Protecting the Natural Areas of St. Maarten
After the Nature Foundation St Maarten recently established the presence of ‘Tissue Loss Disease’ on several local coral reefs in October 2018, a more elaborate research study by the Nature Foundation established on average a 60% infection and mortality rate of the most susceptible stony corals in the Marine Park ‘Man of War Shoal’.
Nature Foundation St Maarten is again urging parliament to ban single-use plastics, such as plastic bags, straws, cups and cutlery and styrofoam food containers.
Nature Foundation St. Maarten is organizing an environmental event to educate residents and visitors about our environmental issues and the harmful impacts of single-use plastics while incorporating a competition element. An environmental pub quiz event will be held at Dinghy Dock Bar in Simpson Bay on the 23rd of May starting at 7 pm. St. … Continue reading Nature Foundation Organizes Environmental Pub Quiz Event
On Sunday Night the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten recorded the first Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting of the season on Simpson Bay Beach. The sea turtle laid a successful nest and found her way back to the sea safely. The Nature Foundation would like to hereby inform all stakeholders and beach users that the … Continue reading Nature Foundation Records First Leatherback Sea Turtle Nesting on our beaches since Hurricane Irma
On Tuesday afternoon, the Nature Foundation staff investigated the usage of single-use plastics at the booths in Carnival Village. Open Carnival booths were asked if they provided any biodegradable or reusable alternative for single-use plastics and if plastic straws are given out with each drink or only upon request. All Carnival booths in Carnival Village … Continue reading Nature Foundation St Maarten Examines the Single-use Plastic Usage in Carnival Village; No Single-use Plastic FREE booth has been Found.
Investigating Ways to Humanely and Effectively Control Invasive Monkey Population The St. Maarten Nature Foundation has been handling many requests on what people can do to keep monkeys off of their property. With the insistent dry weather the Nature Foundation has been receiving many calls from residents wondering how to keep monkeys off of their … Continue reading Nature Foundation Issues Tips on How Community Can Safeguard Against Issues Posed by Monkeys
COLE BAY – There is a large influx of Sargassum seaweed currently making landfall on Sint Maarten. The Nature Foundation is warning the community that the Sargassum impacts, based on satellite imagery and field surveys, started earlier this week and will continue to persist for at least another week: “We have been coordinating our monitoring efforts … Continue reading Large Influx of Sargassum Currently Making Landfall on St. Maarten; Nature Foundation Warns of Potential Health Effects
Cole Bay- The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation is calling for the better management of the Nation’s Freshwater wells. The statement comes during a time when the island is experiencing on ongoing drought and many water delivery businesses are using wells to supply water to homes that rely on cisterns for their water supply. “Daily we … Continue reading Nature Foundation Calls for Better Management of Nation’s Freshwater Wells. Some Wells Contaminated with Sewage
The Nature Foundation St Maarten Reduce and Reuse intern Chantal Mondelice conducted a research-based questionnaire among businesses and citizens in Philipsburg about their single-use plastic usage and thoughts on the issue. Most citizens and businesses stressed the importance of having laws put in place to prevent situations such as unnecessary littering from happening. The solution … Continue reading Nature Foundation Survey Finds Community Waiting on Government to Enact Plastic Bag Ban
PHILIPSBURG — The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation over the weekend removed numerous balloons from littering the ocean. Both on Saturday and Sunday out on patrol the Foundation collected balloons drifting in the sea. Previously the Foundation had urged various organizations, including the SCDF who organized two balloon related activities over the weekend, to find sustainable alternatives to using balloons during … Continue reading Sint Maarten Nature Foundation Cleans Up Balloons Littering Sea over the Weekend
The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation has started the process of outplanting the first fragments of coral on reefs within the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area as part of its ‘Fragments of Recovery, Coral Reef Restoration Program. The project was launched with the assistance of the Coral Restoration Foundation, NOAA, the Coral Reef Restoration Consortium and … Continue reading Nature Foundation Plants First Coral Fragments from Coral Nursery in Marine Park as Part of ‘Fragments of Recovery” Post Hurricane Coral Reef Restoration Program
The Nature Foundations would like to inform all stakeholders and beach users about the upcoming start of the 2019 sea turtle nesting season on St Maarten. These precious sea creatures come ashore during the nesting season which runs from April through November each year. The Nature Foundation actively manages and monitors the sea turtle nesting … Continue reading Nature Foundation Announces the start of Sea Turtle Nesting Season!