This Sunday’s Endemic Animal Festival celebrates the amazing wildlife that can only be found here, like this Bearded Anole.
MARIGOT--People of all ages are invited to discover the incredible animals that live only on St. Martin and only in our region at the fourth annual Endemic Animal Festival. This year’s festival takes place at Amuseum Naturalis in Grand Case from 9:00am to 3:00pm on Sunday, April 23, 2017. As always, the festival is completely free.
“Amuseum Naturalis was created as a showcase for St. Martin’s unique natural heritage, so it’s the perfect place to host the Endemic Animal Festival,” explained Mark Yokoyama, co-founder of Les Fruits de Mer, the association that created both the museum and the festival. Amuseum Naturalis is St. Martin’s only natural history museum.
The 2017 festival will include a full slate of fun, educational activities. Guests can get up close with fascinating island endemics like stick insects and anolis lizards at the Endemic Animal Discovery Station. Creative activities inspired by native wildlife will be hosted for people of all ages.
Younger kids will enjoy colouring and activity pages designed by local artists featuring island animals. Older children and adults can paint bird feeders made from calabashes, which they can take home to attract birds throughout the year. Guests can also bring home a seedling of the Gaïac, a native Caribbean tree that became endangered due to overharvesting.
“The Endemic Animal Festival caps off a truly amazing season at Amuseum Naturalis. It’s the perfect opportunity to visit the museum if you haven’t already,” said Jenn Yerkes, President of Les Fruits de Mer.
Festival-goers will be able to enjoy the museum’s exhibits, including the current special exhibit—Women, People of Colour and the Making of Natural History in the Caribbean—which spotlights unsung heroes of Caribbean natural science.
The 2017 Endemic Animal Festival will be held at Amuseum Naturalis at 96, Boulevard de Grand Case on Sunday, April 23, rain or shine. The festival is made possible by the generous support of its sponsors: Birds Caribbean, Caribbean Paddling, Delta Petroleum, Hotel L’Esplanade, IGY Marinas, Lagoonies Bistro & Bar, L’Esperance Hotel, Rain Forest Adventures, The Scuba Shop, Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort, Casino & Spa, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino and Tri-Sport. For more information, visit http://www.lesfruitsdemer.com.
Amuseum Naturalis is a free, public pop-up museum of the natural history of St. Martin and the Caribbean, created by Les Fruits de Mer and made possible by the generous sponsorship of Delta Petroleum. Amuseum Naturalis is currently open Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. For the latest information about exhibits and special events, visit http://amuseumnaturalis.com.
