Everyone on St. Martin—not to mention the plants and animals around us—is deeply familiar with the drought that has gripped the island in recent months. To the migratory birds that are just arriving from North America, it must be quite a surprise. What will they find when they arrive? We take a look in this week’s Bird Watch SXM.
Science and history collide in the story of how the first Sphaerodactylus dwarf gecko species was collected on Statia.
Birds—Connecting Communities and Conservation was the theme for the meeting, and the event photography workshop presented by Mark Yokoyama focused on forging that emotional connection through the power of great images. Michaela Roberts of ECHO Bonaire found the workshop “very dynamic, fun and informative” and Leno Davis commended the hands-on portion as excellent, delivering “instant results.” Deanna Albert from the University of the West Indies commented that it was “good to know how to make non-governmental organizations visually appealing to the public—locally, regionally and internationally.”
The conference opened with “Jamaica Day—A Celebration of Jamaica’s Unique and Wonderful Birds” which included a dozen presentations about Jamaica’s birds, from the latest research in tracking Jamaican seabird populations to the role of birds in pest control on Blue Mountain coffee farms. The extended look at Jamaica’s birds also included reports on the launch of the Caribbean Birding Trail program in Jamaica and Jamaica’s historical contribution to ornithology. Other highlights included the announcement of the rediscovery of the Black-capped Petrel in Dominica over 150 years after it was last documented and the release of a new book—The Endemic Birds of Cuba—by Nils Navarro.
In addition to over 120 presentations, workshops and panel discussions, the delegates enjoyed a variety of field trips to explore Jamaica’s wilderness areas first-hand. Conference trips visited Hope Gardens, Goat Islands, Cockpit Country, Portland Bight Protected Area, and the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, amongst other destinations. Many meeting participants were particularly eager to catch a glimpse of some of the 29 bird species endemic to Jamaica that can be seen nowhere else in the world.
The event photography ebook is available for download on the websites of both BirdsCaribbean and Les Fruits de Mer. The free, 26-page book draws from experience working with many talented photographers on St. Martin as well as advice from local journalists and media experts about how to use photography to promote non-profit events and activities. Mark, a member of BirdsCaribbean’s Media Working Group, also hosted a workshop to help bird educators partner more closely with the Media Working Group to promote their activities more effectively through traditional and online media.
Thanks to everyone who came out for the Heritage Photo Exhibition at Lagoonies on Friday. The opening was lots of fun and everyone had their say in voting for the Erika Cannegieter-Smith People’s Choice Award, which went to Nathaly Pieters for her image of the pier at Grand Case. We didn’t have a lot of time to take pictures at the event, but below are a few by Mark Yokoyama & Maël Renault. If you were there and took any nice photos of the event, feel free to send them on to us!
Lagoonies is closed today, but the exhibition panels will be going back up early afternoon tomorrow and will be up until Tuesday evening if you didn’t get a chance to see them at the opening.
Each bird may have many names. They vary from language to language and island to island. Some are local, some are universal and most tell some kind of story.
This week in Wild Statia we take a closer look at some of the island’s smaller animals and their parenting skills and social tendencies.
The exhibition for the 2015 Heritage Photo Contest will be held on Friday, July 17th at Lagoonies Bistro in Cole Bay. Photo entries will be on display and attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite for the Erika Cannegieter-Smith People’s Choice Award. The exhibition opening will be held from 6-10pm with the awards ceremony taking place at 9pm. We hope to see you there!
Lagoonies Bistro is located at the Lagoon Marina, Wellington Road 33-35 between ELECTEC and FKG in Cole Bay.
The remaining natural spaces on this island seem few and far between. Some of the best are the islets and offshore rocks that are still precious nesting grounds for seabirds:
Our neighborhoods are beautiful and green.
One Strong Arm
The Simpson Bay Bridge is familiar to all residents and tourist who pass over it. The raising of the bridge is a feat of strength, engineering and beauty.
Blue and orange
The contrast between the blue sky and the orange building is striking. The details of the building design represent St. Maarten traditional island architecture.
La Bamba
La Bamba is a very popular locale where locals and tourists go to have fun. As well Kim Sha Beach holds a lot of popular events throughout the year
Boats
The juxtaposition of the mega yachts with the Venetian gondola depicts the diversity and the unexpected beauty of the island. The colours produced by the sunset and clouds create a dramatic backdrop.
Our National Tree in Doodle Doo Cactus Drive in Sucker Garden. A Flamboyant makes its neighborhood look so festive in summer.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Lagoonies Regatta on Saturday to get your free Gaïac seedlings. We gave out about 50 seedlings to folks all over the island. Hopefully some of them will be big, beautiful trees in 100 years! We’ve also added some additional trees to the Gaïac Map, so be sure to check that out if you haven’t seen it recently!
Devant une photo telle que elle ci, j’aime m’imaginer les différentes personnes qui ont pu passer par ici. Car la diversité, c’est ça qui représente ce petit village qui est Grand Case.
On ne passe pas sur la plage de Grand Case sans s’arrêter sur le petit ponton coloré.
Comment mieux finir la journée que devant un couché de soleil a Galisbay ?
Les rayons lumineux qui éclairent la jolie baie de Philisburg.
Un des nombreux cocotiers de Grand case.
Caye Chateau, the waters allow you to have a clear view of anything in it, which is a lot. If you don’t have any I advise you to bring a child you know, they are the best at showing you things you miss out on, they have the better eyes and are closer to the ground! This day ours found part of a boat, the name and them in it, plus the surroundings made it another perfect Sint Maarten day.
dernier rayon de soleil a grand case
Naked boy hill, (Guana bay) that name alone should make you want to climb it. Views stretch from St Barths, to most beaches up to Anguilla, the Philipsburg harbor and St Peters hills. So Cool.
une fin de journée a Marigot . la sieste des caraibes
Cette photo a été prise a la sortie de l’ecole de Grande Case (deuxième pont), c’est une habitante de Grand Case faisant sa vaisselle dehors (au bord de la nationale). Elle représente pour moi un souvenir d’un mode de vie ancien (en toute simplicité…)face a une maternelle qui représente le future de l’ile(modernité, ordinateurs, vêtements a la mode…!).
C’est un vrai gage de souvenir et de tradition qu’elle offre aux enfants qui avec chance a chaques sorties d’ecole peuvent l’apercevoir dans ces activités extérieurs.
Usually treading stealthily along the bank of rocks, the surf provides a welcome cooling effect to this member of the island’s primitive-appearing iguana.
Guana Bay, Heineken Regatta, sailing is not for everyone, any wallet allows you to look at beautiful things.
Guana Bay while crazy waves crushing in, our son decides to play soccer in it. It is a wonderful site with the regatta going on in the background, but any child, at any time, at any beach shows you the pure joy. Let them keep that and all the children to come!
The port / cruise facilities – one of the pride and joy of our tourist industry.
The Heineken Regatta 2015 away from the crowds on this rough first day.
A ten minute stroll makes a hundred pictures of ditto bottle caps. The desperado one chosen for its name. I guess it says it all
Sometimes called the Tree of Life for its alleged medicinal properties, the Gaïac is a hardy, slow-growing tree native to our region. Prized for their incredibly strong wood—the densest of any tree in the world—these beautiful trees were over-harvested for centuries, particularly during the colonial era, and are now officially endangered. Like other native trees, they provide food and shelter to many of the island’s animals. Replanting these trees, even in our own backyards, helps create habitat for native animals and helps restore this important heritage tree for future generations. The Club Gaïac project promotes Gaïac restoration through seedling giveaways and other outreach activities, both online and at events.
The Lagoonies Regatta will be held from 9am-5pm, followed by an awards ceremony and free live rock concert, on Saturday, June 27th at Lagoonies Bistro, located at the Lagoon Marina, Wellington Road 33-35 between ELECTEC and FKG in Cole Bay. The Club Gaïac station will be open from 10am to 6pm.
Guana bay, Geneve Bay, the waves and the rock pools there always fascinate us, our children and any other we take down there. So much to see, learn and enjoy on such a small little bay.
Red Pond Bay, where you have the clearest waters, when no seaweed, a perfect view at St Barths and this huge tire since I remember on this otherwise always clean beach. I wonder how it got there.
The court house, once the post office for dutch St.Maarten, now its stand as a nostalgic piece of art and a testimony of all that has past, and to all the young folks a beacon that when seen from anywhere, say home.
A far cry from the former Dawn Beach Hotel with its cozy bungalows on the beach, destroyed in Hurricane Luis on September 5, 1995, The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort and Spa now looks out over the rough Atlantic waters of this neighborhood.
A welcomed rainy morning in Marina Royal. Everything was still, the water like a painting. A perfect place for slowing down and reflecting.
Red Pond bay, will it ever be finished this complex? It has damaged a lot, and rots away as time goes by, with a wall that reminds me of the one in Berlin. The situation on having million dollar complexes started and never finished
should be stopped right away, especially on places where there still were none. Oh, do we even have those left? Shame on the ones still allowing things like this to happen.
It’s always about the planes. And the tourists. They come and go with our ‘gang’ of taxi drivers, who do an excellent job driving safely, taking care of them, informing them, and teach them a thing or two. Hooray to them.
Tranquility and seclusion define Anse Marcel.
