GRAND CASE:--- While St. Martin waits for tourists to return, the island’s other seasonal guests have been quietly arriving. Migratory birds travel thousands of miles every year to spend the winter here. The fifth-annual Migratory Bird Festival celebrates these birds from 9am to noon on Saturday, November 25th at Kali’s Beach Bar in Friar’s Bay. The event is free and open to all.
“Welcome back! is our theme this year,” explained Jenn Yerkes, President of Les Fruits de Mer, the association that organizes the festival. “We’re welcoming back the birds, and after the destruction caused by Hurricane Irma, we’re also welcoming back the natural spaces of the island as they recover.”
The location at Friar’s Bay was chosen because it offers excellent viewing access to Guichard Pond. At the Birdwatching Station, festival-goers will get to see the migratory birds that live on the pond and explore how the mangrove trees are recovering. Attendees will learn more about native trees and their recovery at the Restoration Station, hosted by EPIC (Environmental Protection in the Caribbean). The Portable Pond Discovery Station will offer an up-close look at the aquatic critters that many migratory birds eat. These tiny, fascinating creatures are another important part of the wetland ecosystem.
The event’s Art Activity Station will have fun wildlife-themed coloring for kids, as well as a special bird feeder craft for people of all ages. Guests big and small are invited to paint bird feeders made from calabash, and bring them home along with bird seed to help out birds throughout the year.
The 2017 Migratory Bird Festival will be held on Saturday, November 25th from 9am to noon at Kali’s Beach Bar in Friar’s Bay. The festival is brought to you by Les Fruits de Mer, and the 2017 edition is made possible thanks to our sponsors: BirdsCaribbean, BZSE, Caribbean Paddling, Delta Petroleum, Lagoonies Bistro and Bar, Tri-sport and Van Dorp. It is a free event and people of all ages are invited to attend. Get all the details at: http://www.lesfruitsdemer.com/events/migratory-bird-festival/
Les Fruits de Mer Press Release
http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/27715-migratory-bird-festival-welcomes-birds-back-this-saturday.html
