There’s too much plastic in the world. People have made almost 10 billion tons of plastic, and only 10% is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, natural spaces and the sea. And there’s plenty of it on St. Martin. Some of the most beautiful places on the island are full of plastic garbage. Plastic …

Written by Mark Yokoyama and César Escalona Photos are a window into our lives. They show who we are and how we lived. They are a record of heritage, history and culture. Some histories only record the lives of rich or powerful people. But most families have photos, so photos can tell the story of …

In the first National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of St. Maarten, jollification has a modest entry: A traditional gathering of people to help build a house, well, or fence and at which food is served as compensation. To most of the world, and even most of the Caribbean, a jollification is a just a party. …

In the first National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of St. Maarten, jollification has a modest entry: A traditional gathering of people to help build a house, well, or fence and at which food is served as compensation. To most of the world, and even most of the Caribbean, a jollification is a just a party. …

What is St. Martin culture? It is hard to put a finger on it. Local culture is the way things are said, or a proverb or a story. It is the way a food is cooked and on what occasions it is served. It is stories, crafts, games, songs, dances and much more. It can …

Look out any window and you’ll see St. Martin. At least, you’ll see part of it. You might see your neighbors working on their house, cars passing in the street or clouds rolling in. Every window presents a slightly different view of the island. If you don’t have a good view in the right direction, …

Look out any window and you’ll see St. Martin. At least, you’ll see part of it. You might see your neighbors working on their house, cars passing in the street or clouds rolling in. Every window presents a slightly different view of the island. If you don’t have a good view in the right direction, …

In 1772, Auguste Descoudrelles, the Commander of French St. Martin described the four quarters of the territory he was commanding. At the time, these were French Quarter, Grand Case, Colombier and Marigot. Although almost 250 years have passed, some essential traits of each quarter still remain today. Descoudrelles describes French Quarter as the oldest community. …

The threats to sweet St. Martin are many and varied. Some have causes far beyond local control, like global warming. Some problems are local, like trash and pollution. Some come by surprise, like the sudden invasion of sargassum in 2011. Some, like droughts, come in repeated cycles. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, several recent …

How would you describe St. Martin in a sentence? Anyone who lives here knows it is a special and unique place. It is sunny, vibrant and very Caribbean. Yet the island is usually defined by a border. It is the island that is half French and half Dutch. This is often the first fact that …