Les Fruits de Mer launched a second season of their wildlife education booth at the Mardis de Grand Case street festival on Tuesday. Crowds of tourists and locals of all ages gathered to watch a short presentation explaining why there are so many butterflies on the island right now delivered in English and French by members of the association.
“Everyone’s been wondering about these gorgeous clouds of butterflies, so it was fun to explain what they’re doing here and use them as a window to look at the underlying ecology of the island,” said Les Fruits de Mer President Jennifer Yerkes.
Each Tuesday evening, as tourists and locals come to Grand Case to socialize and enjoy music and food at the Mardis de Grand Case street fair, dozens of visitors will spend about three minutes learning something new about an aspect of St. Martin’s wildlife from the association Les Fruits de Mer. Each week the booth features a different presentation about local wildlife, with vivid images projected onto a large screen.
“It is the perfect opportunity to take our mission—wildlife education—to the public,” explains co-founder Mark Yokoyama. “We have kids who come back every week during the season to learn something new and that is very rewarding. I also live in Grand Case, so it is a chance to connect and share with my local community.”
In addition to local youth, many of the visitors to the Les Fruits de Mer booth are tourists who enjoy having a deeper understanding of the island they are visiting. The unique mix of tourists and locals makes it easy for the association to reach a diverse audience.
Mardis de Grand Case will take place every week until March 10th on Tuesday evenings from 6-10pm. Upcoming Les Fruits de Mer presentations will cover lizards, migratory birds and the wildlife of St. Eustatius, where the organization is currently working on a wildlife book.
