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Next year, our Réserve Naturelle will celebrate its 20th anniversary.
For close to two decades, the energetic and highly motivated staff of the Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin has successfully reconciled local issues with the overall conservation of our island’s rich biodiversity.
In Saint Martin, we have often felt that economic development conflicted with environmental protection. Yet the two go hand-in-hand. Our island thrives from tourism: if we don’t provide our visitors with beautiful places to visit, clean beaches, and clear water for swimming, they won’t come back! Maintaining our biodiversity and preserving the various ecosystems on land and at sea are priorities in Saint Martin. With an eye towards continuing to improve our quality of life, I hope that, among other things, we invest wisely in the fight against climate change, while embracing sustainable development. For example, we need to continue the battle against invasive species, but also reclaim the shores of our salt ponds, with the creation of pedestrian walkways around these wetlands, which are not meant for garbage, but are wonderful natural resources to discover!
I also strongly support the Caribbean Island Biodiversity Institute, which will allow us to reinforce our thought process, our activities, and our strategies, in terms of management, urbanism, and energy use on the island. I hope that this innovative project, with its many advantages for our island and its population, quickly sees the light of day.
