Greetings!

Looking ahead to the hope of a New Year, I am reminded that we are all guardians and caretakers of the future. Every tree we plant, every hatchling we help, and every child we teach in 2026 is a fundamental investment in the future of conservation and our island community. Thank you for sharing our passion for possibilities.

There are so many opportunities for us to come together and continue to lay the groundwork for a bright future this month. I invite you to attend our Annual Meeting at Cinnamon Bay Beach and Campground at which I will share our five year strategic plan and guest speaker, Deb Yandala will draw on 32 years working in Cuyahoga Valley National Park to envision the park system in 2036.

Our Annual Gala at Lovango Resort and Beach Club is an evening of inspiration and impact. We look forward to celebrating the wondrous, resilient hope of the world around us at this important fundraiser. Those of you further afield can join in the fun and try your luck in an awesome raffle thanks to the incredible businesses in our community who donate restaurant vouchers, boat trips, jewelry and more.

The season is busy with events, seminars, and volunteer opportunities. The Reef Bay Hike is running twice a week, and visitors and residents alike are invited to attend a Cinnamon Campground Chat, or stop by Annaberg to learn about the culture and history of this place from the demonstrators there. Information on all of these happenings can be found on our website.

I wish you a New Year filled with good health and happiness. Thank you for standing with us and for being a Friend!

Warmly,

Tonia Lovejoy

Executive Director

School Kids In The Park (SKIP)

School is back in session and so is our SKIP Program that works to engage students from St. John and St. Thomas with the park. The program encourages educators to use the park as a living classroom, facilitates visits to the park, and works to remove barriers that may limit participation by covering transportation costs and more. Eleven trips last semester included learning about sea turtles, animals on the reef and birds, visiting Annaberg and the Visitor Center, and exploring the seashore.

Annual Meeting

The Friends Annual meeting will take place on Saturday, January 24, 2026 from 11am to 2pm at The Raintree Cafe, Cinnamon Bay Beach & Campground. This public meeting is open to all.

The keynote address will be delivered by Deb Yandala, former President and CEO of the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, who will envision the park system in 2036. The meeting will include updates from Park Superintendent, Penelope Del Bene, and Friends Executive Director, Tonia Lovejoy. Lunch will be served following the meeting.

Annual Gala & Raffle

Join Us For An Evening Of Inspiration & Impact. The Gala is an elegant night full of laughter, friendship, and fundraising at the beautiful Lovango Resort & Beach Club on Saturday, February 7, 2026.

Try your luck wherever you are in one of our two awesome raffles:

• Winner Take All Potluck
• Lovango Experience

Guided Reef Bay Hike

The iconic and popular Reef Bay Hike is a guided hike that includes culturally relevant discussion topics that relate the flora, fauna, and history of the island as visitors take this journey with a Park Ranger. 

This excursion begins and ends in Cruz Bay and includes a boat pickup at Reef Bay beach weather permitting and runs every Monday and Tuesday until April 28.

Maho Sea Turtle Research Published

The Sea Turtle Program has been cataloging underwater photographs of sea turtles dating back to 2012 using photo-ID and facial markings to track the presence of fibropapillomatosis (FP) in green sea turtles in Maho Bay. The highly acclaimed Marine Turtle Newsletter (Issue Number 169, October 2025) has published a paper on this work authored by Adren Anderson and Willow Melamet that discusses how facial markings are used to track sea turtles and monitor the status of FP in a foraging population in order to establish a baseline to aid in future research and management decisions.

2025 Impact Report

The Friends annual Impact Report records and highlights our work and achievements. 2025 included a record breaking number of hatchlings making it to the ocean thanks to our sea turtle team; over a thousand students from 18 schools visiting the park and learning in the living classroom it provides, 683 volunteers contributing 7,977 hours to make a difference, and over 440 seminars and happenings attended by thousands of visitors and residents. Your support made this possible. Thank you!

Business Spotlight

Community engagement is key to our ability to protect and preserve our park today and tomorrow. We would not be able to do the important work that keeps our Virgin Islands National Park thriving for visitors and residents alike without the generous support of local businesses.

LOVANGO RESORT & BEACH CLUB

As an Affinity Partner, Lovango Resort & Beach Club hosts the Friends Annual Gala on Saturday, February 7, 2026 and offers a cool cabana day escape in a special raffle.

Gala attendees can also benefit from a special 3-night Gala weekend package. Lovango will generously donate 20% of the room package to Friends.

We thank them for their support!

Local businesses interested in becoming an Affinity Partner should please contact Jennifer Stone at jstone@friendsvinp.org.

Shop The Park Store

Shop online or stop by the National Park Visitor Center & Park Store in Cruz Bay which is open Monday to Thursday from 8:15am to 4pm and on Friday from 8:15am to 1:30pm. Proceeds support natural and cultural resource protection and preservation.

Badge Tee

Archie Carr on Turtles

Hooded Rash Guard

Iguana Plush Toy

Canvas Tote

Mineral Sunscreen

Useful Numbers