Philipsburg:-- The Beyond Writing Foundation (Ms. Loekie Morales), Nature Foundation and Environmental Protection In the Caribbean recently sent out invitations to all of St. Maarten's primary schools to sign up for the Foundations' joint environmental education program titled "Sea life and Wetlands Excursions", offered by the Foundations between the end of March and June, 2009. Many of the island's schools have shown interest in these excursions, as a total of 10 primary schools signed up between February and early March of this year. The first of 17 excursions planned took place on Tuesday March 24th, 2009. The morning's events commenced at 8.00 am with a Power Point Presentation on St Maarten's Wetlands, at the Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) Browlia F. Maillard Campus at St John's Estate. After the presentation, which covered the ecological, environmental significance of wetlands as well as the threats these areas face, the organizers, class teachers and children boarded a school bus to the Little Bay Pond. Where they could see, hear and experience the value of nature as explained in the classroom. (see attached picture)
The children had a lot of fun during this excursion, and had the opportunity to learn a lot about the different types of mangroves, other plants and the different animals living in and around the Little Bay Pond. Pupils visited the Nature Foundation's and EPIC's bird watching hut and its surroundings were they saw and heard different sorts of birds, dragonflies, butterflies, spiders, crabs and also learnt about the consequences of man made threats to Pond life through: excavation, the influx of sewage and contamination by illegal dumping of waste in and near the ponds.
The aforementioned Foundations intend to provide St. Maarten's school children with a better understanding and appreciation of the island's Flora, Fauna, Wetlands (Ponds, lagoons) and the Marine environment through these presentations and excursions which compliment the individual Foundation's already existing educational programs. The scheduled presentations and excursions were partially financed through a grant Beyond Writing Foundation (Loekie Morales) received from AMFO.
