As an NGO, SHTA cooperates closely with various NGO’s that work on making St. Maarten a better place for its residents and visitors. Some NGO’s that are always welcoming your visit and / or support:
The foundation of “Mighty Dow” Isidore York actively preserves the St. Maarten steel pan culture. See if you can visit one of his concerts! York and his orchestra featured the SHTA 2021 Events Calendar as an important cultural icon. When on island with Christmas, do not miss out on his spectacular Christmas concert.
On the eastern tip of Philipsburg , not far from the cruise port one finds the St. Maarten heritage museum. Cannons of the HMS Proselyte, a wreck that can still be dived to, welcome you to a compact and informative museum, learning about St. Maarten nature, people, history & monuments.
The Nature Foundation defends St. Maarten’s beautiful fauna. Visit one of their events to get to know them!
In a beautiful old plantation house between Orient Bay and French Quarter / Quartier d’Orleans, one finds the Amuseum Naturalis, ran by the Fruits de Mer foundation. Volunteers have created a great collection of nature photos, historical insights and other collections worth visiting. The museum maintains a bush tea garden showcasing the island’s medicinal plants. Located at the historic Old House in French Quarter and close to Orient Bay, this unique museum showcases the nature and heritage of St. Martin. In addition to the bush tea garden, you can enjoy the open-air Amuseum exhibit hall, agriculture displays, poetry exhibits and more. Find out what future initiatives are planned or become a volunteer during your stay! See here for our online exhibition of the nature photography of one of its board members, Mark Yokoyama.
The Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Foundation is an independent non-profit founded in 2000 with the mission of protecting the Caribbean environment through research, restoration, education and advocacy. EPIC is a results-driven organization that works on challenging, under-addressed issues through holistic programs resulting in strategic community-based actions.
EPIC devised an array of professional hiking trails, yours to explore!
K1 Britannia assists with social programs to aid those St. Maarteners who need some extra support. See here for their annual events.
The Be The Change Foundation is a charity fundraising group that assists St. Maarten non-profit organizations with raising the monies needed for a particular cause while also promoting the mission and objectives of that NGO. Be The Change did a mural project in Philipsburg – a great walking tour!
The two primary goals of the SIMARC Center are: first, to protect and conserve the St. Maarten National Archaeological Artifact Collections, and additionally, to work directly with the population of St. Maarten, in particular the youth, to educate and train in scientific methods, while at the same time conducting professional scientific research into the culture and history of St. Maarten.
Maintaining St. Maarten / St. Martin’s pristine beaches is outmost importance. That’s why a lift-and-screen, three-wheeled beach cleaner was launched in 2021 to help collect debris from the beaches. This is a joint project of the new Beach Cleaning Foundation, St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) and Rotary Club of St. Maarten. Together, they’re ensuring that the island’s beaches are kept clean for all to enjoy. In conjunction with the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Foundation, the group organized two major fundraisers to help raise the needed funds for this initiative. They consulted with the Nature Foundation to make certain that their plans were environmentally sound, particularly when it came to preserving natural habitats during turtle nesting season. You can also do your part to help protect our natural resources. Bring a trash bag with you when you go to the beach where you can collect all your garbage and take it with you when you leave or drop it in a garbage can!
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