The Philipsburg Pioneer Pathfinders and the St. Maarten Nature Foundation held an impromptu cleanup of Guana Bay Beach last Tuesday. Nature Foundation Turtle Watch Volunteer Marco Brouwers and some two dozen young volunteers cleaned the beach of approximately twenty bags of Garbage and numerous ropes, fishing nets and plastic debris.
"This spontaneous activity was a great success. We managed to get the Guana Bay Beach clean especially for the nesting sea turtles and managed to clear some large fishing nets which were washed ashore. This is especially important and we would sincerely like to thank the Philipsburg Pioneer Pathfinders for their effort," read a Nature Foundation statement. The St. Maarten Nature Foundation actively manages the sea turtle population on St. Maarten, particularly during the nesting season. The Foundation conducts various activities with regards to sea turtle nesting including beach surveys, nest excavations, tagging activities and nest success research. This research is done through beach patrols by staff, volunteer checks and dedicated research activities conducted on a daily basis during nesting season. The Foundation urges the community to call its offices on 5444267 if they notice sea turtles nesting or if they notice illegal activities on any of the island’s beaches.