Vibrant
Youth are that vibrant power that steers our future, and their expressions deserve respect and attention, like this tree at Kim Sha Beach, transforming the linkage from a natural feature to a youth gathering place. Whether it be an expression of free-style art, a dedication for the soul of a lost loved one, or simply a public space statement that ‘We Are Here!’, youth are the most vibrant force that all humanity possesses. 

Vulnerable
As the plaster crumbles from old walls, and rust gathers on old rings of iron, so too does history fade vulnerable into the vague recesses of our minds. Those old walls once enclosed the lives of early St. Maarten people, and some of those iron rings were the anchors holding the enslaved from freedom. As time goes by, our understanding of history is always in a state of change, often vulnerable to the whims of current logic and contexts. 

Vivant
Les tortues marines doivent etre protégées car elles sont endemiques de nos eaux et quel bonheur de pouvoir les observées a l’etat naturel. La photo a été prise dans la baie de Tintamarre …

Vulnerable
Les rues couleurs caraibes et autres maisons typiques doivent etre preservé et je dirais meme plus protégés avec des statuts insulaires ou nationaux dans le but de garder les racines colorées de notre friendly island

Vibrant
The sea along the shoreline of St. Maarten/St. Martin is often cloudy because of the tides and currents churned up by the winds. Some days, though, the sea is crystal clear as if looking into the depths of a swimming pool. The range of vibrant colours that stretch from the white sand shore through the deeper water with the eel-grass bottom and into the sky is awe-inspiring.

Vulnerable
Vervet monkey (chlorocebus pygerythrus) troups are growing in leaps and bounds on St. Maarten/St. Martin. For awhile it appeared that their numbers were kept in check and it is possible that this may happen again. They are not indigenous to the island and therefore when it is very dry they ransack the gardens of residents, desecrating the carefully cared for fruit trees and vegetable patch. This monkey is looking at the young one – who in turn is looking at the bougainvillea – is the monkey’s future secure and bright or will they slowly fade into grey like a puff of smoke?

Vibrant
Many years ago there were no monkeys on the island however within the past year the vervet monkeys (chlorocebus pygerythrus) have grown in leaps and bounds and become the most vibrant species today on our island. Native to Africa they travel in social groups of anywhere between 5-25 at any given time. Their specific chant calls to each other and continual playful antics provide my camera and I non stop entertainment all day long. In this photo, a lone monkey stares up at a banana tree hoping his mates have left him some fruit (which they did not).

Vulnerable
The green iguana, also known as the common iguana was first introduced to St. Maarten back in the mid 1990’s. Young Iguanas are extremely green but lose their color as they get older. This particular guy with his dinosaur like appearance and extremely unusual beautiful beige, orange and blue colors which are pronounced during breeding, posed for me at a private undisclosed location on the island. The fact that they are so locally sought after for making “soup” on the island makes them vulnerable.

Vibrant
The snowy egret always reminds me of the vibrance of this island and the perseverance of wildlife. These birds were hunted for their feathers, and were almost gone through much of their native range. This overhunting may explain why the first official record of these birds on the island was not made until 1952. Today, they are common on St. Martin and nest on many of our ponds.

Vulnerable
The ponds themselves are vulnerable, of course, and they are often polluted and full of trash. These ponds are incredibly important to a variety of wildlife, which still survives despite the conditions. The ponds of St. Martin are both a natural treasure (and considered Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention) and an important part of our history (salt production). We should act together to clean them up, and reclaim this part of the island’s natural and historical heritage.

Photographer: Mark Yokoyama