St Martin/St Maarten / Conservation

St Martin/St Maarten is fighting a rearguard action to preserve its historic and natural treasures in the onslaught of commercial interests chasing the tourist dollar. The Dutch side, with its casinos, malls, cruise ships and high-rise condos, seems to have particularly given up all interest in protecting its heritage and landscape. Look closer, though, and you find conservation measures are in place, although their effectiveness is questionable. In St Martin, 380 acres (154 hectares) of beach and forest have been placed in a reserve to save them from development, while the Musée de Marigot is working to rescue and develop historic buildings as attractions. In St Maarten, a marine park has been established to protect the entire coast to a depth of 200 feet (60 m), but there is no land equivalent yet.

If you would like to get more involved with conservation on St Martin/St Maarten, we recommend contacting:

St Martin

La Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin, Anse Marcel - An organisation that protects natural sites in the north of St Martin.

Musée de Marigot “Sur la Trace des Arawaks”, Marigot - The museum is working on several projects to conserve St Martin's historic buildings. Closed Sunday.

St Maarten

Nature Foundation St Maarten, Cole Bay - A non-profit body that administers the St Maarten Marine Park. Closed weekends.

Sint Maarten National Heritage Foundation, Philipsburg - A historical museum devoted to the heritage of St Maarten. Closed Sunday.