Over 1,554 kg of Trash Collected During St. Maarten's 2026 ICC Cleanup

A parking lot in Great Bay, Sint Maarten, located across from the Central Bank Building between Walter A. Nisbeth Road and the Salt Pond will be temporarily closed to motorized traffic. The closure was announced by the Department of Communications (DCOMM) on behalf of the government of Sint Maarten. The affected area sits along one of the island's main thoroughfares, making it a commonly used parking space for residents and visitors accessing nearby businesses and government offices. While the specific reason and duration of the closure were not detailed in the announcement, motorists are advised to make alternative parking arrangements during this period. The temporary closure may cause minor inconvenience for those who regularly rely on the lot when conducting business in the Great Bay area.

Mental Health Caribbean (MHC) has officially expanded its regional presence with the opening of a new office on the island of Saba. The organization held a festive inauguration ceremony in The Bottom, Saba's capital, to mark the occasion. The new office provides MHC's team with a dedicated, comfortable workspace from which to deliver mental health support services to Saba residents. The opening represents a meaningful step toward improving access to mental health care on a small island where such resources have historically been limited. Saba, with a population of around 2,000, is one of the smallest islands in the Caribbean, making accessible local mental health services especially significant for its community. MHC, which operates across multiple Caribbean islands, continues to grow its footprint in the region to address ongoing mental health needs.

More than 400 volunteers, students, community organizations, and businesses joined forces across Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin for the 2026 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), a globally coordinated annual environmental initiative. Over three days of activity, participants collected approximately 1,554 kilograms of litter and debris from beaches, coastlines, waterways, and surrounding areas. The effort spanned both the Dutch and French sides of the island, reflecting a cross-border commitment to environmental stewardship. The ICC is one of the world's largest volunteer-driven conservation events, with data collected during cleanups used to identify the most common sources of ocean pollution. The turnout on St. Maarten underscores growing community awareness around coastal health, which is critical to the island's tourism-dependent economy and marine ecosystems.