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Protecting the Natural Areas of St. Maarten

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Posted on 25 Jun 2019 by Melanie

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← Disease Linked to Poor Water Quality Affecting Island’s Sea Turtle Population

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Recent Articles

  • Sint Maarten Sea Turtles Experiencing a Decline in Nesting and Increase in Deaths, Nature Foundation St. Maarten Urges for Protection and Enforcement 14 Feb 2020
  • Nature Foundation and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education Launch Student Competition to Protect St Maarten’s Coral Reefs, Funded by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. 10 Feb 2020
  • Nature Foundation St. Maarten and Ocean Science Team Research Performance of the Innovative Artificial Reef Structures “IntelliReefs”, to Improve Denuded Coral Reefs. 9 Feb 2020

RSS Reef Life Foundation

  • Oceanite Octopus Condo 15 Feb 2020
  • Blue Carbon Reef Innovations 14 Feb 2020
  • IntelliReefs: Smart Substrates for Super Corals and Happy Fish! 10 Dec 2019

RSS Les Fruits de Mers

  • Three Landscapes 16 Feb 2020
  • Myths of French and Dutch 1 Feb 2020
  • Three Plant Stories 25 Jan 2020

RSS Nature Today

  • Solving conflicts between humans and elephants: how a former poacher became a local hero 14 Feb 2020
  • Genetic testing to measure sea turtle conservation success 9 Feb 2020
  • Three new bird species identified on Bonaire 5 Feb 2020
  • Researchers explored deepest and largest underwater sinkholes in the world 29 Jan 2020
  • Evaluation of vegetation development on the Dutch Caribbean islands 26 Jan 2020

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Hours: Mo-Fr 900AM - 400PM

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This week a competition for secondary school stude This week a competition for secondary school students in order to protect the coral reefs in St Maarten has been launched by the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. The project aims to create a sense of ownership by the island population by generating awareness amongst students, the local government, donor organizations, businesses and the people of St. Maarten about the loss of corals and its potential consequences for the island’s economy. The Coral Competition Team, consisting of a Nature Foundation staff member, a Marine ecologist and a specialist from the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, will be visiting secondary schools on the 9th and 10th of March 2020 in order to present the Coral Competition to the students of St. Maarten. Besides, these presentations are also focused on learning about coral reefs, their importance, their numerous threats and how students can help to ensure coral reefs for the future. Secondary schools and schools with students within the ages from 12 until 19 years old, are urged to request a presentation appointment from the team by sending an email to education@naturefoundationsxm.org, in order to provide opportunities for their students to participate in the competition and learn about coral reefs. To participate in the Coral Competition, students are asked to form groups of maximum 4 students and come up with a Proposal to Save St. Maarten Coral Reefs. Students may choose to work with students from any school, however all participating students should be between 12 until 19 years old and each student is only allowed to participate in one proposal. Their proposal presentations shall have no boundaries when it comes to creativity on presenting and saving coral reefs. In addition, the proposal should be executable by the Nature Foundation with about USD $4000. Student groups can register for the project before Friday the 27th of March 2020 by sending an email to education@naturefoundationsxm.org with their proposal name, their names and their contact details.
The Nature Foundation has a new intern! Briana Ha The Nature Foundation has a new intern! Briana Halley was born and raised on St. Maarten and is currently in the third year of her study at The HZ University of Applied Sciences in Vlissingen, Netherlands. She is studying Water Management following the study track of Delta Management, which focuses on learning how to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change in Deltas around the world. The study focuses on how to create strategies to deal with the effects of climate change while combining economic, ecological, spatial and social aspects of an area. She is continuously learning skills on project and process management to be able to handle projects with complex issues about water and climate change worldwide. Briana will be taking on the task of testing the water quality on the beaches of St. Maarten. Water quality is a complex issue that affects ecosystems and human health. The Nature Foundation is working in collaboration with The American University of the Caribbean to conduct water quality tests to enumerate bacterial contamination of St. Maarten beaches. Briana will use the findings of the water quality tests to report about the influences of water quality on the environment, marine life, wildlife, humans and ecosystems. We would like to give Briana a warm welcome!
Last week we had a great week together with the cr Last week we had a great week together with the crew of the IntelliReefs, @reeflifefoundation and @pelican_peak! We researched and monitored the performance of the IntelliReef structures which were placed in September 2018, this trip was funded by the @waittinstitute. We found an abundance of marine life on the newly developed structures, including already some coral settlers. In the coming months collected monitoring materials will be analyzed and researched to determine species composition and growth on the artificial reef structures! During the week, the IntelliReefs team enjoyed amazing views and a speedy zipline rides at Pelican Peak, collaborators and supports of the Intellreefs project. #intellireefs #reeflifefoundation #natureisourfuture #naturefoundationsxm #pelicanpeak #onemilioncoral #waittinstitute
Last week researches from the University of Califo Last week researches from the University of California and the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History conducted amphibian and reptile research on St Maarten. They research the adaptation of Anolis lizards to habitat gradients and phylogeographic history of amphibians and reptiles in the Caribbean. Besides, they research the colonization history of amphibians and reptiles throughout the Lesser Antilles and how historical volcanism may have shaped their modern distributions and genetic structure. For this research, anole lizards, geckos and frogs were searched around the island and temporary captured, several measurements and DNA samples were taken from each found species and after released in good health. In the pictures you can see the process of measuring lenght, temperature and colour patterns of an Anole lizard, Anolis gingivinus, which is a native species to St Maarten. #anolis #lizards #natureisourfuture #naturefoundationsxm #research #scientificresearch #frogs #geckos
Ready to go out to research the state of our Intel Ready to go out to research the state of our IntelliReef structures! This week together with the @reeflifefoundation and the @intellireefs crew and with the support of the @waittinstitute we will be monitoring the performance of the IntelliReef structures which were placed in September 2018. Hopefully we will find some coral settlers and other important marine life species which enhance our coral reefs! You will see our team out there on the dive sites Mikes maze, the bridge and in great bay to monitor the artificial reef structures. #intellireefs #reeflifefoundation #natureisourfuture #naturefoundationsxm #pelicanpeak #onemilioncoral #waittinstitute
The Nature Foundation St Maarten is looking for an The Nature Foundation St Maarten is looking for an Educational Outreach Officer! Due to the generous support from Port de Plaisance Marina Yacht Club Port de Plaisance, the Nature Foundation is able to hire an Educational Outreach Officer to assist the Foundation in their daily activities and strengthen the environmental education and awareness on St. Maarten. The Educational Outreach Officer will be responsible for the outreach, education and communication part of the Foundation. Related tasks will be creating awareness about nature, marine life and environmental issues in St. Maarten, an important part is educating students and residents about nature and environment. Tasks will include executing school visits and school activities, organizing educational awareness events and fundraising activities, preparing outreach materials, press releases and reports and assisting in communication activities and issues. The education outreach officer is responsible for the Foundation it’s communication channels such as social media, the website and awareness materials. The employee will report and communicate activities to the manager. The candidate needs to be able and willing to assist with other tasks done by the Foundation if needed such as scientific research projects, boat activities, water quality testing and reporting environmental incidents. The candidate needs to be able to work independent, take initiative and follow instructions when needed. Requirements and skills: - University degree in education or environmental studies or related field - Knowledge of the local nature, marine life and wildlife - Awareness of environmental issues - Excellent presentation and organizational abilities - Strong verbal and written communication skills in English - Strong computer skills - Motivation and affinity with protecting the environment - Pro-active, responsible, reliable and independent working attitude - Valid resident and working permit for St Maarten - Valid drivers license - Scuba diving certificates and snorkel skills is optional We offer: - A diverse position in a small but important Foundation to protect and enhance the natural environment on St Maarten. - O
This morning Reduce Reuse Intern, Grace Hansen, vi This morning Reduce Reuse Intern, Grace Hansen, visited first and second graders at Leonald Connor School in Cole Bay to present about the dangers of single use plastics. Students learned how garbage ends up in our oceans and the impacts it has on animals. Each student was given a reusable ‘spork’ (fork and spoon) that can replace single use cutlery. With the assistance of Ms. Oneida Arrindell, the students are now aware of the importance of cleaning up after oneself, others and switching to reusable alternatives! #bansingleuse #natureisourfuture #cleanup #dontlittersaveourcritters #reducesxm #reusesxm #reducereusesxm #naturefoundation #banplastics #saynotoplastic
Today we monitored the situation at the Dawn beach Today we monitored the situation at the Dawn beach pond. We estimated that 90% percent of the previous pollution in the pond is back to a normal state. There are still some traces of oil in the water, unfortunately this would be impossible to remove. All wildlife has resumed using the pond, the animals are showing healthy signs and are clean. Thanks to all the volunteers for their endless efforts! #naturefoundation #natureisourfuture #ilovenature #cleanup #oilspill #pollution #naturefoundationsxm #volunteers
The Results of Our Plastic Brand Audit are In!! On The Results of Our Plastic Brand Audit are In!! On January 11th 2020, SXM A.C.T.I.O.N and The Nature Foundation teamed up with sponsors, SXM Beer and Hay! Straws for the first cleanup of the decade. Volunteers collected and sorted through trash to determine major polluters on Mullet Bay Beach. The number one plastic polluter was single-use plastic utensils including cutlery, plates, straws, bowls, styrofoam, cups, etc! The number one polluting brand was Nestle with over 20 items including plastic water bottles. All of these items can be replaced with reusable and/or eco-friendly options including biodegradable and compostable materials. An important note is that 41 cigarettes were found in the surrounding areas. People often forget that cigarettes are actually made of plastic. These items are very small and mother birds have been photographed feeding them to their young. None of these baby birds will survive. Though many of the items collected included glass bottles and cans, the #BreakFreeFromPlastic movement asked for only plastics. Of the 393 plastic items collected, 189 were single use plastic items. The Nature Foundation asks that individuals make sure to properly dispose of all trash and begin the transition to reusable materials through travel utensils, reusable bottles, bags and togo containers. This finding is extremely critical for the country of St. Maarten. We must join the other Caribbean nations in banning single use plastics. The Nature Foundation along with other members of Green Initiatives have been advocating for a governmental ban on single use plastics for over a year. With these findings, there is now data that will support this urgency even more. To support these findings and a governmental ban on single use plastics, please consider sharing and signing this Call to Action that will be presented to parliament very soon! https://www.change.org/p/less-plastic-more-sxm?fbclid=IwAR3kFW9LLE7KB5Qp1VOYv7vU1wWvtAxvinaf_oqKcj2CprCzp6KEDUJcTxQ
This past Saturday we joined the Sint Maarten Yach This past Saturday we joined the Sint Maarten Yacht Club for the annual Regatta Beach Cleanup! Overall, we collected 952 lbs of trash from Kimsha beach! This is the most trash the Nature Foundation has ever collected! It would not have been possible without all of the children and volunteers who came out to help. A lot of these items included single use plastics like water bottles, cups, straws, and we even had kitchen sets and tires from vehicles. Proper disposal of waste is very important as chemicals can leach into our water supply and harm ecosystems. #naturefoundation #ilovenature #natureisourfuture #beachcleanup #cleanup #regattacleanup #reducereusesxm #reducesxm #reusesxm #donotlitter #naturefoundationsxm
Last Saturday at the Regatta Beach Clean Up at Kim Last Saturday at the Regatta Beach Clean Up at Kim Sha Beach a German film crew accompanied Nature Foundation during the day. We talked about the problems of single use plastic in the environment, tasks of the Nature Foundation and of course about Sea Turtles and Pelicans. During a presentation and a quiz the film crew as well as all the volunteers from the Clean Up learned a lot about how to protect our environment by reuse and reduce single use plastics. After the clean up we showed the film crew the breeding colony of our national bird, Brown Pelican, at Fort Amsterdam and talked about the population on St Maarten. The program will be broadcast in summer 2020 by the German channel ARD under the titel “Sehnsucht Segeln”. #brownpelican #natureisourfuture #reusereduce #naturefoundation #pelican #seaturtle #saveourocean #sxm
In the Wider Caribbean Region six sea turtle speci In the Wider Caribbean Region six sea turtle species are occuring out of the seven species worldwide. Three of these species even have nesting sides on Sint Maarten. Sea turtles are endangered and locally protected by law and they also have strict international protection. Based on ARTICLE 16 and 17 of the Nature Conservation Ordinance St. Maarten it is illegal to kill, wound, capture or pick up Sea Turtles. It is also illegal to directly or indirectly disturb their environment resulting in a physical threat or damage or to commit other acts which results in disturbance of the animal. It is also forbidden to disturb, damage or destroy Sea Turtle nests, lairs, or breeding places. Also, it is forbidden to pick up or to destroy the eggs of any species of Sea Turtle. Sea turtles are also protected international for example by CITES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. All local sea turtle species, Leatherback Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle and Green Turtle are located in Appendix I of CITES. Appendix I is defined by: “Appendix I shall include all species threatened with extinction which are or may be affected by trade. Trade in specimens of these species must be subject to particularly strict regulation in order not to endanger further their survival and must only be authorized in exceptional circumstances.” This means it is not allowed to trade any sea turtle, whether alive or dead or any recognizable part of a sea turtle or derivative thereof, without a CITES permit. This convention does not only includes sea turtles, every endangered species of wild fauna and flora can be found there. If you want to learn more about CITES and which species are included then you should check out www.cites.org.
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