Ever wonder why the Caribbean was suddenly invaded by huge amounts of sargassum? Treat yourself to the answer! Get your copy of Suddenly, Sargassum! and find out why this strange seaweed is here and what it is doing to the region.
Suddenly, Sargassum
In 2011, a floating seaweed called sargassum landed in huge amounts on the shores of St. Martin and other Caribbean islands for the first time in history. Since then, it has come almost every year, changing beaches and seas.
What is sargassum? Why is it washing up on St. Martin’s beaches? How does it impact life on land and sea? What can be done about it?
Looking for a great gift for young kids? Share the amazing wildlife of St. Martin with them in four languages! Get the Soualikids Island picture book and the Soualikids Island Coloring Book and share the magic of nature together!
Soualikids: Island • Île • Isla • Eiland
Soualikids Island
This word book invites kids to explore the amazing nature on Soualiga, the island of St. Martin! Inside, they can discover local animals and learn their names in four of the many languages spoken here. Big, bright photos show little ones their island’s unique wildlife. And animal names in English, French, Spanish and Dutch help them build early word skills about the special place where they live!
Soualikids Île
Ce livre de mots invite les kids à explorer la nature étonnante de Soualiga, l’île de Saint-Martin ! À l’intérieur, ils peuvent découvrir les animaux locaux et apprendre leurs noms dans quatre des nombreuses langues parlées ici. De grandes photos éclatantes illustrent aux enfants la faune unique de leur île. Et les noms d’animaux en anglais, français, espagnol et néerlandais les aident à acquérir la base du vocabulaire pour décrire l’environnement exceptionnel dans lequel ils vivent !
Soualikids Isla
¡Este libro de palabras invita a los niños a explorar la increíble naturaleza de Soualiga, la isla de San Martín! En el interior, pueden descubrir animales locales y aprender sus nombres en cuatro de los muchos idiomas que se hablan aquí. Las fotos grandes y brillantes muestran a los más pequeños la fauna única de su isla. ¡Y los nombres de animales en inglés, francés, español y holandés les ayudan a desarrollar habilidades tempranas de palabras sobre el lugar especial en el que viven!
Soualikids Eiland
Dit woordenboek nodigt kinderen uit om de prachtige natuur van Soualiga, het eiland St. Martin, te ontdekken! Kinderen kunnen in dit boek kennismaken met lokale dieren en hun namen leren in vier van de vele talen die hier worden gesproken. Grote, levendige foto’s laten de kleintjes de unieke fauna van hun eiland zien. Dierennamen in het Engels, Frans, Spaans en Nederlands helpen ze om al vroeg woordvaardigheden op te bouwen over de speciale plek waar ze wonen!
Looking for a great holiday gift for a young person? Wild Things is a fun activity book about St. Martin’s amazing wildlife. Learn about animals that live nowhere else in the world, explore caves and freshwater streams and find out how recently arrived species are changing the island. Explore the island of St. Martin and its amazing wildlife, with over 100 pages of fascinating discoveries, mazes, word games, quiz games, coloring pages, creative writing activities and more!
Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin Activity Book
Get to know the wild things of St. Martin! This entertaining overview of St. Martin’s land and freshwater wildlife will take you all over the island. Discover the unique animals living on the island of St. Martin. Learn about animals that live nowhere else in the world, explore caves and freshwater streams and find out how recently arrived species are changing the island. Explore the island of St. Martin and its amazing wildlife, with over 100 pages of fascinating discoveries, mazes, word games, quiz games, coloring pages, creative writing activities and more!
Découvrez les histoires incroyables de la faune de Saint-Martin! Apprenez à connaître les animaux qui ne vivent qu’ici, les nouveaux arrivants qui changent l’île, les bestioles qui crient la nuit et bien plus encore ! Explore l’île de Saint-Martin et sa faune formidable, avec plus de 100 pages de découvertes fascinantes, de labyrinthes, de jeux de mots, de quiz, de coloriages, d’activités d’écriture créative et plus encore !
The Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin Activity Book launches Saturday, November 30th from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.
The Les Fruits de Mer association is launching a new bilingual book about St. Martin wildlife, Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin Activity Book. People of all ages are invited to celebrate the new book at the free launch event. It will be held from 9am to noon this Saturday, November 30th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. Free copies of the new book will be given to the public during the launch, thanks to funding from Fondation Air France. There will be a coloring station to start enjoying all the wonderful activities in the book. Light refreshments will be served, and the Amuseum’s exhibits and gardens will be there to discover.
“This book tells many of the big stories about St. Martin wildlife,” said co-author Mark Yokoyama. “It showcases animals that live only here, and explains why that is. It explores the night world of the island and its creatures. It takes the reader into caves and streams to see what is living there.”
The new activity book was created as a companion to Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. Students visiting the museum on class trips will each receive a copy to use during and after their visit. The book was made with support from Fondation Air France, which also funded the books for students on class trips and the free books for the launch event. 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.
The book is bilingual in English and French, and has eight sections. Each section teaches a concept about local wildlife or describes a habitat, and spotlights a selection of related animals. There are also creative activities and quizzes in each section. The book itself is over 100 pages of learning and fun.
“We are really excited to launch this book, and very grateful for the support of Fondation Air France who made this book and much more possible!” said co-author and 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 Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin Activity Book launch will be at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on Saturday, November 30th from 9am to noon. Free copies of the book will be given to those who attend the launch. The book is also available as a free download at lesfruitsdemer.com, and for sale worldwide at amazon.com.
Fondation Air France funded the creation and distribution of the Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin Activity Book.
The free Migratory Bird Festival will be held at Amuseum Naturalis from 9am-noon on Saturday, November 16th.
The public is invited to a free festival celebrating St. Martin’s migratory birds this Saturday, November 16th! 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 bird coloring book: Migratory Birds 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, learn about the science of bird tracking, and explore the museum exhibits and grounds.
“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. “The book is a great showcase for the birds that migrate here each year.”
Migratory Birds Around Me is a new bilingual coloring book and nature journal featuring 33 of St. Martin’s migratory birds.
Like the other books in the Around Me series, Migratory Birds 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 local species. Free printed copies will be given away at the event thanks to sponsor Delta Petroleum.
In addition to discovering the new book, 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.
“Our migratory birds are truly incredible,” said Mark Yokoyama, co-founder of the Les Fruits de Mer association. “These birds travel thousands of kilometers each year and connect St. Martin with the rest of the Americas. We’re helping people learn more about them with a Motus station at the Amuseum. It uses antennas to track birds that are wearing tiny transmitters. It is one of the very first stations of its kind in the Caribbean.”
The Migratory Bird Festival will take place from 9am to noon on Saturday, November 16th. 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.
Delta Petroleum is the proud sponsor of the 2024 Migratory Bird Festival.
Migratory Birds 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 https://lesfruitsdemer.com.
Incredibilia! 2 and the companion Incredibilia! 2 Activity Book are new books full of fun stories about local nature.
The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to celebrate the double launch of Incredibilia! 2 and the companion Incredibilia! 2 Activity Book. These two new books are the latest in the association’s popular Incredibilia! series about St. Martin nature. The free launch event will be held this Saturday, October 26 from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis. There will be a coloring station and an art activity where kids and adults can enjoy decorating bags with some of the local wildlife featured in the books. Free copies of both books will be given away at the event.
Each book in the Incredibilia! series reveals the wild secrets and superpowers of 20 plants and animals found here. Incredibilia! 2 pairs the 20 fascinating nature stories with bright color photos. The Incredibilia! 2 Activity Book pairs the stories with coloring pages, as well as fun mazes, word games, and creative writing activities. At the request of St. Martin educators, the association now creates an activity book to accompany each Incredibilia! photo and story book.
“Nature is all around us on St. Martin,” said author Jenn Yerkes. “And there are amazing things to discover about it, like how the Green Heron uses tools. And which bat can make a tent from a tree!” These incredible true nature stories also inspire the activities in the activity book, she adds. “One writing activity invites you to imagine what would happen if your mouth had drilling superpowers like the Antillean Carpenter Bee, and write a story about it!”
The new books are both bilingual in English and French.
Both books are bilingual in English and French, and bursting with natural and cultural heritage. The stories in the new books draw on selections from Yerkes’ popular weekly St. Martin nature series “Le saviez-vous ?” published in Le Pélican. The French parts of the books were edited thanks to the editing team of Le Pélican.
Free printed copies of both new books will be given away, thanks to Vie Associative and the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin. The giveaways will be offered at the launch, along with coloring and the art activity. The free event will be held on Saturday, October 26 at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter from 9am to noon.
At the October 26th free launch event, kids and adults can decorate bags with local wildlife featured in the new books.
The new books are also both available as free downloads from https://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 both new Incredibilia! books will also be given to local schools 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. Both books were produced with support from Vie Associative, the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
This project is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires, through Vie Associative and Politique de la Ville.
The Island of Discovery project will distribute over 8,000 books across both sides of the island.
The all-volunteer Les Fruits de Mer association is thrilled to announce the launch of Island of Discovery, a new project that will boost education about local nature, heritage and culture. The project will reach thousands of students on both sides of the island in the coming year. The €40,900 project is funded by Fondation Air France. It includes class visits to Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House and the distribution of thousands of books about St. Martin to students.
“Our volunteer team is so excited to take our education programs island-wide!” said Les Fruits de Mer president Jenn Yerkes. “We’ve had great success on the French side, but St. Martin is one island and this project brings our local education programs to the Dutch side in a big way. It is the biggest transboundary education project we know of on this island, and the funding from Fondation Air France makes it possible.”
The Island of Discovery project includes funding for class visits to Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House for classes from both sides of the island. On the French side, this new project will build on the association’s existing subvention-funded school book program to also give books to other associations and organizations that work with kids. On the Dutch side, the project will fund books for all primary school students and some secondary school students. Over 8,000 books about St. Martin will be distributed as part of this project.
Fondation Air France is funding the Island of Discovery project.
The project also includes the distribution of educational banners and the publication of a fun new activity book for students who visit Amuseum Naturalis. The new book will be based on museum exhibits, to reinforce the learning that happens during class visits.
The Island of Discovery project funds class visits to Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.
“For years, we have been hearing from the community that learning about St. Martin’s nature, heritage, and culture is a necessity, but that it is not very present in the curriculum on either side of the island..That’s what this program is all about,” said Les Fruits de Mer co-founder Mark Yokoyama. “We want the next generation to know St. Martin and love St. Martin. For us, that means getting materials about this island in the hands of every single student. We are grateful to Fondation Air France for helping us cross boundaries and expand this vision.”
The Les Fruits de Mer association has published over 40 books about St. Martin nature, heritage, and culture. They include oral histories, and works created in partnership with Lasana M. Sekou and Lady Ruby Bute. In 2023, the association distributed over 15,000 books for free, giving at least one book to every student and teacher in public school on the French side of the island. 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 Les Fruits de Mer association is thrilled to launch an island-wide local education program with support from Fondation Air France.
The Les Fruits de Mer book program distributed over 15,000 books about St. Martin to students, teachers and the public in 2023.
The Les Fruits de Mer association is delighted to announce the success of their 2023 book program. The goal of the annual program is to create educational books about the island of St. Martin and give them to students, teachers, and the public. In 2023, the program met several key milestones and reached new heights.
“In 2023, we were able to distribute at least one book to every single student and teacher in all the public schools on the French side, from preschool through high school, which is really groundbreaking!” said association President Jenn Yerkes. “We distributed over 15,000 books in total last year.”
To date, the all-volunteer association has published over 40 books about St. Martin nature, heritage, and culture. Books have been developed for every age group, allowing children to receive a different book every year they are in school from age 3-18.
“If you want to give kids a book every school year, then you need a different book for each year,” said association co-founder Mark Yokoyama. “Developing quality books for every age group has been a huge task for the association. But we now have at least one book available for every grade, so that’s a major milestone for us!”
Books developed for this program include coloring and activity books, books about nature and heritage, collections of oral histories, and poetry and literature. In addition to the books developed by association members, there are four books by St. Martin authors, and two collections of oral history interviews with St. Martiners. All of the books are about this island, and all are available in English and French. Many are quadrilingual, with text also in Spanish and Dutch.
The program has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from teachers, students, and parents. Some of the new books developed for the program came from ideas suggested by teachers and students.
The 2023 book program was supported by the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, the Vie Associative service of Saint-Martin, the Cité Éducative de Saint-Martin, a grant from the Office français de la biodiversité, and the Fonds pour le Développement de la Vie Associative. The book program was also supported by private donations and the help of dozens of dedicated volunteers.
The Les Fruits de Mer association is currently working on their 2024 book program. New books are in development to cover more aspects of St. Martin’s culture and heritage and target new areas of learning. The association also hopes to build towards covering all students and teachers on both sides of the island. Local businesses or individuals interested in supporting the program are encouraged to contact the association at [email protected]. For more information about the program, and free downloads of the books, visit lesfruitsdemer.com.
The book program is supported in Sandy Ground by the Cité Éducative de Saint-Martin.The book program is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoiresThe book program is supported by FDVA (Fonds pour le Développement de la Vie Associative).The book program is supported by the Office of Biodiversity of France, thanks to a micro-grant from Te Me Um, a program from the Office of Biodiversity of France to support biodiversity in French overseas territories (TErres et MErs UltraMarines).
The new oral history book Association+Culture launches Saturday, June 22nd from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.
The Les Fruits de Mer association will be launching a new book of oral histories at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House this Saturday. The book, Association+Culture: Speaking of Heritage, features members of three non-profit associations. Across ten interviews, they discuss their cultural inspirations and how they work to preserve and share St. Martin heritage. The public is invited to enjoy the free book launch event, which will be held from 9am to noon. Attendees can take home a free copy of the book, which is bilingual in English and French.
“Much of St. Martin’s heritage has been passed down through oral traditions,” said Jenn Yerkes, one of the book’s editors. “Oral histories are a great way to record and share cultural information. We are especially excited to share the stories of people who are active promoters of local culture!”
The book presents interviews with members of three St. Martin associations: Soualiwomen Kultural Association (SKA), Good Friends Association, and the Roland Richardson Heritage Association. On St. Martin, associations are some of the most important heritage groups, and do key cultural work here. Their essential role on this island is highlighted in the book.
“The two biggest themes in this book are people being inspired by St. Martin heritage and culture, and people coming together to share St. Martin traditions,” said co-editor Mark Yokoyama. “Associations are vital platforms for this activity. They are a vibrant and indispensable part of life on St. Martin. We are delighted to celebrate these groups, their members, and their stories.”
This book was made possible by a grant from FDVA (Fonds pour le Développement de la Vie Associative). It is a collaboration between the Les Fruits de Mer association and the associations showcased in the book. In addition to the copies offered at the book launch event, copies will be distributed to schools and distributed by the featured associations.
The Association+Culture book launch will be held 9am to noon on Saturday, June 22nd at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter. Attendees will receive a free copy of the book. For more information, or to download the book for free, visit lesfruitsdemer.com.
Association+Culture was made possible by a grant from FDVA (Fonds pour le Développement de la Vie Associative).
Soualikids Creatures is a multilingual word book with bright photos of St. Martin creatures.
The public is invited to celebrate the launch of two new nature books produced by the Les Fruits de Mer association! The free launch event will be held 9am to noon this Saturday, May 4th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. The two new books are the latest in the popular Soualikids children’s series, Soualikids Creatures and Soualkids Creatures Coloring Book. They showcase this island’s insects and other little creatures. These two books will be given away for free at the event, which will feature a coloring station. The author and photographer will be present for book signing.
The Les Fruits de Mer association developed the Soualikids series based on requests from St. Martin educators and parents for materials about this island for toddlers and pre-school age kids. Each book in the series is a quadrilingual word book, in four of the many languages spoken here: English, French, Spanish and Dutch. The goal of the series is to highlight St. Martin nature, culture, and heritage, to help little kids build early word skills about the special place where they live.
“The series is called ‘Soualikids’ because it was created for the kids of St. Martin, and Soualiga is one of the Amerindian names for this island,” explained author Jenn Yerkes. “The nature books in this series are designed in pairs: a first book with wildlife photos, and a second companion book with fun coloring pages of the same wildlife. We’re thrilled to launch this third pair of books, which stars the incredible insects and other little critters that kids can see here on St. Martin!”
Soualikids Creatures is a “look and learn” picture book, with colorful photos of captivating local creatures. The companion Soualikids Creatures Coloring Book is a “color and learn” book with two fun coloring pages for each of the creatures. It also has a visual guide on the back cover with vivid photos of all the featured creatures. Both books include creature names in all four languages.
“Adults can share these books with little kids, to help them build their vocabulary and discover the cool creatures on their own island!” said Mark Yokoyama, co-founder of the Les Fruits de Mer association. “We’ll be giving free printed copies of both of these books to local preschools as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s 2024 book giveaway program. And more Soualikids books are on the way that spotlight island nature, art and culture!”
Soualikids Creatures Coloring Book has two fun coloring pages for each creature, and creature names in four languages.
The free launch event and book giveaway will be held at Amuseum Naturalis on Saturday, Saturday, May 4th from 9am to noon thanks to event sponsor Delta Petroleum. Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House is a free museum of nature and heritage located in French Quarter, St. Martin. It is open every day from sunrise to sunset.
Both new books are also available as free downloads 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.
Les Fruits de Mer’s 2024 book giveaway program is supported by the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, the Vie Associative service of Saint-Martin, and the Cité Éducative de Saint-Martin. Soualikids Creatures and Soualikids Creatures Coloring Book were produced with support from the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
Distribution of Soualikids Creatures and Soualikids Creatures Coloring Book to students in Sandy Ground is supported by the Cité Éducative de Saint-Martin.This project is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.Delta Petroleum is a proud sponsor of Les Fruits de Mer’s book giveaway program.
Thanks to everyone who came out to the 2024 Endemic Animal Festival, and special thanks to all the volunteers who made it possible! We had a beautiful day at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House together. Congratulations to everyone who found all 18 animals and plants on the Endemics Hunt, and good luck growing those native thatch palms!
Check out the photos below to see some of the amazing designs created by people of all ages on their endemic-decorated pouches. If you didn’t make it to the event, you can still download Endemics Around Me for free. Also, mark your calendars for the launch and free giveaway of Soualikids Creatures and Soualikids Creatures Coloring Book, 9am to noon this Saturday, May 4th at the Amuseum!
Our latest bilingual coloring book, Endemics Around Me, launches Saturday at the Endemic Animal Festival. Get your free copy at the festival, or download it free from our website. This book showcases the amazing animals and plants that live only on St. Martin or only in our region!
St. Martin is full of amazing animals and plants. Some of them live only on St. Martin. They don’t live anywhere else in the world! Other animals and plants live only in our part of the Caribbean. That makes them special. We are lucky that we are able to see them. Scientists use the word “endemic” for animals and plants that live only in a certain place. Something is endemic to St. Martin if it lives only on our island. A plant or animal can also be endemic to just a few islands, or just our part of the Caribbean, the Lesser Antilles. This book is full of things that live only on St. Martin, or only in our part of the Caribbean. Every time you see them, you know you live somewhere special and unique!
After the historic march for St. Martin land and heritage, we were so lucky to have an amazing team of volunteers to welcome the public to Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. The team distributed hundreds of books about this island, recorded oral histories, hosted a coloring station for kids and much more. Thank you, volunteers!
The Les Fruits de Mer association is an all-volunteer nonprofit, and everything we do is made possible by our volunteers. Please come enjoy our free Endemic Animal Festival, 9am to noon this Saturday, April 27th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. Learn all about the special animals and plants that are unique to our island. It is also a chance to learn more about our association and how to participate.
Thanks to Agnes Etchegoyen and Gisele Jermin for photos of our fantastic volunteer team!
Thanks to everyone who shared their story at the Oral History Station at The Old House after the historic march this past Saturday! And special thanks to Gisele Jermin for recording all these stories and Stéphie Gumbs for recording sentiments out in the crowd.
Oral traditions have been a key way of sharing knowledge in the Caribbean for centuries. Often this information is not represented in historical records. By recording oral histories, we can preserve people’s stories and voices for future generations.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support the peaceful march organized by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the family day at The Old House. The event was a show of support for the local government’s plan to purchase the contested Beauperthuy land for the St. Martin people before it is auctioned off to outside investors. These lands include The Old House, the location of Amuseum Naturalis. We hope for an outcome that preserves this heritage site and saves the land for future generations of St. Martiners.
The Les Fruits de Mer association provided hundreds of free books about St. Martin to the marchers, recorded oral histories, and hosted a coloring station for kids. We also spent the week preparing the site for the event. A huge thanks to all our hard-working volunteers for helping us host the public in style!
Thank you to Agnes Etchegoyen for photographing this historic event! See a selection of her wonderful photos below.
We welcome donations to help us cover the cost of preparing for and hosting this event. If you weren’t able to make it, this is a wonderful way to help. We are also fundraising to support whatever next steps happen with The Old House and the Amuseum as this battle for the land continues to unfold. Thank you!
The free Endemic Animal Festival is 9am to noon on Saturday, April 27th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.
The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to the Endemic Animal Festival from 9am to noon this Saturday, April 27th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. The festival will feature a book launch and giveaway, a craft activity, a plant giveaway and the chance to learn about the special animals that live only on St. Martin or only in our region. The festival and all of the activities are free.
“Endemic animals and plants are the most unique part of the nature of this island,” explained Les Fruits de Mer president Jenn Yerkes. “These are the species that live only on St. Martin, or only on a few islands in our area. Lots of people don’t know that there are plants and animals that can only be found here, and nowhere else on the planet! They’re such a special part of St. Martin’s natural heritage. We invite everyone to come have a great time celebrating them at this free, fun festival!”
Endemics Around Me, a new bilingual coloring book and nature journal, will be launched at the festival. Attendees can take home a free copy. The book features 40 plants and animals that are unique to St. Martin or our region.
The bilingual coloring book Endemics Around Me will be launched and given away at the festival.
“We are very excited to release this special book,” said author Mark Yokoyama. “It is a great introduction to animals and plants that live only here, like the Bearded Anole and the St. Martin Milk Pea. These are some of our most precious treasures.”
Kids and adults will enjoy the event’s craft station, where they can decorate canvas pouches with endemic animal designs to take home. There will also be a free giveaway of Thatch Palm seedlings. This beautiful palm is native to St. Martin. Visitors will have the chance to see some of St. Martin’s endemic animals and plants at the event. There will also be an oral history station, where people of all ages can share their stories about life on St. Martin.
The festival will be from 9am to noon on Saturday, April 27th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on the hill above Coconut Grove in French Quarter. The free festival is sponsored by Delta Petroleum. Development and printing of Endemics Around Me was supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Cité Éducative de Saint-Martin.
Free seedlings of the native Thatch Palm will be distributed at the Endemic Animal Festival.The Endemic Animal Festival will be held at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter.Endemics Around Me was produced with the support of the Cité Éducative de Saint-Martin.Endemics Around Me was developed with support of the Collectivité de Saint-Martin.Delta Petroleum is the sponsor of the 2024 Endemic Animal Festival.
Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House is a free museum of St. Martin nature, heritage and culture.
The all-volunteer Les Fruits de Mer association is looking forward to welcoming the people of St. Martin to The Old House on this Saturday, April 20th. The Old House is the ending point of the peaceful march organized by the Collectivité of Saint-Martin to defend local land and heritage. The Collectivité is organizing a Family Day at The Old House following the march. For the last six years, The Old House has been home to Amuseum Naturalis, a free museum of local nature, heritage and culture, created by Les Fruits de Mer.
“We believe it is vital to preserve The Old House,” said Les Fruits de Mer president Jenn Yerkes. “Dating back to 1766, this is one of the island’s most important heritage sites. We are grateful to the Collectivité for their dedication to preserving this site and to acquiring the Beauperthuy lands to use for the benefit of the people of St. Martin. We look forward to the historic march on the 20th of April and spending time at The Old House with everyone who comes out!.”
The Old House is an important St. Martin heritage site.
Les Fruits de Mer volunteers have been getting Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House ready for a record crowd on April 20th. They have also been preparing books about St. Martin for kids and people of all ages to give away for free at the Family Day event. There will be a coloring station for kids to enjoy. There will also be an oral history station. Volunteers from the association will be present to answer questions about the museum and its exhibits.
“Our volunteer team is working hard to prepare for this historic event,” said museum manager Mark Yokoyama. “We are pulling together about 1,500 books to give away at the event. We have coloring and activity books about St. Martin nature, collections of oral histories of St. Martiners and more. The Old House is my favorite place on earth. It will be a joy to share it with people as we stand together for the future of the island.”
An all-volunteer team has been developing and maintaining Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House for the past six years.
Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House is a free community museum of St. Martin nature, heritage and culture. It is open daily from sunrise to sunset. It hosts free visits for schools on both sides of the island. It is created and maintained by an all-volunteer team.
Dear Les Fruits de Mer members, volunteers and friends,
We’ve been working together for more than six years to preserve and share a very special part of St. Martin heritage: The Old House. Today, our dreams for this site and the thousands of hours we have worked there are at risk. After over 50 years in dispute in the courts, the property where The Old House is located has been scheduled for auction on May 13th. The local government (Collectivité of St. Martin) is working to buy this and other disputed lands so it can use them to the benefit of the St. Martin people.
Will this amazing place be saved for the benefit of this island and its people, or will it be destroyed? It seems we will find out soon.
But before then, we hope you can join us in celebrating this magical space where we have shared so much with each other, and with the entire community. On Saturday, April 20th, the Collectivité of St. Martin has organized a history-making peaceful march to The Old House. This is a chance for all of us to proclaim that St. Martin heritage and The Old House must be saved.
We hope you can attend. We would love to spend this time with you. Everyone who has been a part of this incredible project deserves to be there on this day. If it is one of the last great moments we spend there together, then we hope you can be there. We hope it is the beginning of something even more magical we do there together, and for that we also want you to be there with us.
If you can attend, let us know. If you want to volunteer at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on this historic day, let us know. If you can’t be there, spread the word!
Thank you! No matter where you are in the world, let’s celebrate this moment in solidarity.
Fruits forever!
More details about the peaceful march:
Saturday April 20th
09:45am: meet at Cadisco in Chevrise
10:00am: peaceful march to The Old House, followed by Family Day at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House
For each creature, there is a coloring page, and space to practice writing its name in four of the languages spoken on this island.
The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to celebrate the launch of a new coloring book, Soualiga Creatures. The free launch event will take place from 9am to noon this Saturday, March 16th at Amuseum Naturalis in French Quarter. The new book spotlights the incredible insects and other little creatures of St. Martin. 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 creature-themed fabric bags. The author will be present for book signing.
Soualiga Creatures 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, and Soualiga Birds. Future topics planned for the series include St. Martin plants and heritage.
“Soualiga is one of the Amerindian names for St. Martin,” said author Jenn Yerkes. “English is the most common language spoken on this island. But it’s been a richly multi-lingual place for a very long time! That’s why our association makes multi-lingual books for the kids here. In the Soualiga series, everything is in English, French, Spanish and Dutch.”
Soualiga Creatures stars some of the tiniest of St. Martin’s amazing animals, especially insects. It’s a great look at the fascinating little critters that fly, crawl, glide and jump around on this island. There is a visual guide on the back cover with vivid color photos of all the featured creatures. This encourages kids to learn what they look like, and spot them in the wild. Inside, kids will find a coloring page for each creature with its name in all four languages. Each one also has a page where they can practice writing the names of the creature.
Soualiga Creatures is the newest “color and learn” book, starring the little creatures of St. Martin.
“Reading and writing are key skills for everyone. This series makes it fun to learn them by showcasing wildlife from this island that kids can see around them, or discover through the books. We hear from St. Martin educators and parents that the local topics help kids connect more with reading and writing,” said Les Fruits de Mer co-founder Mark Yokoyama. “This series is especially designed to inspire kids to practice handwriting. And to give teachers a great tool to encourage their students to practice it, too!”
“With multi-lingual books, parents and family members who might speak a different language at home can participate in kids’ education,” added Jenn Yerkes. “Plus, it’s fun for everyone to learn creature names in different languages!”
The free launch event and book giveaway of Soualiga Creatures will be held at Amuseum Naturalis on Saturday, March 16th 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 https://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 Creatures are being given to local schools and students as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s 2024 book giveaway program.This project is supported by the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin. Distribution of this book to students in Sandy Ground is supported by the Cité Éducative de Saint-Martin. Soualiga Creatures was produced with support from the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
Distribution of Soualiga Creatures to students in Sandy Ground is supported by the Cité Éducative de Saint-Martin.This project is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.Delta Petroleum is a proud sponsor of Les Fruits de Mer’s book giveaway program.
Soualikids Birds is a multilingual word book with bright photos of St. Martin birds.
The public is invited to celebrate the launch of two new books in the Soualikids children’s series produced by the Les Fruits de Mer association! The free launch event will take place from 9am to noon this Saturday, February 10th at Amuseum Naturalis in French Quarter. The two new books in the series, Soualikids Birds and Soualkids Birds Coloring Book, star St. Martin’s birds. These two books will be given away for free at the event, which will feature a coloring station. The author and photographer will be present for book signing.
The Les Fruits de Mer association developed the Soualikids series based on requests from St. Martin educators and parents for materials about this island for toddlers and pre-school age kids. Each book in the series is a quadrilingual word book, in four of the many languages spoken here: English, French, Spanish and Dutch. The goal of the series is to highlight St. Martin nature, culture, and heritage, to help little kids build early word skills about the special place where they live.
“The series is called ‘Soualikids’ because it was created for the kids of St. Martin, and Soualiga is one of the Amerindian names for this island,” explained author Jenn Yerkes. “The nature books in this series are designed in pairs: a first book with wildlife photos, and a second companion book with fun coloring pages of the same wildlife. We’re so excited to launch the second pair of books, which showcase amazing birds that kids can see here on St. Martin!”
Soualikids Birds is a full-color “look and learn” picture book, full of colorful photos of fabulous local birds. The companion Soualikids Birds Coloring Book is a “color and learn” book with two fun coloring pages for each of the birds. It also has a visual guide on the back cover with bright photos of all the birds presented. Both books include bird names in all four languages.
Soualikids Birds Coloring Book has two fun coloring pages for each animal, and bird names in four languages.
“Adults can share these books with little kids, to help them build their vocabulary and discover the incredible birds on their own island!” said Mark Yokoyama, co-founder of the Les Fruits de Mer association. “We’ll be giving free printed copies of both of these books to local preschools as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s 2024 book giveaway program. And more Soualikids books are on the way that spotlight island creatures, and St. Martin art and culture!”
The free launch event and book giveaway will be held at Amuseum Naturalis on Saturday, Saturday, February 10th from 9am to noon. 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.
Both new books are also available as free downloads from https://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.
Les Fruits de Mer’s 2024 book giveaway program is supported by the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin. Soualikids Birds and Soualikids Birds Coloring Book were produced with support from the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
This project is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
Incredibilia! Activity Book is a new book of fun facts and activities about local nature.
The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to the launch of the first Incredibilia! Activity Book, a new book of fun facts and activities about local nature. The free, festive launch event will be held this Saturday, December 23 from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis. It will feature cookie decorating and an art activity station. Kids and adults will enjoy personalizing wood ornaments in the shapes of St. Martin wildlife. Free copies of both the new Incredibilia! Activity Book and the original Incredibilia! book will be given away at the event.
The new Incredibilia! Activity Book is bilingual in French and English, with 80 pages of amazing St. Martin nature stories, mazes, word games, coloring pages, and creative writing activities. The association created the new book in response to the requests of St. Martin educators to expand the original Incredibilia! book into a coloring and activity book.
“On this island, we’re surrounded by nature,” said author Jenn Yerkes. “And there are really cool things to discover about it, like why a caterpillar would eat poison. And which bird has a built-in comb in its foot!” These incredible true nature stories are the perfect inspiration for the activities in the book, she adds. “One writing activity invites you to imagine what would happen if you would walk up walls like a gecko, and write a story about it!”
The book is bilingual in English and French.
The Incredibilia! Activity Book draws on selections from Yerkes’ popular weekly St. Martin nature series “Le saviez-vous ?” published in Le Pélican. The French parts of the book were edited thanks to the editing team of Le Pélican.
“It’s packed with fascinating natural and cultural heritage as well as fun activities,” said Mark Yokoyama, co-founder of Les Fruits de Mer. “And 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 the new Incredibilia! Activity Book and the original Incredibilia! will be given away, thanks to Vie Associative and the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin. The giveaways will be offered at the launch, along with coloring, art activities and cookie decorating. The free event will be held on Saturday, December 23rd at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter from 9am to noon.
The launch’s free art activities include decorating ornaments in the shapes of St. Martin wildlife.
The book is also available as a free download from https://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 the Incredibilia! Activity Book will also be given to local schools as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s 2023 book giveaway 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. The Incredibilia! Activity Book was produced with support from Vie Associative, the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
This project is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires, through Vie Associative and Politique de la Ville.
Thanks to everyone who came to the St. Martin Sea Life book launch! We are happy to share this book with sea and nature loving people! If you missed it, the book is available online for free in English and French. You can also follow those links to buy a copy online.
La vie sous-marine de Saint-Martin est un nouveau livre sur les animaux, les plantes, les algues et les habitats marins des mers autour de Saint-Martin.
This book was made possible with the financial support of the Office of Biodiversity of France, thanks to a micro-grant from Te Me Um, a program from the Office of Biodiversity of France to support biodiversity in French overseas territories (TErres et MErs UltraMarines).
We were very excited to host a “Make Your Own Activity Book” workshop at the 21st annual St. Martin Book Fair. Participants in the workshop included educators, parents and even kids. Everyone developed their own activity book theme and goals, and then we created five different kinds of activities and shared them with each other.
Activity books are a great way to help kids develop all kinds of skills, from hand-eye coordination to reading, and even creative writing. They are also a chance to share things that might not be present in other parts of their education, like local culture and traditions.
Helping develop more authors who can share their knowledge about St. Martin is one of the goals of our book program. You can make a donation to our book program here.
Thank you to everyone who has donated to our program to give a book about St. Martin to every student and teacher on St. Martin every year! Thanks to a dozen generous donors, we have raised over $1,400 over the past week. We are almost a third of the way to our year-end goal.
This year, we’ve published a dozen new books, including several new titles for preschoolers. We’re in the process of distributing books to every student and teacher on half of the island. We’ve also been doing smaller book donations on the other half as we work to expand to the whole island. We are on target to distribute 15,000 books in 2023 and the feedback from kids, teachers, and parents has been amazing.
St. Martin Sea Life is a new book about the animals, plants, algae and marine habitats in the seas around St. Martin.
The public is invited to the launch of a new book, St. Martin Sea Life, this Saturday from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter. Attendees can get a free copy of the book in English or French at the launch.
St. Martin Sea Life is a book that explores the marine habitats surrounding this island, from mangrove wetlands and seagrass beds, to coral reefs and the open ocean. Readers will discover how each habitat is special, and get to know some of the unique animals that live in each one.
“We are very excited to launch this guide to the sea life of St. Martin,” said author Mark Yokoyama. “It shows some of the amazing things we can see in our seas. We also wanted to explain how these plants and animals depend on each other in language that is easy for anyone to understand.”
The book features over 140 vivid color photos that will captivate readers both young and old. The book has been published in English, French and bilingual editions. It was produced by Les Fruits de Mer, and will be distributed to local schools as part of the association’s book program. The French translation was done by Amandine Vaslet. “We’re thrilled to share this special marine life book with St. Martin students and teachers through our 2023 program,” said Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “And we invite everyone to come celebrate the island’s undersea world at the launch!”
The free launch event and book giveaway will be held at Amuseum Naturalis on Saturday, Saturday, December 2nd from 9am to noon. 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.
St. Martin Sea Life is also available from https://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.
This book was made possible with the financial support of the Office of Biodiversity of France, thanks to a micro-grant from Te Me Um, a program from the Office of Biodiversity of France to support biodiversity in French overseas territories (TErres et MErs UltraMarines).
Coloring and activity books are a great way to help kids build skills and knowledge in many areas, including local nature and heritage. Learn how to make your own coloring or activity book on Saturday, November 25th from 9-10:30am at NIPA in Cay Hill. The workshop is part of the St. Martin Book Fair and there are other workshops, discussions and readings to enjoy during the day. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll develop your book concept, create activities, and learn about resources to help bring your book to life.
Help grow our book giveaway program! We’re giving books to every student in the French public schools on St. Martin this year. Our goal is to give a book to every student on the island, every year, and you can help! When combined with our grants and funding, 1€ from you lets us give a book to a kid. Our books were written just for St. Martin kids, featuring the nature and culture of their island in the languages that they speak. Make a donation to give books to a class or a whole school!
Soualikids Island Coloring Book has two fun coloring pages for each animal, and animal names in four languages.
Soualiga Sea is the newest “color and learn” book, starring St. Martin sea life.
Soualiga Birds is a new quadrilingual coloring book spotlighting 23 St. Martin birds.
6 Poems by Lasana M. Sekou is an introduction to the author’s work presented in English, French, and Spanish.
Birds Around Me is a new bilingual coloring book and nature journal featuring 40 St. Martin birds.
Soualikids Island is a multilingual word book with vivid photos of St. Martin animals.
Incredibilia! is a new book of fun facts about local nature.
La vie sous-marine de Saint-Martin est un nouveau livre sur les animaux, les plantes, les algues et les habitats marins des mers autour de Saint-Martin.
Super St. Martin OCEAN! is a new bilingual activity book featuring St. Martin undersea nature and heritage.
UPDATE: Rescheduled for Saturday, October 28 due to Hurricane Tammy!
Soualikids Island is a multilingual word book with vivid photos of St. Martin animals.
The public is invited to celebrate the launch of Soualikids, a new children’s book series produced by the Les Fruits de Mer association! The free launch event will take place from 9am to noon this Saturday, October 21st at Amuseum Naturalis in French Quarter. The first two books in the series, Soualikids Island and Soualkids Island Coloring Book, spotlight St. Martin animals. These two books will be given away for free at the event, which will feature a coloring station. The author and photographer will be present for book signing.
The Les Fruits de Mer association developed the new Soualikids series based on requests from St. Martin educators and parents, asking for materials about this island for toddlers and pre-school age kids. Each book in the series is a quadrilingual word book, in four of the many languages spoken here: English, French, Spanish and Dutch. The goal of the series is to showcase St. Martin nature, culture, and heritage, to help little kids build early word skills about the special place where they live.
“We named the series ‘Soualikids’ because it was created for the kids of St. Martin, and Soualiga is one of the Amerindian names for this island,” explained author Jenn Yerkes. “The nature books in this series are designed in pairs. Each pair includes a first book with gorgeous color photos of local wildlife, and a second companion book with fun coloring pages of the wildlife. We’re so excited to launch the first pair of books, which star awesome animals that kids can see right here on their island!”
Soualikids Island Coloring Book has two fun coloring pages for each animal, and animal names in four languages.
Soualikids Island is a full-color “look and learn” picture book, bursting with vivid photos of incredible St. Martin animals. The companion Soualikids Island Coloring Book is a “color and learn” book with two fun coloring pages for each of the animals. It also has a visual guide on the back cover with bright photos of all the featured animals. Both books include animal names in all four languages.
“When grownups and older kids share these books with little kids, it helps them build their vocabulary and discover the amazing nature on their own island!” said Mark Yokoyama, co-founder of the Les Fruits de Mer association. “We’ll be giving free printed copies of both of these books to local preschools as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s 2023 book giveaway program. We’re also planning future Soualikids books that focus on St. Martin art and culture, and soon we’ll be rolling out more nature editions about local birds and creatures, too!”
Soualikids Island and Soualikids Island Coloring Book are new quadrilingual word books starring St. Martin animals.
The free launch event and book giveaway will be held at Amuseum Naturalis on Saturday, Saturday, October 21st from 9am to noon. 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.
Both new books are also available as free downloads from https://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.
Les Fruits de Mer’s 2023 book giveaway program is supported by the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin. Soualikids Island and Soualikids Island Coloring Book were produced with support from the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
This project is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
The free Migratory Bird Festival will be held at Amuseum Naturalis from 9am-noon on Saturday, October 14th.
The public is invited to a free festival celebrating St. Martin’s migratory birds on Saturday, October 14th from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis in French Quarter. The event will include the launch of two new bird coloring books: Soualiga Birds and Birds Around Me. The two books 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, learn about the science of bird tracking, and explore the museum exhibits and grounds.
“We’re super excited to bring back the Migratory Bird Festival with the launch of these two great new books!” explained Jenn Yerkes, President of the Les Fruits de Mer association. “ Each one is the latest coloring book in two popular series about local nature. And they both showcase St. Martin birds, including birds that migrate here each year!”
Soualiga Birds is the newest edition in the association’s multi-lingual Soualiga series. It invites young children to learn and practice writing the names of St. Martin birds in English, French, Spanish and Dutch. Like the other books in the Around Me series, Birds 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 local species.
Soualiga Birds is a new quadrilingual coloring book spotlighting 23 St. Martin birds.
In addition to discovering the new books, festival guests can participate in fun 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.
“Migratory birds are truly amazing,” said Mark Yokoyama, co-founder of the Les Fruits de Mer association. “These birds travel thousands of kilometers each year and connect St. Martin with the rest of the Americas. We’re helping people learn more about them with a Motus station at the Amuseum. It uses antennas to track birds that are wearing tiny transmitters. It is one of the very first stations of its kind in the Caribbean.”
The Motus antenna at Amuseum Naturalis can track migratory birds from up to 25 kilometers away. It is part of an international network of hundreds of these antennas, and one of the very first in the Caribbean.
The Migratory Bird Festival will take place from 9am to noon on Saturday, October 14th. 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. For more information, visit https://lesfruitsdemer.com.
Soualiga Birds and Birds Around Me were 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. Both books are also available for purchase on amazon.com worldwide, and as free downloads at https://lesfruitsdemer.com.
The Migratory Bird Festival will be held at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House, on the hill above Coconut Grove in French Quarter.Birds Around Me is a new bilingual coloring book and nature journal featuring 40 St. Martin birds.Delta Petroleum is the proud sponsor of the 2023 Migratory Bird Festival.
Get free plants at Amuseum Naturalis on Saturday, September 16th from 9am to noon.
The beginning of the fall rainy season is a traditional time for planting on St. Martin. To take advantage of the growing season, stop by the Les Fruits de Mer association’s free plant stand at Amuseum Naturalis! Thanks to support from Delta Petroleum, a wide variety of native tree seedlings and heritage plants will be available for free on Saturday, September 16 from 9am to noon.
“We have a free plant stand at Amuseum Naturalis that we stock all year, but right now is the best time to get those plants into the ground,” explained Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “ The association gives away about 1,000 plants every year. We focus on native tree seedlings, and heritage plants like herbs and fruit tree seedlings. We want to help people create a space for birds and other animals in their backyard or neighborhood. We also want to support local plant traditions.”
Some of the local tree seedlings include lignum vitae, thatch palm, stinkin’ toe, soursop, coco plum and sugar apple. Heritage plants include paracetamol, stinging thyme, and vervain.
“We are really happy to support the free plant program,” said Natalia Ayala, Delta Petroleum Island Manager. “At Delta St. Martin, gardening and plant traditions are really important to our employees, families and customers. We love that we can help bring life to the island.”
The free plant stand is located directly in front of Amuseum Naturalis, at The Old House in French Quarter. The plant stand and the museum are always free to visit. Guests are welcome to make a self-guided visit any time during daylight hours, any day of the week. For more information, visit amuseumnaturalis.com.
Delta Petroleum is the sponsor of the free plant stand at Amuseum Naturalis.
Les Fruits de Mer has always been an all-volunteer association. We have been incredibly lucky to have an amazing team of volunteers over the years. Events, museums, books: our volunteers have made it all possible. Thank you! As part of our 10th anniversary celebrations, take a trip down memory lane and check out this gallery featuring many of our awesome volunteers!
The Old House is a new bilingual book by the Les Fruits de Mer association about The Old House, a historic building in French Quarter.
The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to celebrate the launch of The Old House this Saturday. The Old House is a bilingual book about The Old House in French Quarter, the current location of Amuseum Naturalis. Delta Petroleum is sponsoring free copies of the book for all who attend the launch. The launch event will be held from 9am to noon on Saturday, July 22nd.
Overlooking Coconut Grove in French Quarter, The Old House has been a part of St. Martin’s history for over 250 years. Very few buildings from its era survive today. The building showcases the skilled work of many generations of St. Martin artisans, from those who laid the foundations in the 1700s to those who did carpentry, tile and cement work in the last century
“We’re excited to share this book with the public, and thank Delta for supporting the launch,” said Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “Delta has sponsored Les Fruits de Mer projects and events for ten years. They were the original sponsors of the first Amuseum Naturalis in Grand Case, and now they are helping us share this special book.”
Delta Petroleum is sponsoring the launch of The Old House, including free copies of the book for those who attend.
The book explores various aspects of The Old House, from its architecture and craftsmanship to its role in salt production and its representation in art. The book includes interviews with the late Elise Hyman, who worked at the Orient Bay salt pond in her youth, and Sir Roland Richardson, who created an etching of the house and profiled its history in an early issue of Discover magazine.
The Old House book is bilingual in French and English. It is available for free online at lesfruitsdemer.com. The print edition will be available for free at the book launch from 9am to noon on Saturday, July 22nd at Amuseum Naturalis. The public is welcome to visit Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House every day of the week from sunrise to sunset. The free museum features exhibits about The Old House itself, and many other parts of St. Martin’s nature, heritage and culture.
The Old House book is also available as a free download.
Today The Old House is home to Amuseum Naturalis, a free museum of St. Martin nature, heritage and culture.
About Amuseum Naturalis
Amuseum Naturalis is a free museum of the nature and heritage of St. Martin and the Caribbean, created by Les Fruits de Mer. It is located at the historic Old House in French Quarter on the hill above Coconut Grove. For the latest information, visit amuseumnaturalis.com.
About Delta Petroleum
Delta Petroleum is the top local sponsor of the Les Fruits de Mer association. Delta provides funding for many of the association’s projects, including Amuseum Naturalis, the Soualibra research library, the Plantilles free plant stand, and more. Delta has sponsored Les Fruits de Mer projects and events since 2013. Delta was founded in 1985 and is proud to support St. Martin communities by funding local education projects.
The Old House is a new bilingual book by the Les Fruits de Mer association about The Old House, an 18th century home in French Quarter.
Overlooking Coconut Grove in French Quarter, The Old House has been a part of St. Martin’s history for over 250 years. Very few buildings from its era survive today. A new bilingual book by the Les Fruits de Mer association, The Old House, highlights this landmark and the stories that surround it.
“In many ways, The Old House itself represents the story of St. Martin,” explained Les Fruits de Mer co-founder Mark Yokoyama. “The building showcases the craftsmanship of many generations of St. Martiners, from those who laid the foundations in the 1700s to those who did carpentry, tile and cement work in the last century.”
The book includes a historical look at The Old House, which reflects the history of the island. During the colonial period, a variety of crops were raised by enslaved people for the benefit of slaveholding families and colonial governments. Around the time of Emancipation, the industry shifted to salt production on the Orient Bay salt pond, which continued until the late 1950s. In 2000, the house itself became a museum developed and run by Pierre Beauperthuy.
The book explores various aspects of The Old House, from its architecture and craftsmanship to its role in salt production and its representation in art. The book includes interviews with Elise Hyman, who worked at the Orient Bay salt pond in her youth, and Sir Roland Richardson, who created an etching of the house and showcased it in an early issue of Discover magazine.
“Sadly, The Old House is one of very few old buildings left on St. Martin,” said Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “This makes the house itself, and its story, even more important. The destruction of two historical sites on the island already this year shows how vulnerable local heritage is. When these old buildings are destroyed, history is erased. The history of enslavement and enslaved people is especially vulnerable. With fewer written records of their lives, the things they built are a key part of their legacy. The history of the culturally-rich traditional period between Emancipation and the rise of tourism is also being lost along with these buildings.”
The Old House book is bilingual in French and English. It is available for free online at lesfruitsdemer.com. A printed edition will be available in the coming weeks. The public is welcome to visit Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House every day of the week from sunrise to sunset. The free museum features exhibits about The Old House itself, and many other parts of St. Martin’s nature, heritage and culture.
6 Poems by Lasana M. Sekou is an introduction to the author’s work presented in English, French, and Spanish.
The public is invited to celebrate the launch of 6 Poems / 6 Poèmes / 6 Poemas by Lasana M. Sekou on Saturday, February 4. The launch and free give-away of the new book will be held at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter from 9 am to 12 noon.
The author, St. Martin poet and writer Lasana M. Sekou, will be present to sign copies of 6 Poems, and light refreshments will be served for all to enjoy, said the Les Fruits de Mer association, publisher of the book. The launch event is part of the 32nd annual Black History Celebration organized island-wide by Conscious Lyrics Foundation.
The book presents six poems by Sekou in three languages: English, French and Spanish. It was created by Sekou and Les Fruits de Mer for distribution to students, schools, and the public. The internationally renowned author has published over 20 books, said Les Fruits de Mer. St. Martin and its people are often the focus of his writing.
“For the last 40 years, Sekou’s poetry has been a vital expression of St. Martin culture and identity. It was a privilege to develop 6 Poems together to help make his work accessible to more people, especially youth,” said Mark Yokoyama, editor at Les Fruits de Mer.
“We selected poems with themes of the island’s past and present, its traditions, elders, art, and spirit. We chose to present them in French and Spanish, as well as the original English, to make them more available to more people here. And we will be giving hundreds of copies to schools and students,” said Yokoyama, who is also an author.
St. Martin poet and writer Lasana M. Sekou will be present to sign copies of his new book at the launch event on Saturday, February 4, between 9 am and noon. (Photo by Ryan Tackling)
The slim volume includes new translations by Alex Richards, Fabian Adekunle Badejo, and Jocelyne Illidge. A new exhibit in the Amuseum’s poetry garden will be unveiled at the launch event, featuring the poems from the book in three languages.
“6 Poems is an outcome of the St. Martin literature panels and poetry in the park exhibits that Mark Yokoyama, Jenn Yerkes, and Les Fruits de Mer have initiated at Amuseum Naturalis. The association is known for its fascinating books for children and adults about St. Martin’s wildlife from the land, air, and sea,” said Sekou.
“It’s an honor to be one of the writers with work being made visible to young people, parents, teachers, visitors, all who visit the museum. With 6 Poems some of that writing can be taken home and into classrooms and media centers of schools throughout our island,” said Sekou.
The 6 Poems collection 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 encouraged to contact the association, said Yokoyama.
Free printed copies of 6 Poems by Lasana M. Sekou will be given to St. Martin schools as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s book give-away program, said Yokoyama. This project was funded by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin through Vie Associative. Permission to publish the poems in this volume was granted by House of Nehesi Publishers and Sekou.
Are you curious about sargassum on St. Martin? Check out the latest episode of The Sargassum Podcast! Mark Yokoyama discusses the sargassum phenomenon with the podcast hosts and talks about his sargassum book. Listen here or anywhere you get podcasts, or watch it on YouTube.
After you listen to the podcast, swing by Amuseum Naturalis this Saturday and get a free copy of the book Suddenly, Sargassum! in English or French!
Super St. Martin OCEAN! is a new bilingual activity book featuring St. Martin undersea nature and heritage.
The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to a festive event, free book giveaway and author signing on the morning of Christmas Eve. The event celebrates the launch of Super St. Martin OCEAN!, the association’s newest publication. This bilingual activity book explores the amazing undersea nature and heritage of the island of St. Martin. It offers young people over a hundred pages of discovery and fun, with mazes, word games, coloring pages, creative writing activities, and much more. It features over 130 plants and animals found in St. Martin’s underwater world. Super St. Martin OCEAN! is the highly-anticipated sequel to Super St. Martin!, the popular bilingual activity book about local land animals and plants.
“We hope St. Martin kids and families will really enjoy the book, during this holiday season and beyond,” said author Jenn Yerkes. “It’s important for kids to have books about where they live. Imagine doing a word search about our coral reef creatures, solving a maze about picking whelks to bring to an elder’s house, inventing short stories about our sea turtles, or drawing the fish attracted to a traditional handmade fish pot!”
“Every activity is in both English and French, so it’s a great language-learning tool as well,” added Mark Yokoyama, co-founder of Les Fruits de Mer.
The book is bursting with fun activities like mazes, word games, coloring, and creative writing and drawing.
The Christmas Eve free giveaway launch event will be held from 9am to noon on Saturday, December 24th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter. Free copies of Super St. Martin OCEAN! will be given away at the event while supplies last thanks to Vie Associative and the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin. The author will be present to sign copies of the book, and light refreshments will be served for all to enjoy. Attendees are invited to wear Santa hats or other seasonal attire or colors if they wish.
The book is also available as a free download from https://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 Super St. Martin OCEAN! will also be given to local schools as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s 2022 book giveaway 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. Super St. Martin OCEAN! was produced with support from Vie Associative, the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
This project is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires, through Vie Associative and Politique de la Ville.
Incredibilia! is a new book of fun facts about local nature.
The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to the launch of Incredibilia!, a new book of fun facts about local nature. The bilingual book reveals the amazing secrets and superpowers of 20 plants and animals found on this island. Bursting with vivid color photos and captivating natural and cultural heritage, Incredibilia! is sure to mesmerize readers young and old.
“On St. Martin, nature is all around us. And it’s full of really wild surprises!” said author Jenn Yerkes. “There are absolutely incredible things to discover, even about the plants and animals we see every day. Like what helps a gecko walk up walls. Or how a bird builds a stretchy nest that expands as its chicks get bigger. Or why a fish would make a sleeping bag out of its own snot!”
The association created the book in response to requests and questions from young people on St. Martin. Les Fruits de Mer cofounder Mark Yokoyama said, “Kids and youth are curious. They have a ton of questions when they visit the museum or read our other books. Once they start, they want to find out more and more.” “When some young folks asked us make a book about what animals do and why, we thought it was a great idea!” said Yerkes. To develop the book, she drew on selections from her popular weekly St. Martin nature series “Le saviez-vous ?” published in Le Pélican. The French parts of the book were edited thanks to the editing team of Le Pélican.
“This book is a fascinating look at how local nature works behind the scenes,” said Yokoyama. “And it would make a great holiday gift for people of all ages,” added Yerkes. “So we’re inviting people to pass by and get a free copy at the Amuseum this Saturday morning!”
To launch the book, a free giveaway event will be held on Saturday, December 17th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter. Free copies of Incredibilia! will be given away from 9am to noon, thanks to Vie Associative and the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin.
The book is bilingual in English and French.
The book is also available as a free download from https://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 Incredibilia! will also be given to local schools as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s 2022 book giveaway 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. Incredibilia! was produced with support from Vie Associative, the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
This project is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires, through Vie Associative and Politique de la Ville.
Soualiga Sea is the newest “color and learn” book, starring St. Martin sea life.
The Les Fruits de Mer association has published a new coloring book, Soualiga Sea, just in time for the holidays! The book spotlights St. Martin sea creatures, so kids can color them and learn their names in four of the many languages spoken here.
Soualiga Sea is the latest edition in the association’s Soualiga series of multi-lingual “color and learn” books for young children. The series debuted earlier this year with Soualiga Island, which showcases St. Martin’s land animals. Topics planned for future books in the series include St. Martin plants and heritage.
“Soualiga is one of the Amerindian names for St. Martin,” said author Jenn Yerkes. “English is the most common language here, but it’s been a richly multi-lingual island for a very long time. That’s why Les Fruits de Mer started producing this series of multi-lingual books for St. Martin’s young people. In the Soualiga books, everything is in English, French, Spanish and Dutch.”
Soualiga Sea stars St. Martin’s amazing sea life. For each sea animal, there is an illustrated coloring page with the animal’s name in all four languages. Each one also has a page where kids can practice writing the names of the animal. There is also a visual guide on the back cover with bright color photos of all the sea animals.
“Reading and writing are important skills for everybody. The best way to learn them is to start early. This series makes it fun by featuring things from this island that kids can see around them, or discover through the books. We believe the local focus will help kids connect more with reading and writing,” said Les Fruits de Mer co-founder Mark Yokoyama. “This series is especially designed to encourage kids to practice handwriting. And to give teachers a great way to help their students practice it, too!”
For each sea creature, there is a coloring page, and space to practice writing its name in four of the languages spoken on this island.
“Multi-lingual books also give parents and family members who might speak a different language at home a way to participate in kids’ education,” added Jenn Yerkes. “Plus, learning sea animal names in different languages is pretty awesome!”
Free copies of Soualiga Sea will be given away at Amuseum Naturalis on Saturday, December 10th 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 https://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 Sea will also be given to local schools as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s 2022 book giveaway program. This project is supported by the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin. Soualiga Sea was produced with support from the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
This project is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
Soualiga Island is a new “color and learn” book featuring St. Martin wildlife.
The Les Fruits de Mer association has published a new coloring book, Soualiga Island. The book showcases animals that live on the island of St. Martin, so kids can color them and learn their names in four of the many languages spoken here.
“Soualiga is one of the Amerindian names for this island,” said author Jenn Yerkes. “Although English is the most common language here, this has been a richly multi-lingual place for a very long time. We wanted to celebrate that with a multi-lingual book for very young folks. So in this book, everything is in English, French, Spanish and Dutch.”
The book spotlights the wide variety of wildlife on St. Martin. For each animal, there is an illustrated coloring page with the animal’s name in all four languages. Each one also has a page where kids can practice writing the names of the animal. There is a visual guide on the back cover with vivid color photos of all the animals. This encourages kids to learn what these creatures look like, and spot them in the wild.
For each animal, there is a coloring page, and space to practice writing its name in four of the languages spoken on this island.
“Everyone needs to read and write. The best way to learn is to start early. This book makes it fun by using animals from this island that kids can see around them. We believe the local focus will help kids connect more with reading and writing,” said Les Fruits de Mer co-founder Mark Yokoyama. “This book is especially designed to encourage kids to practice handwriting. And to give teachers a great way to help their students practice it, too!”
“With multi-lingual books, more parents and family members who might speak a different language at home can still join in kids’ education,” added Jenn Yerkes. “Plus, it’s cool to learn animal names in different languages!”
Free copies of Soualiga Island will be given away at Amuseum Naturalis on Saturday, November 5th 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 or individuals interested in sponsoring copies for schools are also encouraged to contact the association.
Free printed copies of Soualiga Island will also be given to local schools and students as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s 2022 book giveaway program. This project is supported by the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin. Soualiga Island was produced with support from the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
This project is supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.
Suddenly, Sargassum! is a new book about sargassum on St. Martin.
If you have wondered why tons of sargassum have been washing up on St. Martin shores for the last decade, now you can find out. The story is told in the new book, Suddenly, Sargassum! The book was produced by the Les Fruits de Mer association and explores many aspects of this mysterious seaweed.
“The sudden arrival of sargassum in St. Martin is a big story,” said author Mark Yokoyama. “In recent years, we’ve learned about the unseen forces that bring sargassum here each year. We’ve also seen how it impacts people and nature.”
Suddenly, Sargassum! reveals many facets of this unusual seaweed. It includes guides to the creatures that depend on it, both in the sea and on the land. It outlines the process that brings sargassum blooms to St. Martin. It investigates the impacts of sargassum and even how it inspires art.
To launch the book, a free book giveaway event will be held on Saturday, October 1st at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter from 9am to noon. Free copies of the book will be available in both English and French. A new exhibit about sargassum will also be launched.
The book was researched and written over the past year. Vivid photos reveal an entire world of life that is hidden in the sargassum, from microscopic sea creatures to birds that have learned to hunt and forage in it.
This book and the exhibit were produced with the financial support of the Office francais de la biodiversité, through a micro-project grant from Te Me Um. As part of the project, free copies of the book will be distributed to local schools, libraries and other institutions.
Suddenly, Sargassum! was produced with the financial support of the Office francais de la biodiversité, through a microproject grant from Te Me Um.
In 2011, a floating seaweed called sargassum landed in huge amounts on the shores of St. Martin and other Caribbean islands for the first time in history. Since then, it has come almost every year, changing beaches and seas. 
