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 info@lesfruitsdemer.com. 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 info@lesfruitsdemer.com. 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 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 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 info@lesfruitsdemer.com. 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.

In that time, in the salt pond time, they were good times. The people was very industrious and they didn’t had nothing, no other alternative but the salt pond. Everybody used to work their own garden. When the time come for the salt, you had to come out. That’s what they had. Everybody had to work to that. That was all the industry they had here.

They pick it. They go in the pond in the morning early, early morning. Everybody is in the pond, picking salt. Picking, throwing in a basket. They pick it out the pond, put it in a basket — bum! — you throw it in a flat. They do that all day.

When they get this flat full, they row it in to the shore. Then somebody there in the flat shoveling it out and the younger people come and they transport it on the shore, on the dry shore. You take it now from the spot where you take it from the flat, throw it on the ground, so all the water run out so it’s dry.

Afternoon, half-past two, three o’clock, Mr. John Gumbs come. He is going to come to measure it. He come to measure it and he is the one who putting down all those marks in the book. This is the reaping figures.

Everybody get up and going back and forth. Pack it. You taking it up, to big piles. As big as this house it used to be. You had to go up steps, ladders, to go up. You go up, you throw it down all the time. They got big, big piles. Oh, boy.

The boat used to be coming there every month. When it’s time for the boat to come for it to take it up to Guadeloupe, then they ship it in the little bags. They bag it up, but they don’t bag it before the boat come. It is when the boat come, they call, “The boat is here,” the people, everybody, is going to work.

The people go and they bag it. They had a small bag. I don’t know how much it used to be, but it was big enough for the children, because mostly children was going to do that. They put it on the head and they go and they had men by the seawater to take it from them, carry it to the boat. They take it from the children, carry it to the boat.

You carry bags on until the boat is loaded. They know how much the boat can carry. So that is how they do it. That’s how they do the salt pond.

John Gumbs die. Victor Gumbs die. Everybody dead like that and the people die and went away and the salt pond went going down. You couldn’t leave the salt pond. It had to be taken care of.

As long as rain falling, no salt don’t grow. The rainy season, the fresh water melts it away.
But when it come on the dry weather, up come the salt. Beautiful. There you get beautiful salt. It used to be a beautiful sight to see.

Find more true stories about life on St. Martin in Stories of St. Martin.

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.

Forty years ago the Reverend Marcel Eugene Hodge opened the Les Alizés Guest House in Grand Case. This is the story of how he envisioned, built and opened the guest house, in his own words.

While I was working construction with Le Galion, chez Bernard — great man. He was so great. His money was not big in those days, but it was constant. He would never owe you one franc. So, I see he would come up on the job every day. Nine o’clock he come up. By eleven o’clock, he’s going back home because he got to go back to Marigot to be there to eat with his wife and children.

So, I said to the workers, “Look at this. This man only spends two hours up here. We are running the work. I’m doing the maintenance, we got other men there with us, the ladies are running it, this young man is the manager. Why can’t we get together and get a piece of land by the beach and make a small hotel?”

Well, they thought it was the craziest thing. They say, “Man, Hodge, we know you’re intelligent, we know you’re smart, but this is the foolishest thing I hear you say. How you gonna do that?”

It keep dawning on me, yes it could be done. So, when I came to the idea, I started the guest house here in ’82, ’83. I started to build here. Money was so flourishing in my pocket that to build three rooms, it take me three years.

But by 1985, the 25th of October, we opened up with three rooms. Nobody in the village gave me credit for doing it. They said, “Why don’t you take that and just rent them out by the month?” You could get $25 for a room, you know, so it would have been a month, I probably have $75. But I said “No, this is a guest house.” And they laugh at me. Some feel sorry for me.

One of the big men in Grand Case I really looked up to as the lawyer, the advisor, was the late Mr. Emile Tackling. He was our all-in-all, the one we looked to advice, for instruction. He said, “Son, I know you’re ambitious, but don’t work with that. That gonna be too difficult for you. Leave that to the big boys that can handle that, like your boss Bernard. Just you rent them by the month.” And I said, “No, Mr. Tackling.” We used to call him Pops. “No, Pops. I want to do this guest house.”

When I opened it, one day, nobody come. Just got a sign by the road: Les Alizés Guest House. Ten days, nobody come. Twenty days, nobody come. Twenty-five days, nobody come. And every afternoon friends would come up. Some would sympathize with me, some to laugh at me, “Hey preacher, what about the guest house, man? She full? She ain’t full yet?” I said, “No, not yet, they ain’t come yet.”

And when we get 29 days, a couple passed through here on a Volkswagen. They were overnighting in Philipsburg and they were going on a three-mast sailing boat somewhere in the Caribbean. They came because, they said, “This is a fishing town and we wanted to stay here for the night, and we saw the sign and we came.”

And they said, “How much a night?” And I said, “25 US dollars per night for the one room.” Don’t ask me how big I was. I felt so big, so important. After three years of building, now I’m getting my first $25.

After they left, we started to get one, two people come in. Sometimes all three rooms went, sometimes one, sometimes two. But, up to when Irma came three years ago, twelve months a year, we were never empty for six nights. The most we stayed without guests would be five nights. But the sixth night, for sure we got guests.

Find more true stories about life on St. Martin in Stories of St. Martin.

The Orange-horned Tarantula Hawk is one of this island’s most fascinating insects. These wasps are a deep metallic blue, with bright orange antennae. They are some of the island’s key pollinators, since the adults eat nectar from flowers. But the young ones eat tarantulas! And their mothers have a very smart way to make sure their babies always have fresh meat. The adult females are superb hunters. They hunt down tarantulas — but they don’t kill them. Instead, they paralyze them with their venom. Then they bury them in a burrow, and lay eggs on them. When their children hatch, they devour the paralyzed tarantula alive, bit by bit!

Find more fascinating nature stories in Incredibilia!