Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
BOOK OF THE DAY
Bird Shots
This bird photography guide was created to help birders become better photographers and photographers get better at photographing birds. It focuses on practical advice to get better bird photos and more enjoyment from this hobby. Topics range from the techniques you will use in the field to composition, visual storytelling, and post-production.
Old shopping lists and bank statements are not usually considered fascinating reading. How many weeks of isolation would it take to make them interesting? If we’re lucky, we won’t ever find out. On the other hand, imagine being able to look at this year’s quarantine grocery orders in 2090. Think about how much will have changed and how odd some of them may seem.
Thanks to the preservation work of the late Pierre Beauperthuy, we can do almost the same thing right now. A ledger he preserved from the late 1940s and early 1950s is like a time capsule. It reveals everyday transactions from that time. Many things still seem quite ordinary. Paint, rope, nails and flour are bought. Other entries reveal how different St. Martin was a lifetime ago.
One of Dellie’s pages.
The ledger is nearly 500 pages thick and it begins with an index of names. Familiar family names appear in alphabetical order: Arnell, Barry, Bryan, Carty, David, Flanders, Fleming, Glasgow, Gumbs, Hyman, Illidge, Laurence, Maccow, Petit, Richardson, Vlaun, Wescott, York and many more. Each name is followed by a page number, where their account is recorded in the ledger.
There are plenty of simple transactions recorded. $6.60 for a sack of flour or 3 tins of “varnish for chair” at Fls 6.00. But sometimes more information is recorded. A purchase for 4 rolls of barbed wire and staples is followed by payments for “men cutting post” and “men running wire.”
The personal nature of relationships can also be seen. Pages may use the full name as a header, but the pages titled Arrindell Johanas are full of the nickname Dellie. “5 gallons paint for Dellie house” and payment for work done by “Dellie n other man.”
Other fascinating entries include livestock. One note reads “If the following mares served does not sell me the mule they will have to pay me $6 each.” It is followed by a list of ten owners who presumably had mares inseminated by a very valuable donkey.
The pricing of cattle is also quite interesting. In 1952, 28 cattle, weighting 6,404 kilos were sold for 24 carats of gold per kilogram of cow. In the ledger, the value was listed in “Dutch currency” instead of gold. It seems that the transaction was not a literal trade of gold for beef. Gold was just used to set the price.
Gold for beef.
These ledger entries are like a clouded view into the past. It is a St. Martin that most people today can’t really understand. But there are still some people living on St. Martin today who know exactly what was happening. They could decode the mysteries of this ledger and help the past come alive.
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
BOOK OF THE DAY
The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of Saint Martin
Called “the best, and most complete, natural history book I have read about any single Caribbean island” by Dr. James “Skip” Lazell, the updated and expanded second edition of this wildlife guide is a unique volume covering all the terrestrial wildlife of St. Martin, from mammals and birds to reptiles and insects. It includes over 500 color photographs, and features hundreds of species, including those which are found only on St. Martin. The text includes detailed information about both the biology and the local history of the animals featured and is written to be accessible to persons of all ages and backgrounds.
Some birds live their whole life on St. Martin. Others make truly incredible journeys to come hear each year. They may travel thousands of miles from as far away as the Arctic Circle. Learn their stories. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwAqbvzCBEc
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
BOOK OF THE DAY
Agricultural Roots on St. Martin
The Caribbean has rich agricultural traditions that carry on to this day. Where did these traditions come from? Why are some crops so common all over the region? Learn about the roots of Caribbean agriculture, one of the richest traditions on St. Martin.
Color some of the plants that people in the Caribbean grow and eat! These foods include native plants that were here before the first people, plants brought by Amerindian people and plants brought to the Caribbean from Africa. Need coloring inspiration, see the images of these plants in the Agricultural Roots book.
St. Martin Traditional Agriculture Crossword Puzzle
Test your knowledge of local agricultural traditions with this crossword puzzle! Print it out or play online! Need hints? Check the book: https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/resources/books/#AgriRoots
Check out some fascinating folktales and folklore about Caribbean plants and wildlife! Find out how celebrating cultural heritage can help protect natural heritage. And, see some ways that’s being done right here on St. Martin. This special presentation was given by Jenn Yerkes at the 2019 BirdsCaribbean Conference in Guadeloupe. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AVQsd0DmXI
The roots of local cuisine at Marigot market in 1982. (Photo by Hélène K. Sargeant)
Lockdown has changed the daily routine for people all over the world. For many, long days are spent at home. A daily trip to the bakery seems like a luxury from a long-lost past. Many are worried about the sustainability of modern life. It’s a valid concern. Modern life changed almost overnight.
We adapt. People are baking bread again, or learning to do it for the first time. Vegetable seeds and sprouting potatoes are being put into the soil instead of the trash. Traditional recipes are popular. They provide comfort and often only require pantry basics.
These new ways are often old ways. A hundred years ago, St. Martin was a remote place. Goods arrived after long trips by sea. People worked ground, raised animals and ate from their kitchen garden. Fresh produce was not coming in on planes from France and barges from Miami every day. The shopping list was flour, sugar and salt fish.
Purchases recorded in a ledger in 1953: flour, salt fish, corn meal, sugar, kerosene, a crate of potatoes and a box of prunes.
The St. Martin of a hundred years ago seemed impossible to imagine a month ago. Today, it is a little easier to contemplate. Everyone, from recent arrivals to members of old St. Martin families, is closer to the roots of St. Martin culture today.
Of course, the modern world has not disappeared completely. We might learn to cook a traditional dish by watching a live stream instead of side-by-side with a grandparent in the kitchen. People are asking for planting advice on the brand new Kitchen Garden Club Facebook group, which grew to over 250 members in just a few days.
As we learn, live and share in this new world, we have the perfect opportunity to document traditional knowledge and oral traditions. There is even a new urgency to do so. A month ago, documenting St. Martin heritage was largely a matter of preserving the past. Today it is a chance to relearn how to survive on this island.
Now that we are living and sharing these traditions, let us also preserve them. It is a way to honor those who lived on St. Martin during much harder times. We can’t let their legacy drift into oblivion in the endless scroll of the Facebook timeline.
Share your voice and your stories. We are building an archive where these stories can be saved and enjoyed for years to come. Send an email to [email protected] or record a voice message and send it to Les Fruits de Mer on Facebook. Get tools and learn more at: https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/projects/heritage-backup/.
Pumpkin, sweet potato, corn, cassava and pigeon pea in a traditional garden in 2020.
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
BOOK OF THE DAY
Bush Medicine on St. Martin
Bush medicine has been an important part of healthcare and culture on St. Martin for hundreds of years. Learn about the historical and cultural roots of bush medicine traditions on St. Martin and the Caribbean. Find out where the plants came from, how people learned to use them and how that knowledge was passed on from generation to generation.
Have fun coloring in some plants that are important parts of Caribbean bush tea and bush medicine traditions. If you need to know what they look like, check out the bush medicine book, or see if you have some of them in your kitchen garden!
Killer Fashion: The Plume Boom, Female Activism, and Bird Conservation at the Turn of the 20th Century
Find out how a ruthless high-fashion trend almost killed off many of our bird species in the Caribbean, and across the globe, over 100 years ago! And meet the two-woman dream team that shut it down–and helped invent nature conservation along the way. This fascinating story was presented by Jenn Yerkes at the 2016 Migratory Bird Festival. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrwSD80tOow
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
BOOK OF THE DAY
Heritage Backup: Part Three
Preserving heritage is important work, and it is time to come together to do it. It is time for a heritage jollification. Every voice matters. Every story matters. Start recording today and encourage your friends and family to do it, too.
We take a quick dip below the surface to check out the state of the sea and our near shore coral reefs in St. Martin after Hurricane Irma. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdrevFdKp6E
St. Martin has traditions that go back centuries. (Barbara Cannegieter Postcard Collection)
For thousands of years, history has been written by the few, for the few and about the few. St. Martin is a perfect example. During the colonial period, most records were written for and by the colonial powers that ruled the island. During the modern period, most published writing about the island and its people was done by academics from other places.
Thankfully, there are some exceptions. There are history books by the late Daniella Jeffry, a wealth of literature, poetry and nonfiction published locally by House of Nehesi Publishers and the early issues of Discover Magazine edited by Sir Roland Richardson. Books and articles by St. Martiners are surely the most important works about St. Martin. They are the work of talented authors and dedicated publishers. But this small group of people can’t record and publish hundreds of years of St. Martin’s undocumented history and culture.
On St. Martin, history and culture have been passed down through the spoken word. These oral traditions are every bit as important as any written history. But a written history can live on forever, especially if thousands of copies are printed. In the past, oral traditions were vulnerable.
What was the market like 30, 50 or 100 years ago? (Barbara Cannegieter Postcard Collection)
That doesn’t have to be the case today. Most people have a tool to record oral traditions right in our pocket: our phone. Just as importantly, we have the ability to share and preserve those recordings online. Today it is possible to build a lasting history of the people, by the people, for the people. And it we can do it in a way that embraces St. Martin’s oral tradition.
Right now, many of us have time to do this work. As we stay at home, we can tell the stories of our lives. We can reach out to our elders and preserve their experiences. It is a perfect time to connect with family and reflect on where we come from.
Preserving the stories of those who lived during St. Martin’s traditional period, before the rise of tourism, is the most urgent task. But everyone has stories worth saving. What was the island like during the huge changes of the 80s and 90s? What was it like to survive hurricanes Luis and Irma? What is your personal experience as a St. Martiner on a changing island? Or as an immigrant making a home here?
Even scenes from St. Martin’s modern era can seem distant today. (Barbara Cannegieter Postcard Collection)
Preserving heritage is important work, and it is time to come together to do it. It is time for a heritage jollification. Every voice matters. Every story matters. Start recording today and encourage your friends and family to do it, too.
The Les Fruits de Mer association is working to help people document their stories, and to create an archive where those stories can be saved. They hope to share many of these stories as well, but only when permission is given to do so. Get tools and learn more at: https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/projects/heritage-backup/. Let’s make this the legacy of our time of confinement.
Looking for inspiration to get started recording your memories? Here are a few places to get inspired:
The St. Martin Image Collection features photos and postcards of St. Martin going back over 100 years. Find landscapes that inspire memories and much more.
This 1940s and 1950s Ledger contains the accounts of purchases by dozens of St. Martiners. Take a look to find family members and explore what they were buying 75 years ago.
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
BOOK OF THE DAY
Wild Statia
Nature writing and photography bring the wildlife of Statia alive on the virtual page in this free ebook. The book’s fifteen chapters each take a closer look at a unique aspect of Statia’s wildlife, from majestic tropicbirds to nocturnal insects, and all the lizards in between. Also explored are the habitats that support wildlife and the work being done to understand and protect natural heritage. This 55-page ebook is illustrated with captivating photos taken by authors Hannah Madden and Mark Yokoyama. The format of the book emphasizes the fascinating stories that are often left unexplored by scientific publications.
Let your imagination fly! These bird-themed activity sheets ask you to use your creativity to draw part of the picture. You can print them out, or just look at the instructions and draw on your own sheet of paper!
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
BOOK OF THE DAY
Shadow of a Drought
During 2015 drought conditions impacted much of the Caribbean. This photo essay documents some of the impacts of drought on St. Martin. With climate change, droughts are increasing in the northeast Caribbean. Almost every year since 2015 has been drier than usual. How will this impact people and nature?
Lizards are an important and distinctive part of Caribbean ecology. Most native lizards are endemic to an island or small range of islands. This lizard mask is sized for kid faces. You can prepare the masks ahead of time so they are ready to color. Share images of local lizards if the kids want to make their mask look like a specific kind of lizard.
How did people help nature come back after Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean? Why is it important? See and learn by watching today’s video! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0lbzpFkRFg
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Today were heading back to Heritage Backup! This is our chance to record our personal, family and community history. And that’s a chance to make sure we are all a part of history. If you’re just getting started with Heritage Backup, you can get all the materials here: https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/projects/heritage-backup/
BOOKLET OF THE DAY
Heritage Backup: Tools of the Trade
Download this booklet to identify the tools you already have to record your personal history and how you can use them. If you have a computer, scanner, camera or videocamera that’s great. If not, you can do everything you need with a normal smartphone. Set yourself up to dive into your personal heritage collection and save those memories!
Get started recording your memories with this Photo Memories Activity. Choose a few photos and record your memories. If you don’t have photos to work with, try finding a few photos at http://image.amuseumnaturalis.com that spark a memories and use them for this activity.
This is the story of how one person made a difference and touched the lives of people in her community and beyond. Christmas House in Cripple Gate is a St. Martin tradition for well over 30 years. Bernadine Arnell Joe tells us the story of Christmas House, how it reopened after Hurricane Irma and her dream for its future. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH0vJjsYxe8
During this time of confinement, we have an opportunity to make history. In many cases, we are stuck at home with our personal heritage collection of photos, letters and other items. If not, we still have our memories. You also have the tools you need to turn those raw materials into a lasting part of history.
In last week’s column, we learned how to identify and catalog our personal heritage collection. This week we will learn to start documenting those materials using the tools we have at hand. If you want to review any previous steps in our Heritage Backup, you can find the articles and worksheets online here: https://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/projects/heritage-backup/.
The first thing you will need is a workspace. Pretty much any table and chair will do, but if you have the option, there are a few things to look for. Beware of hazards that could damage precious materials, like a gust of wind that could blow papers around or rain from a nearby window. You need light. The best is indirect sunlight without bright glare or harsh shadows, but any light will do.
Next, you will need tools to document the items and your own memories about them. A camera for documenting and a pad and pencil for recording memories will work. If you have a scanner and a computer, that’s great too.
If you don’t have those things, a regular smartphone can do all you need. You can use it as a camera, a notepad, and a voice or video recorder. You can even use it to share what you have documented.
Want to make St. Martin history? A phone is all you need.
Use the phone’s camera to take a photo of the item you are studying. For a printed photo, lay the photo flat on your table and use your phone to take a digital picture of it. Try to keep the phone steady: resting your elbows on the table can help. You can zoom in on your phone to make sure it came out well. If you are having trouble, try to find a location with more light. If there is information on the back of the photo, take a picture of that, too.
You can use your phone as a voice recorder to save your memories about your item. The iPhone comes with an app called Voice Memos, and Google makes a free program called Recorder for Android phones. Set the phone on your desk, start a new recording and record your memories about the item. It is a good idea to start with a description of the item so you can match your voice recording with the picture of the item. End the recording and start a new one for the next item.
To get started, find a couple items that have meaning to you and use the tools you have to save an image of the item and your memories about it. If you want to share your item and memories, find Les Fruits de Mer on Facebook and send us a message with the photo and your audio recording. If you’re having trouble with any of the steps, maybe someone in your home can help and you can work together.
Are you ready to change history? Send us your photos and stories! Get in touch by writing in to [email protected].
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Today we are looking at a tree with special cultural meaning and also exploring art on St. Martin.
BOOK OF THE DAY
The Flamboyant: St. Martin’s Tree of Freedom in Culture and Art
This book celebrates a very special heritage tree for St. Martin. Learn more about the glorious Flamboyant, its links to local traditions and its historical connection to emancipation. Includes an essay by master painter Sir Roland Richardson, and beautiful images of some of his iconic Flamboyant artworks!
St. Martin Art, Writing and Nature Imaginarium Activities!
Imagine, tell stories, write and create with these inspiring activities based on gorgeous paintings of local landscapes by St. Martin artist Sir Roland Richardson.
A short film about painter, teacher and Renaissance man Cynric Griffith. He lived an amazing life and made a big difference on St. Martin along the way. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cemtki20IWU
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Have fun learning about Caribbean wildlife today!
BOOK OF THE DAY
Eye on Endemics: Caribbean Originals
In Caribbean Originals, we showcase ten local species that are found only on this island or only in the region, including birds lizards and insects. Learn about two species of lizard that live only on St. Martin and how a bird learned a new lifestyle while trying to overcome a disability.
Wildlife Crown Craft
A perfect craft for having fun at home! Just color, cut and tape or staple to make cool crowns featuring local wildlife. Download for free:
Instructions:
Print on A4 card stock (or whatever you have).
Color front and band (bottom section is the band).
Cut out front (top section) and band (strip on bottom).
Attach front and band with tape or staples, sized to the child’s head.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
Little Key After Irma
What is life like on a tiny island after a big hurricane? Come with us to Little Key—an island less than 100 meters long in the Simpson Bay Lagoon in St. Martin—and find out! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-J8IZ0X3Tk
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Learn about your feathery friends! Today’s program includes a book about birds, a happy bird-day card activity and a film about St. Martin’s Great Salt Pond that features lots of birds.
BOOK OF THE DAY
Eye on Endemics
This short book takes a closer look at some of the regionally-endemic birds that live on St. Martin. These are special birds that are only found in the Caribbean or have unique varieties in the Caribbean.
Happy Bird-day Cards
Color and create with these bird-themed cards. A great activity for people of all ages, everyone can leave with cards to give to friends or family. Download for free:
Learn about St. Martin’s Great Salt Pond from a few different perspectives. See views of the pond and many of the birds that live there. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIZ9w2ocyWg
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Today we go down to the deep sea to see all the amazing creatures that live there!
BOOKLET OF THE DAY
Deep Sea Creatures of the Caribbean
Go deep, deep down to see all of the crazy animals that live deep under the sea. Some of them even live below where light ever reaches!
Undersea Adventure Creative Activity Sheets
Get ready to dive in and use your imagination! These ocean-themed activity sheets ask you to use your creativity to draw part of the picture. You can print them out, or just look at the instructions and draw on your own sheet of paper! Designed by Jenn “Madam J” Yerkes.
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Today we learn about animals that were brought by people to new places. It has happened a lot. Animals can cause big problems when they are brought to new places, especially islands. Learn how non-native animals have transformed St. Martin.
BOOK OF THE DAY
Caribbean Curiosities: Island of Change
From prehistoric times to the present day, one of the most important ways humans have impacted St. Martin is by introducing new animal and plant species. The second volume of Caribbean Curiosities winds its way through tales of animals that were brought to St. Martin by people and how these new species have changed the island. How has the island been changed forever by these new arrivals and what are they doing right now to change the island’s future?
Introduced Species Crossword Puzzle
Solve the clues to complete this crossword puzzle all about animals that are not native to St. Martin, but were brought here by people.
Scrub Island Rescue
The team explores Scrub Island, an uninhabited island off the coast of Anguilla. They encounter quite a few native animals and also one introduced animal that has caused lots of trouble over the years, the rat! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqdyFAytM4Q
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Today we learn about birds, and especially how they survive hurricanes. Birds and other animals are amazing survivors!
BOOK OF THE DAY
The Animals of Irma’s Island
After a major hurricane, it can take years for nature to recover. On the island of St. Martin, we had a chance to watch that recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. In the weeks and months following the hurricane, St. Martin truly was Irma’s Island. In this book, we take a closer look at the lives, struggles and recovery of the animals living here during this special time.
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Today we are focusing on local culture and what we can do to preserve and share it. We are also starting our Heritage Backup program so we can use the time we have to make sure St. Martin’s history includes stories about everyone.
BOOKLET OF THE DAY
Heritage Backup, Part One
This booklet is the first installment of our Heritage Backup program. We cover two topics. The first is how to create an inventory of your own personal heritage. In the second part, we look at the amazing amount of information that you can find in family photos.
We Used to Eat Fresh Things
Delphine David remembers growing up on St. Martin and helping raise her younger brothers and sisters. Her history is an important part of the history of St. Martin. By listening to her, we can learn about the island and life in the past. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTDFgDjN0mY
On St. Martin, history and heritage have been lost over and over during disasters. Fires, floods and hurricanes have destroyed public archives, private collections and personal photo albums. It is normal for a crisis to happen quickly and perhaps to separate people from their homes. In the aftermath of a hurricane, preserving heritage is well down the list of urgent needs.
The current global coronavirus pandemic is a bit different. Most of us are at home. We may suddenly have more time than usual. Perhaps it is the perfect time to conduct an island-wide heritage backup.
The past is the past, and we can’t change it. But we can change history. History is a record of past events, and it is never complete. Every home on St. Martin holds a bit of the island’s history. That bit can either be saved and shared, or lost forever. The history of the island and its people will be determined by each person’s decision.
In your home, there may be a photo album. It may hold the best or only existing photo of a relative. It may hold photos of homes and or businesses that don’t exist anymore. It may hold images of landscapes that have been changed forever. It may hold moments in time like the finish of a race or a wedding.
Part of St. Martin’s history is sitting in your closet.
You may have journals or letters. You may have documents that trace your family tree. You may have film, video or tape recordings. All of these items should be treated as if they were unique and irreplaceable historical artifacts. Because they are.
Your history, and the history of your family and friends is important. It is valuable and it is something that should be passed on to future generations. Why not take the time we have now to start the process of recording, preserving and cataloging your part of the island’s history.
The first step is to see what you have. You may be at home with other members of your family who can help you identify these treasures. This can be a chance to discover your shared history together.
Items you have saved may be links to shared memories.
Make a list of your personal historical collection: photos, videos, letters, journals, newspaper clippings, event programs and documents. Find all these materials and make sure they are in a safe place. Write a description of each item. What is it? A photo album, or box of letters. Who did it come from? What years does it cover?
This inventory of your collection will help you in the coming weeks as you work to explore and preserve your history. You can do this project at home with whatever tools you have available: your phone, your computer, or just a pencil and a piece of paper.
Are you ready to change history? Do you have questions about how to get started? Get in touch by writing in to [email protected].
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Learn about St. Martin traditions of making things and building homes! For all of prehistory and most of history people on this island had to make most of what they needed.
BOOK OF THE DAY
Making and Building on St. Martin
This book is an Amuseum Companion. It features St. Martin building techniques and traditional methods of making things. It features a few things going all the way back to prehistory, like Amerindian tools. It also shows how reusing and recycling are long time St. Martin traditions.
Making and Building on St. Martin Word Search
Develop your word skills by finding words about making and building in the word search. If you don’t know what some of them mean, check out the book Making and Building on St. Martin that is the book of the day.
Homes After Irma
St. Martin has many amazing and unique homes. Most of them were designed and built by local people. Learn more about them and why it is important to restore and protect them after they were damaged by Hurricane Irma. Watch:
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Learn about Caribbean critters today! Everything we are sharing today is about insects and other bugs!
BOOK OF THE DAY
Bugs in Paradise
For a little fun today
We thought it would be nice
To make an ebook just for kids
Called Bugs in Paradise.
With photos to astound the eye
Of creatures where they dwell
The text is written all in verse
And will delight as well.
Crazy Creatures Creative Activity Sheets
You’re invited to use your imagination! These activity sheets ask you to use your creativity to draw part of the picture. You can print them out, or just look at the instructions and draw on your own sheet of paper! Made by Jenn Yerkes.
Bugs in Paradise
The critters of the tropical broadleaf forest are showcased in verse. Poetry selections read by the author. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=20kTsqIGGOQ
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Learn about Caribbean animals today! Everything we are sharing today also includes some kind of aquatic animal, from fish and frogs to crabs and crayfish!
BOOK OF THE DAY
Caribbean Curiosities
Take a deeper dive into some of the amazing plants and animals that are featured at Amuseum Naturalis! Caribbean Curiosities tells the stories of some of St. Martin’s most dangerous invaders and some of its most amazing native treasures.
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Today we head over to the salt pond. For hundreds of years salt was made on St. Martin’s ponds, and in today’s video, we hear from Elise Hyman, who picked salt back in the day. We also have another book about birds that love ponds and an activity where you can make and color your own bird.
BOOK OF THE DAY
Pond Life
Learn the stories of seven different birds that live on St. Martin’s ponds. Some of them are year-round residents that raise families on our ponds each year, others are long distance travelers that come here each year to spend the winter months. They all depend on the same wetlands, which are critical to the ecology of the island and also an important part of its culture, history and identity.
Sandpiper Build-A-Bird
Make this simple mobile from a single sheet of US legal sized (8.5″ x 14″) paper. (A smaller size of paper works, it just makes a smaller bird.) The shape is a flying sandpiper, but it can be colored creatively.
Instructions:
Print on card stock.
Color the two wing and body sets on the printed side.
Cut them out and glue together.
Use a utility knife to cut along the line marked in the body and insert the wings.
Make a hole where marked on the body and hang with recycled fishing line.
A Beautiful Sight to See
Like many people living in French Quarter at the time, Elise Hyman worked in salt production in Orient Bay in the middle of the last century. She shared some memories of those days and how salt was produced at Salines d’Orient. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xKn3bnZoeM
Free ebooks about nature are included in Amuseum@Home.
The Les Fruits de Mer association has launched a free at-home learning program. Amuseum@Home shares several fun learning resources each day via social media and the Les Fruits de Mer website. The program supports local learning while schools are shut down and St. Martiners of all ages are staying at home to avoid spreading coronavirus.
“With the acceleration of this global pandemic we knew we had to act,” explained Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “Sharing these free learning tools and activities can help kids stay engaged and entertained during this difficult time, while also learning about their island. It can help parents and teachers too. We hope that it also makes it easier for people to stay at home to slow the potential spread of coronavirus.”
The Amuseum@Home program launched on Sunday with an ebook about pond birds, a set of coloring pages and a short documentary film about flamingos on St. Martin. The theme for the day was wetlands. Les Fruits de Mer plans to share several resources each day.
Coloring pages and other activities are being shared for free.
“This is a very hard time, but the rich nature and heritage of St. Martin have a way of lifting spirits,” said Les Fruits de Mer co-founder Mark Yokoyama. “Let’s find inspiration in the stories of St. Martiners and in the amazing plants and animals that have survived countless droughts and tempests. It is a good time to explore and celebrate what makes this island special.”
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Today, enjoy a book an activity and a short film. They are all about some of the unique animals that are found only on St. Martin or only in our region.
BOOK OF THE DAY
Caribbean Curiosities: Native Nature
St. Martin is full of unique animals. Many are found only in the Caribbean, and some are found only on St. Martin. Each species has its own story, and exploring this rich natural heritage is a fascinating way to explore the island. Learning how our wildlife became so unique is also a great way to understand the way all life has evolved and diversified. Enjoy six stories about bats, birds, lizards, fish and bugs.
Native Islanders Activity Book
This activity book features coloring pages, activity pages and interesting information about species that are endemic to St. Martin and to the Caribbean. It features artwork by Emily Geoffroy and Jenn Yerkes and text by Jenn Yerkes and Mark Yokoyama.
To the Bat Cave!
Caves are special places. They are home to bats and other animals, including many species that are found only in our region. Take a peek inside one of St. Martin’s most unique habitats, the Grotte du Puits des Terres Basses https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qei7VZRa4lM
Discover amazing things about St. Martin from home! Have fun and learn about the island, while you’re protecting your community and yourself by staying home. Get fascinating and free stuff from Les Fruits de Mer–every day!
Today, enjoy a book an activity and a short film. They are all about our wetlands. St. Martin’s ponds and mangrove forests are super interesting and important to both people and nature.
BOOK OF THE DAY
Pond Life: Reflections
If you like your ecosystems wet and wild, then you will love Pond Life: Reflections. Each chapter explores a different view into these ever-changing wild spaces. How do they transform with the seasons? What has changed in recent years? How do they reflect centuries of history? Like St. Martin itself, life on the pond is rich and always in motion. Ponds connect sea and land, human and nature, past and present: dive in, and discover.
Wetland Coloring Pages
Enjoy three free coloring pages with poems about these awesome animals who live in St. Martin’s wetland habitats: Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone and Fiddler Crab.
Return of the Flamingo
Two flamingos arrived on the salt pond at Orient Bay in 2018. Are they the first of many? What is the history of this amazing bird on St. Martin? Watch and find out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0F7QEu7xFE
Where can you look if you want to learn more about St. Martin? If you want to know about hotels, restaurant and tourist attractions, head to the internet. If you want to know what commanders were in charge of the colonies and how many barrels of salt were produced in the 19th century, look in various government archives. If you want to know foreigners saw the island, many of the history books written in the 20th century will tell you.
But what if you want to learn about life on St. Martin—how it is and how it was? What about local culture? What about local events that weren’t “historical” enough to make it into the permanent record? What about the knowledge passed down from generations?
The best, and often only, source of this knowledge is direct conversation with St. Martiners. At this very moment, the people of the island know more about St. Martin than all the sites on the web and all the archives in Europe. This is a tremendous resource. It is the most vast and valuable part of St. Martin’s heritage.
There is a line that has been slipping away for a long time. It is a fuzzy line drawn somewhere in the early 1960s when the age of tourism began in earnest. It is a line that divides those that remember the island’s traditional period and those who never knew it. It is a line edging close to the horizon.
It is time to act while a different era is still remembered. (Barbara Cannegieter postcard collection)
St. Martin’s unique cultural legacy will endure, as it has for hundreds of years. But the depth and richness of that legacy will depend largely on what we are able to record today and in the coming few years. It will depend in part on how we protect and preserve what has already been documented. But most of all, it will depend on how many people we can speak to and how many stories we can record right now.
With time working against us, perhaps we can start by identifying the St. Martin 100. Who are the 100 St. Martiners who need to be interviewed most urgently? Perhaps their oral histories are of special value because of their experience or role in the community. Perhaps the perfect St. Martin 100 simply captures a diversity of experience: people from all walks of life from all over the island. Certainly it includes elders who can still remember life when it was very different here.
Of course, the St. Martin 100 is just a start. If 100 oral histories could be recorded a year, a library of 1,000 interviews could exist in a decade. So many stories would be saved and so many traditions described from different points of view. This would be a true library of culture and heritage.
Who would you suggest for the St. Martin 100? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
Ten different local nature books are available at Amuseum Naturalis.
Nature lovers and book lovers have something to celebrate on St. Martin. Ten different books about local wildlife are now available at Amuseum Naturalis, including eight in English and two in French. All of the books are full of vivid color images and great stories about the island’s unique nature. They are published by the Les Fruits de Mer association.
“The last edition of our wildlife guide was completely sold out. So it’s great to have it available again–plus a bunch of other beautiful books!” said author Mark Yokoyama. “Most of them are available in print for the first time, and it’s really nice to sit down and flip through the pages. We’re especially excited to have the long-awaited French edition of the St. Martin wildlife guide!”
The first French edition of The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of St. Martin has been published thanks to a micro-project grant from the French Agency for Biodiversity’s Te Me Um resource center and its members. The project financed the French translation by Amandine Vaslet and the printing of 200 copies for schools. Teachers who would like a free copy for their classrooms can pick it up at Amuseum Naturalis.
The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of St. Martin is now available in French.
Copies of the French and English versions of the wildlife guide are also available to teachers from French Quarter thanks to the Quartier + Musée project funded by CGET and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin under the Politique de la Ville program. Teachers from French Quarter are encouraged to stop by the Amuseum to pick up their copies.
For the general public, books are available for purchase at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House for $10 to $20. They are also available on Amazon for those not on the island. As always, digital versions can be downloaded for free at lesfruitsdemer.com. Amuseum Naturalis is on the hill above Galion Beach in French Quarter. It is open 9am to noon, Tuesday to Saturday, and entry is free to all.
Folktales can do many things. They can help explain the world around us. They can connect us to our past. They can tell us how to live our lives and how to tell right from wrong. They entertain us.
Folktales are often strange or magical. They are not necessarily meant to be taken literally. But often there is some truth in them. In several old folktales from St. Martin, we can learn something about people, nature and the connection between the two.
The book Folk-Lore of the Antilles, French and English collects folktales recorded in the 1920s on many islands. Many of them were recounted by young people, and many of them include birds and other animals.
The story Cockroach Fools Fowl was told by 13 year-old Samuel Saty of Marigot. In the story, a cockroach pretends to be sick so a chicken will feed it. The chicken gives it pap, a thick drink made from arrowroot or other starch. When the trickery is discovered, Fowl is so vexed he swallows the cockroach whole. Though chickens don’t make pap, they do spend much of their time looking for—and swallowing—insects.
A Blue Pigeon, and perhaps a farmer’s wife.
Pigeon Wife was told by Hilton Liburt, an 18 year-old from Philipsburg. In this story, someone was stealing a farmer’s corn from his field. The thief was his wife, who was a pigeon. She was eating the corn in the field at night. People and birds sometimes do compete for food. When people replace wild areas with farms, birds may eat the crops because their normal food is gone. This can be a problem for both farmers and birds.
The story Bo Pigeon and Mountain Dove Race for the King’s Daughter comes from St. Croix. A pigeon and a dove agree to race for the chance to marry a princess. In a twist that may be familiar to many St. Martiners, they agree to each drink a demijohn of rum before the race, but the pigeon drinks water. The dove is too drunk to fly and loses the race. The native Blue Pigeon is usually seen high up in the sky, and the Mountain Dove is often on the ground so perhaps this tale was invented to explain why these birds act the way they do.
The Mountain Dove on the ground, but probably not drunk.
Do you have a favorite local folktale? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
Flowers brighten our lives and decorate gardens and landscapes. On a tropical island, there are countless beautiful varieties and something is always in bloom. Each flower also has a story, and here are three of them.
Yellow Sage, the national flower of Sint Maarten.
Yellow Sage is the national flower of the country of Sint Maarten. Also known as Orange-yellow Sage, it is a variety of the species known as West Indian Sage. Other varieties of West Indian Sage flower in a variety of colors. The plant can grow into a large bush—two meters tall and just as wide. Native here, it has also been brought all over the world. It is used in plant medicine, as a natural fence and to control erosion with its extensive roots.
The flowers of the Flamboyant tree.
The Flamboyant tree is known for its beautiful flowers. Each summer, these trees explode into brilliant reds, oranges and yellows. Though native to Madagascar, it has been popular in the Caribbean for hundreds of years. On St. Martin, this tree has a special connection to emancipation. When emancipation in Dutch colonies took place on July 1, 1863 the Flamboyant was in full bloom, and freed St. Martiners carried branches of its beautiful flowers as they celebrated.
A Painted Lady butterfly feeds from Coralita flowers.
Today, one of the most commonly seen flowers on the island is the bright pink blossom of the Coralita vine. This non-native vine has covered many parts of the island, especially areas that were once used for livestock but are no longer managed. Although the flowers are beautiful and their nectar is well-loved by insects of all kinds, this vine tends to cover and smother any plants in its path. It also has potato-like tubers deep under the ground so it quickly regrows after being cleared. Of all St. Martin’s flowers, it is one of the most beautiful and problematic.
What is your favorite local flower? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
Some Les Fruits de Mer volunteers with the panels that were donated to Omer Arrondell Primary School.
Classroom walls at Omer Arrondell Primary School in French Quarter have gotten a lot more exciting. The Les Fruits de Mer association donated copies of 24 panels from Amuseum Naturalis to the school. The educational panels cover a variety of local nature and heritage topics and will rotate through the different classes.
“Our association’s mission is to share all the things that make St. Martin special,” explained Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “A lot of that is missing from school lesson plans, so this was a great opportunity to literally get this information into the classroom in a fun and colorful way.”
The panels were made as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s project Quartier+Museé. The project goal is to extend the connection between Amuseum Naturalis and French Quarter by featuring French Quarter topics at the Amuseum and sharing Amuseum content with the town. The project is funded by CGET and the Collectivité of Saint-Martin under the Politique de la Ville program.
The teachers were excited to receive the bilingual English-French panels. Each panel tells a unique story about St. Martin and is illustrated with vivid photos. Topics include the animals that live only on St. Martin, the bear-sized rodent that once lived here, the origins of bush medicine plants and techniques and the native tree with the hardest wood in the world.
Les Fruits de Mer hopes to find the funds to print panels for as many schools as possible. The association is also happy to share the panel designs with any school or organization interested in printing their own copies. Amuseum Naturalis offers free school and youth group visits as well. Contact Les Fruits de Mer at [email protected] to find out more.
Amuseum Naturalis is open from 9am to noon Tuesday to Saturday, and admission is free to all. It is located at The Old House, on the hill above Galion Beach in French Quarter. More information and a map are available at http://amuseumnaturalis.com.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC provides an amazing look at the heritage of over 40 million people. A visit is a rich and rewarding experience for anyone. What would a resource like this look like on St. Martin?
The richness of the museum is a reflection of the richness of the culture it presents. The museum gives a detailed history of the black experience in America. But often cultural aspects are the strongest and provide us with our best connections to the past. Both African American culture and the Afro-Caribbean culture of St. Martin have countless facets to explore.
The Point of Pines Cabin, a 1953 home rebuilt on the museum floor.
The histories of both places share the horrors of the slavery era and the challenges of sharing an era when black voices were suppressed and excluded from the record. One way of helping visitors connect with the lives of enslaved people was sharing objects and stories from everyday life, even an entire home that was brought into the museum and restored.
Another key method was using peoples’ own words to tell their stories and reveal history. From old letters and documents to recordings and interviews made more recently, much of the story was told by those who lived it. Seeing these words and hearing these voices helped visitors connect deeply.
The museum also drew heavily on culture and art. The African diaspora includes many of the greatest musicians, performers and artists of all time. Music and art were featured in their own galleries, but they were also used all over the museum, making other materials more engaging. Intangible culture and heritage were presented on equal footing with objects and documents.
An exhibit on gestures in African American culture.
The museum also had opportunities for visitors to share their stories and connect them to history. The Family Research Center helps visitors explore their genealogy to learn more about their ancestors. Reflections Booths located on the museum floor give visitors a chance to share their own stories.
The Reflections Booth is a place to share your own story.
All of these techniques could be used in a St. Martin Museum of Afro-Caribbean History and Culture. Right now, the story is not told as well as it should be, even though it is the history of most of the people on the island.
What Afro-Caribbean history or culture would you want to see in a St. Martin museum? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
The sculpture Mothership (Capsule) by Jefferson Pinder.
Anyone who has spent even a little time on St. Martin is used to watching it change. Winter’s lush green hills are bare and bone dry in the spring. Beaches grow and shrink with shifting sands. Heavy machines cut into the hillsides to clear land for roads and buildings. Ponds are filled, great trees grow and die. Ruins collapse under the weight of centuries, or just the years since Hurricane Luis.
St. Martin may be almost unrecognizable to someone born here 80 years ago. But even a long human life is just a moment in the vast age of an island. St. Martin has been through even bigger changes, witnessed by people who are long since gone, and in the ages before anyone was here to see them at all. Here are a few of them.
The size of ice age super St. Martin.
Look in the direction of St. Barts and imagine not sea, but land, between here and there. Then imagine unbroken land continuing just as far on the other side of St. Barts. Imagine land extending for miles in almost every direction from the St. Martin of today, forming an island the size of Trinidad. It may sound impossible, but 12,000 years ago when the sea level was more than 100 meters lower, this is how St. Martin was.
Imagine your surroundings with every sign of human presence gone. Thick scrub full of thorny plants fills most coastal areas and lowlands. Explosions of bright blue flowers dot the landscape where Lignum Vitae trees are in bloom. In each ravine, massive trees have grown tall to capture sunlight in the canopy leaving a cool and open forest floor. Flocks of parrots fly over, chattering to each other, and huge colonies of egrets nest on the mangrove trees that surround every pond. This is the paradise that the first Amerindian people discovered here about 5,000 years ago.
Some structures from the sugar era still stand. (Barbara Cannegieter postcard collection)
Imagine a St. Martin 200 years ago, covered almost completely with fields of giant grass, with thick stalks twice the height of a person. The fields reach high into the hills, covering many places that have regrown trees in the centuries since. A few dozen plantation houses are spread around the island, built in wood on stone foundations. Somewhere near each one there is a raised ring where cows or donkeys circle, turning the giant rollers that crush the sugarcane. Near each mill there is a cluster of small wattle and daub homes. Most of the people on the island live in them, surviving day by day under an unimaginably terrible system of slavery that they would soon take a part in overthrowing.
What St. Martin era are you curious about? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
The idea of St. Martin as a two-nation island is central to its image. It is the one fact that appears in every article about St. Martin. It is technically true, in a political sense. The north of St. Martin is part of France, and the south is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. At the same time, it is also a myth that misrepresents the island in many ways.
Much of St. Martin culture exists between and beyond the flags that fly at the border monument.
No matter who was in charge, through most of history the people of St. Martin were mostly not French or Dutch. During the early colonial period, many people were English or Irish, possibly the majority at some points in time.
By the end of the 1700s, enslaved people from Africa vastly outnumbered Europeans. These people were not given the rights of human beings at all, much less the rights of French or Dutch citizens. The language of the island has always been English, and the culture is Caribbean with many influences. Many of the superficial trappings of French and Dutch culture arrived when tourism grew in the late 20th century, a marketing myth manifesting itself across the island.
A key part of the dual nation myth is the division of the island with the Treaty of Concordia in 1648. There is a notion that two nations have peacefully coexisted on the island since then. But they haven’t really. There have been frequent disputes over the border, which was only marked in 1772. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the French and Dutch governments broke the treaty to invade and take over the opposite half of the island six different times. The harmony of the island probably has more to do with the unity of the people of St. Martin, sharing culture and family across the border, rather than two “great nations” finding peace with each other.
A line on a map only tells part of the story.
Misconceptions about St. Martin come from many times and places. Older histories only recorded the lives of the wealthy and the powerful. We know the names of the white men who gave the order to build bridges and forts, but not the people who actually built them. In the modern era, the myth of a French and Dutch island was promoted as something tourists would find fun and sophisticated.
Of course, there is French and Dutch heritage on the island, and there are fascinating things to learn about it. The challenge is simply to escape the bounds of a single narrative. Smothered beneath the myth of French and Dutch is a far richer story waiting to be heard.
What St. Martin history and culture do you feel is overlooked? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
St. Martin looks like a tropical paradise, especially during the winter. Fall rains paint St. Martin in beautiful greens from hill to valley. But life isn’t that easy for plants on St. Martin. The ones that do well here are super tough and adapted to survive. Here are three plant stories that everyone should know.
Every plant has a strategy for surviving the dry season.
St. Martin is a dry island. It is easy to forget during the green fall and winter seasons. The spring dry season pushes plants to the limit, and they all have strategies for survival. Some lose their leaves to save water. Some have deep roots to tap into hidden water, others have shallow roots spread out to catch as much as they can from a passing shower. Every single plant on the island has found a way to live through the dry season. Years of drought, which have become more frequent, can even push the best adapted plants over the edge.
Mangroves protect land and sea.
Mangroves are protectors of both land and sea. Mangroves are a group of trees adapted to live in and near saltwater areas. Along coastlines, they absorb the power of incoming waves and keep beaches from washing into the sea. They also trap soil and leaves that wash down from the hills. This provides food for crabs and other pond animals. It also protects coral reefs. Without mangroves, nutrients from the land would wash out to sea and feed algae that would smother the coral. Living between land and sea, mangroves are vital to life both above and beneath the water.
Every forest is growing back.
From seaside scrub to forested hill, every landscape we see has been changed by humans. During the colonial period, especially when sugar cane was grown, natural vegetation was cut to make way for agriculture. Virtually every wild space on St. Martin is actually growing back after being cleared. As agriculture has declined, many spaces that were once farmed or grazed by livestock are slowly returning to a more natural state. But this process can take hundreds of years, and even a beautifully regrown forest will probably not have the same richness and mix of species as what was once there.
What St. Martin plant story do you think everyone should know? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
There are infinite interesting facts about St. Martin wildlife. But if you had just a couple minutes to tell someone what is so special about St. Martin, what would you choose? Here are three wildlife stories that everyone should know.
The Bearded Anole is only found on St. Martin.
There are animals that live only on St. Martin. There are two lizards you can see today, and one that is extinct. These animals were stranded here thousands or millions of years ago and evolved right here to become unique species. If they don’t have the habitat they need here, they could disappear from the world. That’s a good reason to make sure we save some wild spaces. The unique animal you are most likely to see is the Bearded Anole, a small tree lizard that is usually tan with bright blue around its eyes. The Spotted Woodslave is harder to find. It is a giant gecko that lives in the forest.
St. Martin is home to many migratory birds.
About half our birds are long distance travelers. Some birds live here all year, but about half the species that have been seen here are migratory birds. Most spend their summer in North America raising their chicks. Many go as far north as Canada and Alaska. When it is too cold to find food there, they come to St. Martin, or stop here on their way further south. Out salt ponds attract many birds that come to hunt fish, crabs or snails. Many of these birds spend most of their year here, so we could think of them as St. Martin birds that summer in the north.
Non-native animals are transforming St. Martin. The island is now home to many animals that were not from here. Amerindians brought the Red-footed Tortoise in prehistoric times, rats arrived on the first European ships and the mongoose was introduced in 1888. These days, most species arrive with shipments of trees and plants. The Cuban Tree Frog, Giant African Land Snail and the Brahminy Blind Snake probably arrived this way. Some cause trouble for native species, others don’t. The mongoose exterminated our native snake and two lizards. Introduced snails can eat up both gardens and wild plants.
The mongoose has exterminated three native animals.
What St. Martin wildlife story do you think everyone should know? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
On St. Martin, countless stories have been lost to time. For most of recorded history, only the thinnest slice of life was documented. For the vast majority of people, not a single word was written about their life, toils, resourcefulness, beliefs or loves.
But even the things that were recorded are vulnerable. Things as important as the Treaty of Concordia, which split the island between the French and Dutch in 1648, have gone missing. One of the original copies is still missing today. Other records have been lost, or destroyed in fire, flood or hurricane.
Books written about St. Martin are crucial links to information that is lost, or locked away in distant archives. Dr. J. Hartog’s book, History of Sint Maarten and Saint Martin is one of those links. He made detailed notes of the Lieutenant-Governor’s Journals of Sint Maarten as part of his research. In 1974, those journals were destroyed in a fire. Hartog’s book is the last record of much of this information.
A few out of print books about St. Martin.
S.J. Kruythoff’s The Netherlands Windward Islands contains some historical research. But it also includes many things that wouldn’t be recorded at all without his book, like the local names of plants and animals. His observations about nature and culture in the first half of the 20th century are priceless and unique. Very little was being published about the island at this time.
The Making of an Island by Jean Glasscock contains stories from conversations she had with St. Martiners between the 1960s and early 1980s. This is hardly ancient history, but St. Martin was tremendously different back then. Many of the people she spoke to have now passed.
The list goes on. For the Love of St. Maarten by Will Johnson, L’Immuable et le Changeant by Yves Monnier, Windward Children by Dorothy and John Keur and Beyond the Tourist Trap by Sypkens Smit each include stories of the island that can be found nowhere else.
These authors have succeeded where even governments responsible for preserving the public record have often failed. These works can still be read. Thanks to the number of copies that exist, they will almost surely survive long into the future.
Although these books are on many bookshelves, all of them are currently out of print. Copies can still be found occasionally by those with patience and the money to pay rare book prices. Someday they will enter the public domain, but many of us will be long dead by then.
In the meantime, what can we do? It is crucial that local libraries, schools and cultural institutions have copies of these works so they are available to the people of St. Martin. If possible, perhaps some of them could be reprinted with the permission of the authors and publishers. These books may also inform new works that continue the grand project of telling the story of St. Martin.
What is your favorite book about St. Martin? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
2020 is a brand new year. It is a chance to make a change and to try new things. Many of us have made resolutions, plans to improve ourselves or our community in this new year. Whether you have made other resolutions or not, here are a few cultural resolutions that you might consider for 2020.
Experience culture. St. Martin has plenty of culture, and it is easy to access. There are museums, galleries, events and performances. Experiencing culture in person is enriching. It is a break from the everyday and a reminder of what the island has to offer. Going to an event is also a chance to connect with the community. St. Martin culture is a set of shared traditions. If you don’t share in them, you lose your connection to this culture.
Participants reenact the Diamond Estate freedom run.
Participate in culture. Culture is for and by everyone. The only limitation is who chooses to take part. Your story is part of the St. Martin story, and it is as important as anyone else’s. Write down a story told to you by a parent or grandparent. Share a family recipe. Scan your family photos. Record an interview with a relative. The story of St. Martin is incomplete without your contribution.
Support culture. There are a handful of people who have worked tirelessly to preserve and share St. Martin culture for years or decades. They’ve done amazing things, but they have also had a lot of help from countless other people. Museums, book fairs and festivals don’t happen by themselves. They are created by volunteers and supported by donors. They are everyday people like you and me, but without their generosity perhaps culture would disappear on St. Martin.
Learning to find meaning in family photos during a workshop at Amuseum Naturalis.
There are plenty of reasons why being culturally active today is important to St. Martin. Stories are lost each year as elders pass away. Letters, diaries and photos are lost or destroyed with no backup. Many of the cultural leaders of the 80s and 90s have retired without a new generation to carry on work in their fields.
But the most important reason to be culturally active is because it will improve your life. Culture links you to your past and makes you optimistic about the future. Culture is the thing that connects a community across time and space. Without culture, we are alone. And that’s no way to spend 2020.
What is your cultural resolution for 2020? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
Anyone in search of a deeper understanding of the recent protests would do well to read the book Saint-Martin: Destabilization of the French Caribbean by the late Daniella Jeffry. It focuses primarily on a period of great change on the island, from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.
Jeffry set the stage with an overview of colonial history, and what she called the “Traditional Period” between 1848 and 1963. In her view, the collapse of the sugar industry, the end of slavery and the departure of white plantation owners led to a time of relative peace during this period. People farmed, fished and did seasonal salt work. People were poor, but largely free to do as they wished. France had little interest in St. Martin, giving the island a kind of independence.
Sandy Ground resident and her home circa 1980. (Photo from Yves Monnier)
Things began to change as tourism developed. The Dutch side began first, building the new airport and pier and the first hotels. By the beginning of the 1980s and feeling 20 years behind, France was in a rush to develop their side of the island.
The 1980s were a turbulent time, even though tourists might remember it as a golden age. There was massive development, immigration tripled the population of French St. Martin, and the French state increased its involvement in local affairs. Laws and zoning plans were changed to facilitate tourism development.
Jeffry’s book describes one series of events in March of 1980 may help us better understand the current conflict over today’s natural disaster risk prevention plan (PPRN). In early 1980, there was a development plan to transform Sandy Ground into a tourist area. The homes there where people lived and raised their families were largely built without permits on land that they did not have clear title to. One of the first steps was to knock down buildings that the state considered illegal.
Sandy Ground from above around 1980. (Photo by REGNAM)
In response to the first houses being bulldozed, 2nd Deputy Mayor Albert Romney-Burnett bulldozed the French security police barracks in the same area. The next Saturday, March 8th, a meeting was held to discuss the transfer of Sandy Ground land to the government.
Mayor Elie Fleming explained to the the tense crowd that due to the position of Sandy Ground, between lagoon and sea, and the distance between the high water marks on each side, the land actually belonged to the state. He said “Sandy Ground, for those who do not know, is the result of the abuses of those people who came here to work but could not find a place to live.” He said that these “greedy and selfish people” would not be allowed to continue living there. The area to be retaken by the state would be marked by the following Monday.
Mrs. Berry Gumbs, who owned a home in Sandy Ground, spoke up to say that no one could take her property. Albert Romney-Burnett encouraged residents to get their property ownership legalized. He also said, “St. Martin people are a very understanding people. But one thing is for sure, we are going to stand up for what is rightfully ours. I feel that St. Martin people have been pushed in a corner and we are going to stand up and defend ourselves.” He also made a call to “protest in a peaceful way.”
The comments from the crowd and the heated atmosphere seemed to change the mind of government. The plan to take Sandy Ground was not implemented in 1980. Since then, questions of land ownership and zoning have often caused dispute. And the echoes of March 8th, 1980 can still be heard.
What are your memories of unrest in the 1980s? Tell us by writing in to The Daily Herald or [email protected].
You can read Saint-Martin: Destabilization of the French Caribbean at Soualibra. You can buy it on Amazon or at Arnia Bookstore.
