Billfish Tournament this year to add some science, education and fun to the event. We analyzed the stomach contents of fish to better understand their feeding patterns, we shared information about the various species of billfish present in the waters around St. Martin, we kept the kids busy with marine life coloring and activity pages and we volunteered at the bar to raise money for wildlife education on the island.
Kids, fish guts, Marlin-o-Meter, wigs, pirates and red caps! Check it out:
