French Quarter, St. Martin—The Les Fruits de Mer association is launching a new bilingual book about St. Martin wildlife, Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin Activity Book. People of all ages are invited to celebrate the new book at the free launch event. It will be held from 9am to noon this Saturday, November 30th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. Free copies of the new book will be given to the public during the launch, thanks to funding from Fondation Air France. There will be a coloring station to start enjoying all the wonderful activities in the book. Light refreshments will be served, and the Amuseum’s exhibits and gardens will be there to discover.
“This book tells many of the big stories about St. Martin wildlife,” said co-author Mark Yokoyama. “It showcases animals that live only here, and explains why that is. It explores the night world of the island and its creatures. It takes the reader into caves and streams to see what is living there.”
The new activity book was created as a companion to Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House. Students visiting the museum on class trips will each receive a copy to use during and after their visit. The book was made with support from Fondation Air France, which also funded the books for students on class trips and the free books for the launch event. It is part of the Les Fruits de Mer association’s larger Island of Discovery project, funded by Fondation Air France. This major transboundary project was created by the all-volunteer association to boost education about local nature, heritage and culture on both sides of the island.
The book is bilingual in English and French, and has eight sections. Each section teaches a concept about local wildlife or describes a habitat, and spotlights a selection of related animals. There are also creative activities and quizzes in each section. The book itself is over 100 pages of learning and fun.
“We are really excited to launch this book, and very grateful for the support of Fondation Air France who made this book and much more possible!” said co-author and Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “This is our first major project that is bringing books for all ages, museum visits and more to thousands of kids on both sides of St. Martin. We couldn’t have done this without them!”
Since 1992, Fondation Air France has funded close to 1680 projects in 80 countries served by the airline company. It partners with associations on projects that impact children and youth, with a focus on educational, environmental, and humanitarian projects. The foundation is funding the Les Fruits de Mer project Island of Discovery on St. Martin.
The Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin Activity Book launch will be at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on Saturday, November 30th from 9am to noon. Free copies of the book will be given to those who attend the launch. The book is also available as a free download at lesfruitsdemer.com, and for sale worldwide at amazon.com.
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Photos:
Wild-Things-Activity-Book.jpg: The Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin Activity Book launches Saturday, November 30th from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.
Les-Fruits-de-Mer-Logo.jpg: The Les Fruits de Mer association is thrilled to launch the Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin Activity Book with support from Fondation Air France.
Fondation-Air-France-Logo.png: Fondation Air France funded the creation and distribution of the Wild Things! Animals of St. Martin Activity Book.
About Les Fruits de Mer
Les Fruits de Mer is a non-profit association based in St. Martin. Their core mission is to collect and share knowledge about local nature and heritage. They carry out this mission through books and other publications, their free museum, short films and oral histories, events and other projects. Discover more and download free resources at lesfruitsdemer.com.
About Amuseum Naturalis
Amuseum Naturalis is a free museum of the nature and heritage of St. Martin and the Caribbean, created by Les Fruits de Mer. It is located at the historic Old House in French Quarter on the hill above Coconut Grove. For the latest information, visit amuseumnaturalis.com.
