Saint Martin, One Of 13 Overseas Locales

Overseas Minister Annick Girardin inaugurated the exhibit, Overseas Locales (Escales Outre- Mer), on November 30 at the Ministry in Paris, accompanied by the media, school groups, and the Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin, represented by director Nicolas Maslach. He was able to speak with the minister for several minutes about the impact of Irma on the Réserve Naturelle and the recovery activities put in place in the months after the hurricane and those to follow. The exhibit, fruit of a collective effort throughout the overseas areas, is intended to move around France and Overseas territories for several years. There are 50 photographs that illustrate for the first time the biodiversity of the 13 overseas territories –including Saint Martin– that comprises 80% of French biodiversity. In addition to the discovery of this extraordinary natural heritage –fauna, flora, endemic and endangered species– the exhibit puts an accent on protected zones, where the primary issue is how to maintain the biodiversity. The goal of the photographers and the sponsors: to build wider awareness for the general public, including school children, and share the importance of preserving our natural overseas richness, and on a larger scale, the eco-systems of our entire planet.