LITTLE BAY POND: On Sunday, November 2nd, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) partnered with the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten to host a community clean-up, which gathered 65 volunteers. From 7:00 am to 9:00 am, volunteers donned gloves and picked up garbage littering the roadside and the banks of Little Bay Pond, accumulating 5 truckloads. Throughout the clean-up, volunteers discovered abandoned car parts and industrial equipment, as well as countless empty glass/plastic bottles and an excessive amount of Styrofoam food containers. These waste materials pose a danger to the ecosystem and especially to the animals that inhabit the pond.
The event aimed to restore and preserve one of the island’s key ecological sites, and reinforced SMMC’s commitment to protecting Blue Forest ecosystems, a value that directly inspired the interior design concept of the St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH). The hospital’s focus on community, culture, and the environment drives meaningful projects that enhance the overall well-being of the island and its people.
At the end of the clean-up, hosts from the Nature Foundation took volunteers on a bird-watching tour, to showcase the various inhabitants present at the Little Bay Pond.
SMMC and the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten thank faculty and students of Learning Unlimited, students of St. Dominic High School, clients and group leaders of Sr. Basilia Center, Teen Times members, the Belair and Cay Hill Communities, as well as SMMC staff volunteers for their vital contribution to the success of this event.
SMMC and the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten urge citizens of St. Maarten to refrain from littering and reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible, as poor waste management affects not only wildlife but also the quality of life for all inhabitants of the island.