The St. Maarten Nature Foundation in partnership with Be The Change St. Maarten is currently involved in the Be The Change Naturalist Course where some six youth from varying difficult backgrounds are given the opportunity to learn about Nature on St. Maarten and environmental.
The Idea behind of the Be The Change/ Nature Foundation Project was to motivate and expose challenged youth to become involved in Environmental Conservation in General and Marine Conservation more specifically. The Nature Foundation has always been active in developing and instilling conservation awareness in young people, however it has found that less privileged young people and those coming from difficult homes do not have the opportunity and support necessary to be introduced to the environment of St. Maarten and its conservation. They may not have had the opportunity to have been introduced to a field that is both rewarding and exciting and one which, aside from making a difference in the community, can offer opportunities for further development and employment in the future. “We believe that opening the eyes of children who may have not have had the opportunity to do so to the wonders of the natural world will enrich them and cause them to focus on not only the sustainable development of their island but also of themselves. That is why we considered this such an important project and were delighted to be given the opportunity to realize it through the partnership with the Be The Change Foundation and the some of the Foster Homes where the kids were staying,” stated the Nature Foundation.
The program originally ran for four weeks starting on Wednesday the Fourth of September and was supposed to end on Saturday the 28th; however it was decided to extend the classes indefinitely in order to offer the students the experience of being in St. Maarten’s unique environment and working actively to conserve it. During the activity the participants were basic environmental, conservation and marine biology education clean-up activities, habitat restoration work, species conservation and were thought snorkeling techniques, boat handling and SCUBA diving skills. Author and Naturalist Mark Yokoyama from the Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of St. Maarten also provided terrestrial environmental education and photography courses and students spent many afternoons and mornings hiking with Mark and learning about various land animals and their habitats and the threats that they face.
The contribution from the Be the Change Foundation and its Members facilitated training activities, materials, field trips, fuel for the boats, equipment requirements and certification. “The Nature Foundation cannot express enough how important Be The Change was in ensuring the success of this project. Through the contribution by its members we saw children develop from having an interest in Nature to becoming actively involved in its protection.”