St. Maarten

Nature Foundation Sint Maarten is with Princess Juliana International Airport - St. Maarten.

5 days ago

✈️ As part of our Keep the Reef Off the Runway campaign, we are excited to celebrate the installation of a new awareness sign in the arrival area of Princess Juliana International Airport!

🐚 From the moment visitors step onto the island, we want them to know that our beaches are not souvenir shops.

🌊 Shells, corals and other marine life belong in our natural environment. Many of the species confiscated at the airport are also protected by law, making it even more important that visitors know what they can — and cannot — take home.

By placing this message in the arrival area, we hope to encourage visitors to make the right choice before they even head to the beach: enjoy our beautiful natural treasures, photograph them, admire them — but leave them where they belong.

💙 This sign is more than just a sign. It is a first welcome, a reminder, and a small step toward protecting Sint Maarten's beaches and reefs for everyone to enjoy.

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Keep the Reef Off the Runway is a conservation initiative led by the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten to combat the illegal removal, trade, and export of marine species and natural materials from the island. Funded by the CITES Secretariat with significant local in-kind support, the project strengthens Sint Maarten’s capacity to monitor, manage, and reduce wildlife trafficking linked to tourism. ... See MoreSee Less

Nature Foundation Sint Maarten

1 week ago

🌿 We are hiring! The Nature Foundation is looking for a Research and Monitoring Officer to join our team.

This hands-on position will lead research and monitoring activities across Sint Maarten’s marine and terrestrial ecosystems, from coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves to birds and other terrestrial species. The role combines fieldwork, data analysis, technical oversight, and collaboration with our conservation team, interns, partners, and government.

📊 Most importantly, you’ll help turn scientific data into meaningful conservation action and support the development of conservation strategies and protected area management plans.

📍 Location: Sint Maarten
💼 Full-time | On-site
📅 12-month contract, with potential for renewal

If you’re ready to get your hands dirty, work with data, and contribute to protecting Sint Maarten’s incredible ecosystems, we’d love to hear from you!

Find the job listing at naturefoundationsxm.org/about/work-with-us/ .

📩 Apply by 22 September 2026 by sending your CV and cover letter to director@naturefoundationsxm.org, CC info@naturefoundationsxm.org. Please use “Research and Monitoring Officer Application” as the subject line. ... See MoreSee Less

Nature Foundation Sint Maarten

2 weeks ago

🌊 We’re proud to share that our Director, Leslie Hickerson, is part of the Wavemakers program — a global community of ocean conservationists working to restore our ocean and protect the places that matter most.

🌎 Wavemakers is a two-year initiative by Blue Marine Foundation (@bluemarinefoundation), in partnership with Rituals and Edinburgh Ocean Leaders, bringing together people from around the world who are committed to driving meaningful action for ocean conservation. The program is working towards the ambitious goal of protecting 30% of our ocean by 2030.

🏝 For a small island like Sint Maarten, being represented in a global program like Wavemakers is particularly meaningful. Our islands may be small in size, but we are part of a much bigger ocean story — and having our local conservation work represented on a global stage helps highlight the importance of protecting island marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

As part of the program, Leslie recently shared more about her work, her journey in ocean conservation, and the importance of protecting our marine environment here in Sint Maarten.
You can have a look at her interview to learn more about her work and her role as a Wavemaker: shorturl.at/xj7iW

💙 We’re really happy and proud to see Sint Maarten represented in this global community of ocean changemakers

#Wavemakers #30x30 #MPAs ... See MoreSee Less

Nature Foundation Sint Maarten

3 weeks ago

📰 PRESS RELEASE 📰

Following multiple incidents of serious disturbance to sea turtles in Sint Maarten during the 2025 nesting season, the Nature Foundation is asking residents and visitors to approach these locally protected species with greater care and vigilance in the coming season. The next four months are expected to bring a rise in sea turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs, putting these vulnerable animals at risk of injury, death, or abandoned nesting attempts.

From roughly May through December, three species of sea turtle — the green, hawksbill, and leatherback — are known to nest on Sint Maarten’s shorelines. Simpson Bay, Dawn Beach, and Gibbs Bay are among the most visited nesting sites, though nesting has been recorded on additional beaches. Females drag themselves onto the beach at night or in the early morning, dig a hole in the sand with their flippers, and can lay upwards of 100 eggs before covering the hole and returning to the sea, leaving the eggs to hatch on their own between approximately 40-80 days.

As a heavily developed island with few natural beaches remaining, Sint Maarten poses significant challenges for these animals. Sea turtles are easily disturbed by harsh white light, especially flickering light, and can become trapped or blocked by obstacles such as wooden benches, concrete foundations, and plastic chairs. Physical harassment — touching a turtle or approaching it with a dog — often causes unnecessary stress and can lead to nest abandonment. Despite these challenges, some sea turtles return to nest every few years, with some returning to the very beach where they hatched.

Under the Nature Ordinance, harassing protected species such as sea turtles and their eggs is prohibited.

However, during the 2025 nesting season, the Nature Foundation recorded multiple violations of this regulation, both intentional and unintentional, including:

- Pelican Key: An unreported nest was found with its eggs exposed and trampled by guests at a nearby beach bar; Nature Foundation staff had to relocate the nest.

- Simpson Bay: A female that came ashore to nest beside a bed and breakfast was startled off by onlookers filming her and blocked by wooden tables.

- Guana Bay: A female was attacked by a pack of free-roaming dogs. The turtle is believed to have died before the attack, but was found with bite marks and torn tissue on her limbs consistent with dog wounds; audio and video footage of an active dog pack in the area that night and morning supported this finding.

- Cay Bay (Indigo Bay): Newly hatched turtles were allegedly dug out of their nest by a tourist, who was witnessed pulling them out and carrying them, along with his family members, into the ocean. Hatchlings must crawl to the ocean unassisted and should never be disturbed.

- Simpson Bay: A woman was reported picking up hatchlings from the sand and taking selfies with them.

The Nature Foundation is asking community members to take pride in this remarkable natural phenomenon and to help educate friends and family to improve outcomes for the coming nesting season. These animals deserve respect and space.

If you come across a nesting female or hatchlings leaving the nest, please do the following:

📲 Report immediately: Call +1 (721) 544-4267 (business hours) or WhatsApp +1 (721) 581-6365 (after hours). On French Saint-Martin, contact the managers of the Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin via WhatsApp at +590 690 47 02 13 or +590 690 34 77 10.

🕶 Keep it dark: Turn off bright white lights, flashlights, and camera flashes. If you are on a beachfront property, draw your curtains closed at night and keep it as dark as possible.

⛔ Maintain your distance: Stay at least 15 meters (~50 feet) away, move slowly or remain still, and be quiet.

🐾 Leash pets: Keep dogs restrained and away from the area. If they are barking, remove them entirely.

💬 Speak up: Kindly educate anyone you see disturbing a turtle or nest, or report them to the Nature Foundation at the number above.

Read more at: naturefoundationsxm.org/news/ ... See MoreSee Less