The Case of the Missing Wasp

If you’ve ever wandered the hills of St. Martin, you’re sure to be familiar with the Jack Spaniard. It is a red, yellow and black wasp that builds nests of paper and defends them fiercely. Too often, the first sign of a nearby nest is a piercing, electric sting. A couple days of itching and swelling follow. Any dry spot is a likely nest location: a big branch, a wide leaf, an awning or a rocky overhang.

But where are they now? In the days immediately after the hurricane, Jack Spaniards came to our hummingbird feeders, but then they stopped. They’ve been conspicuously absent in the months since. We have bees and we have butterflies. We have had plenty of flies and mosquitoes. But the Jack Spaniard seems to be gone.

From the “where are they now?” files…the Jack Spaniard.

Hurricanes seem like the perfect tool to get rid of these wasps. The winds were strong enough to rip their paper nests down to be soaked and destroyed. Adult wasps feed on nectar—which is why they were at our hummingbird feeders—and most of them may have starved in the aftermath of the storm. These wasps feed their young on caterpillars, another resource that would have been absent immediately after Irma.

This triple threat may help explain why Jack Spaniards vary so much from island to island. Pre-Irma they were extremely common here. On St. Kitts, I only saw them a couple times during weeks of field research. If recovery after a major storm takes years, perhaps differences between islands can be connected to hurricanes.

I imagine many would say “Good riddance!” to the Jack Spaniard. Personally, I don’t mind being able to walk down a trail without being stung. But they do play a role in the local ecosystem—a few, in fact. They pollinate flowers when they are feeding on nectar, and they kill a lot of caterpillars to feed their larvae. They’re also a popular food for the Gray Kingbird.

Dedicated parents, Jack Spaniards hunt caterpillars for their young.

What will happen next? Chances are, they’re only mostly gone. I would guess that some nests survived in very protected areas, like caves or abandoned buildings. If there are some still here, we will start to see them as the population grows. This could be a very fascinating chance to watch and learn as a unique phenomenon happens.

Unfortunately, I don’t think we have any Jack Spaniard specialists working on the island right now. I guess it is up to all of us. If you see Jack Spaniards or their nests, contact Les Fruits de Mer on Facebook or at lesfruitsdemer.com. Let us know where and when you saw them, and take a photo if you can. Perhaps together we can make a new discovery about how an animal population recovers after a hurricane. That’s gotta be worth a sting or two!

Rebirth: Alita Singh

From roots to hilltop – It’s green from the old trees in the valley to the top of Sentry Hill, the highest point on the Dutch side of the island. The revitalization of what was the crumbling boiler house into a restaurant has added to the feeling of hope following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The inaccessible is now accessible and that made bare thrives again.

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Thank You Cheer Project

We want to give a big thank you to The Cheer Project—Jarrad for doing it, Andy for helping and everyone for donating and sharing! Yesterday we raised $732 for Les Fruits de Mer, which we will be using to fund a really exciting set of projects for 2018. We will be rebuilding the Amuseum, printing new books about wildlife, making films about wildlife and how Hurricane Irma impacted the island. If you missed the video, here it is. If you want to make a donation, you still can.

Rebirth: Alice Claeyssens

Houses and buildings may be down, but seascapes and shorelines are proud to rise up from devastation. Islanders should be thankful for this gift. Cleaning and rebuilding will take a while but st martiners will succeed to honor what opportunity nature keeps offering them.

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Rebirth: Mason Chadwick

A gentle shower painting its hues across St Martin Lagoon this morning.
The haze of colour both hides and reveals the torn architecture.
Yet our eyes track the rainbow, and feel it in our senses of hope, renewal and rebirth.

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Rebirth: Alita Singh

Rebirth: Return of Velvet
The breeze caressing the velvety-looking grass is an inspiring sight. It’s nature’s own ballet. Every December, this grass blankets the hillsides and to see it return after Irma’s wrath is both overwhelmingly emotional and hearteningly strengthening.

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Rebirth: Alice Claeyssens

The island is greener than ever, nature cycle has caught up with what it was before Irma, even stronger. Another proof that nature makes it faster than us to show us an example we should follow.

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Rebirth: Alice Claeyssens

Two young stallions friends playing primitive games , showing animals and nature are recovering faster than human, spending time at being what they are meant to be instead of fixing roof to go back to normal. St Martin December 16th.

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Rebirth: Alita Singh

Almon’ gonna reach for the sky! This almond tree sprouting a crop of new leaves two weeks after Hurricane Irma slammed on to island gave me heart. It made me stop and admire Mother Nature for her force that snap off the branches scattered are tree’s base and for her gentleness to call on the survivors to regrow, reach … be reborn.

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Deadline Extended for 2017 Heritage Photo Contest

There’s more time to share your interpretation of Rebirth. The deadline for the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest has been extended to December 31st to allow more people to share their photography and ideas about the island.

The Heritage Photo Contest and Exhibition was developed by Les Fruits de Mer to showcase local photography, and to engage residents—especially kids—in thinking about their heritage.

The theme of this year’s contest is Rebirth. It was chosen to inspire entrants to explore the nature, culture and people of this unique island through the lens of recovery and reinvention. Dozens of photos have been submitted so far this year, featuring animals, landscapes, historical buildings, local events and much more.

“There are some amazing images and stories in the online gallery for the 2017 contest,” says Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “We’re excited to see so many different ideas about what rebirth looks like, so we’re giving folks a little extra time to contribute.”

The contest is free and open to every age, and everyone is welcome to enter as many times as they like. People who want to enter should submit their entries to [email protected] by December 31, 2017. Each entry should include an original photo taken on St. Martin/St. Maarten by the person entering, a brief statement explaining why the photo was chosen, the entrant’s full name, and age if under 18.

All qualifying entries will go on display in the online Heritage Gallery, and selected entries will be featured in the Heritage Photo Exhibition, which will be held this winter. Awards will be given for the winning entries in three categories: Adult, Under 18 and People’s Choice.

For more information about the Heritage Photo Contest and Exhibition, including the full rules and a sample entry, visit: https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/category/rebirth/

Helping Hands

Hurricanes have shaped Caribbean ecosystems for millions of years. Any plants or animals that couldn’t survive the periodic damage from these storms would have disappeared from islands like St. Martin. The native species that live here today are hurricane-ready by design.

Hundreds have been feeding birds in the last few months.

But things have changed in recent centuries. Humans have altered the island tremendously. We have cleared forests and filled ponds. We have brought new plants and animals, and some of these compete with or consume native species. Wild spaces have become smaller and more vulnerable. Already pushed to the edge, our local habitats can use a helping hand.

Irma was a world-class showcase in the raw destructive power of nature. Somehow, in Irma’s aftermath we also became closer to nature. We were humbled by the storm. We were astounded by the speed of nature’s rebirth, especially compared to our own labored steps towards rebuilding. We realized that our existence here is a partnership with nature.

Volunteers clear debris from a hillside.

In the last few months, amidst the surviving and struggling and rebuilding, so many St. Martiners have found time to help nature. Hundreds came to get bird feeders so they could help local birds survive. Hundreds have participated in clean-ups all around the island, from the beaches to the hills. Dozens have helped plant local trees to restore habitats.

Most of these efforts existed before Irma, but have gained momentum recently. The Clean St. Martin Facebook group was started in 2016, but only began organizing weekly clean-up events this fall. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean has done a series of habitat restoration projects through the years. Their current work planting native trees on hillside and wetlands sites has captured the interest of many volunteers eager to make a difference right now.

Planting mangroves at Little Key.

Joining in as we clean the island and restore habitat is a great way to help nature recover from Irma. In the long term, healthier habitats are stronger when facing future hurricanes and other threats.

We also benefit when we work for nature. Healthy native forests prevent erosion. Healthy wetlands keep our seas clean and our coral reefs alive. Beautiful hillsides and beaches boost the tourism value of the island. On a more personal level, a morning outdoors planting or cleaning can make you feel really great.

Rebirth: Mathieu Alexandre

Wherever my story takes me, however dark and difficult the theme, there is always some hope and redemption, not because readers like happy endings, but because I am an optimist at heart. I know the sun will rise in the morning, that there is a light at the end of every tunnel.

Shot taken in Nettle bay, in the destroyed homes ..

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Rebirth: Thibault Poret

Tu n’es pas tout seul l’ami.

Cette route est une des plus belles routes de Saint Martin. La route de la Baie Lucas longe le bord de la mer, et cette zone est entièrement sous réserve naturelle, il n’y a donc quasiment aucune construction et la nature y est sauvage.

Photo prise avant Irma. #remember

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Rebirth: Thibault Poret

Un endroit beaucoup bien reposant, l’observatoire des baleines.
Cette image est ma première tentative de photo des étoiles ! Ce qui est vraiment cool, c’est qu’une voiture à fait demi-tour, éclairant l’observatoire comme il le fallait !
Si vous aimez la nature, les belles couleurs, le calme, cet endroit est un must !

Photo prise avant Irma. #remember

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Rebirth: Mathieu Alexandre

Shot taken of kids in Sandy Ground. The look in their eye says it all. The future is in the hand of our future generations and we shall do anything to make their life as easy as possible.

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.

Rebirth: Angie Stmartin

Oyster Pond´s Rebirth : SALVAGING

After a major hurricane cat 5++ nature started its rebirth and with each day we could witness that our beloved island became green again. With each boat that was salvaged the marina became cleaner, with each crane the process was quicker and with each barge the salvaging went faster.

This is an entry in the 2017 Heritage Photo Contest. Our theme this year is Rebirth. View all the entries in the online gallery, learn more and find out how to enter here.