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Monthly Archives: March 2018

Myth or Monster?

A photo that’s claimed to be a boa constrictor in Grand Case is causing quite a commotion on Facebook this week. The person who posted it said that a man claimed to have released four of them after Hurricane Irma. If true, this could be the start of a serious problem for the island. Of …

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The Stories Behind the Names

Does every name have a story behind it? If not every name, surely most do. Some are beautiful, some are terrible. But one thing that many have in common is that we become so used to the names, we forget the stories. Consider Philipsburg—it’s named after John Philips, but what do we really know about …

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A Tale of Two Countries

St. Martin’s status as a two-nation island is often recited as a piece of trivia. It is called the smallest island split by two countries, though strictly speaking that’s not true. Although we know that the split is something that makes the island unique, we don’t always give context to this fact. What is the story …

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Need for Seed

On the frozen Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault stores the seeds of almost half a million plants, including about 90,000 food crops. Deliberately remote and frozen, it exists to safeguard the genetic heritage of the world’s plants, particularly those we depend on. We only eat a few varieties of potato, corn …

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Amuseum Updates!

The relaunch of Amuseum Naturalis has been progressing in many ways. Our volunteer days have been getting more and more busy with loads of people coming out to help. Luckily, we have plenty of work to do! Here’s a short video from Saturday: Our next clean-up is Saturday, March 24th from 9am to noon with …

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A Million Stories

Amuseum Naturalis was a free nature museum in Grand Case that was open the last two years. This year, the Les Fruits de Mer association is relaunching the Amuseum at the former site of The Old House museum in French Quarter. The scope of the museum is expanding to include heritage and culture, with the …

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Selective Recovery

A wild explosion of green broadcasted a message of recovery from the hilltops of St. Martin this winter. Hurricane Irma battered and bruised, but the tropical sun and wet season rains were like a green machine. The island was still alive. Six months later, a closer look reveals a more complicated situation. Not all parts …

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We’re Relaunching Amuseum Naturalis

After delighting over 10,000 visitors in its first two years, Amuseum Naturalis is coming back in a new location in 2018. St. Martin’s first natural history museum will be expanding to highlight island heritage and culture as well as nature. At the new location, formerly The Old House museum, there will also be community projects …

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Relaunching Amuseum Naturalis

We’re super excited to be relaunching Amuseum Naturalis at an amazing new location: The Old House! In addition to nature, we will also be highlighting local heritage and culture. The new Amuseum will also be a space for community projects. We’ve already started a native plants nursery for reforestation and bird-friendly backyards. Community gardens and …

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Cactus Comeback

Cactus may make many people think of the desert, but these prickly plants are also key Caribbean species. The things that help them survive in the desert can help them in a place like St. Martin. Their survival strategies can also help them bounce back after a hurricane. The Doodle Doo Cactus grows in long …

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