Month: March 2016

It is with heavy hearts that we must report the demise of The Commander. His reign as apex predator in the aquarium at Amuseum Naturalis came to an end sometime between 11pm Tuesday night and 3pm Wednesday afternoon.

Based on the remains recovered from the aquarium, it is believed that The Commander was in the process of molting when set upon by one or more of his aquarium-mates. During the molting process, The Commander would have been vulnerable while his new exoskeleton hardened.

The Commander was well-known from his appearances in print media and on television. In many ways he was the museum’s most beloved ambassador. Gone, but not forgotten, The Commander’s legacy will live on as part of a special project to be announced in the near future.

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We had another great Tuesday night at Amuseum Naturalis. Each Tuesday flies by so fast, but this week we took a few photos to capture the vibe of the museum. It’s great to see people interacting with the exhibits and talking to each other about them. There are many touchable things and no signs saying Do Not Touch, but so far most things have remained essentially intact even after thousands of visitors—miracle!

If you’re in the area, be sure to come by one of the next two Tuesdays!

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Island residents and visitors are invited to discover the wild side of St. Martin at Amuseum Naturalis, a free pop-up natural history museum in Grand Case. The museum is open on Tuesday evenings from 6-10pm during the Mardis de Grand Case street fair.

“Amuseum Naturalis is a museum about life, which is always changing–just like the museum,” explained co-curator Mark Yokoyama. “Since we launched in January, we’ve doubled the number of exhibits and created four short nature documentaries that play in the museum’s theater. There are new wonders every week.”

The museum’s current special exhibit, Women, People of Color and the Making of Natural History in the Caribbean, has been expanded for March, Women’s History Month. The stories of five fascinating but historically overlooked figures have been added, including Catalina de Ayahibex, a 16th century Taino tribal leader who was an expert in native plants, and Charlotte Dugée, an 18th century free woman of color and skilled botanic artist from Saint Domingue who disappeared into the South American jungle during a scientific expedition.

“These pioneers in Caribbean science are not widely known–their contributions have often been hidden, or even had the credit for them stolen–but their stories are absolutely amazing,” said Jenn Yerkes, creator of the exhibit. “They reveal so much about both the history of science and the political and cultural climate of the different eras. Plus, many of these trailblazers risked perilous journeys, pirates, shipwreck, disease, venomous creatures and dangerous wildernesses to do what they loved–their lives were like real-life adventure movies!”

The public is invited to visit Amuseum Naturalis and explore the exhibits Tuesday evening from 6-10pm. Amuseum Naturalis is located at 96 Boulevard de Grand Case, and was created by the non-profit association Les Fruits de Mer and sponsored by Delta Petroleum.