Sunday, November 26, 2017

Our Day of Giving

Saturday the 25th was our real day of Thanksgiving. Almost everything that I was able to collect with the St. Martin Wildlife and Nature Fund was put into action… and I got the chance to say Thank You to all the organizations who have been tirelessly on the move.

Andy and I attended several events around the island and made donations to each organization below, as well as committed to other projects that need both muscle and money. 

Les Fruits De Mer is an organization committed to awareness of ecology, culture and sport through discovery, inspiration, and education.

Animal Defends of St. Maarten helps control the stray animal situation on the island through spay/neuters. 

Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) has been regrowing the mangrove population. 

The Nature Foundation is working on rebuilding the coral “trees” and holds many beach clean ups. 

The St. Martin Wildlife and Nature Fund has reserved the last of the donations to help purchase mangrove seeds (or other plants) for EPIC as well as support Les Fruits De Mer’s upcoming events.

The final project I will be working on is my own garden. Andy and I have built two gardens from Irma debris. (Okay, the netting we bought… but the rest was pulled from mangroves and piles of trash.) 

Because people are so busy with rebuilding their own homes, there is not much energy left for a community garden. Although I have already started growing *many* plants, I have decided to give them as gifts to those willing to start their own gardens.


A few minutes drive from my home you find people still living in their cars, using Red Cross food stamps to survive. I want to put whatever is left of the funds into helping them become more independent. With a plant, some good soil and a game plan, I hope people will be able to help themselves.

Mangrove seeds are the long, bean-like pods floating in the water.

Inspecting the bugs of SXM.

Welcoming back the migratory birds, though much fewer than last year.

Andy found some ducks.


Cows pass by on our way to the bird festival.

Margo wears her new bandana courtesy of the Animal Defenders fundraiser.

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