Greetings!

Celebrating the small joys in life is like savoring the sweet nectar of a ripe mango – it's essential for our well-being and happiness! At Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, we believe that every child's smile at our Earth Day Fair, every hatchling that makes it to the ocean, and every beautiful sunset contributes to a vibrant tapestry of community and connection with nature.

April was a month of celebration with over 400 students from St. John and St. Thomas schools having fun and learning on Earth Day. In addition, our 2025 Sea Turtle Season Report was published. It is a perfect demonstration of how a small team can contribute to conservation efforts across the Virgin Islands and around the world to protect these beautiful endangered creatures. A record 3,597 hatchlings made it to the ocean last season thanks to an incredible community of trained volunteers working alongside our team.

On Memorial Day weekend, some 360 swimmers take to the beautiful waters of Virgin Islands National Park to raise funds for programs like Learn To Swim, marine conservation, and education outreach in the 23rd Joe Kessler's Beach To Beach Power Swim. We invite you to help support these programs and more by becoming a member this month and be entered into our May Membership Raffle.

Each small contribution of support to our programs makes the work we do to protect the joy found in nature possible. Let's embrace and preserve the magic of this beautiful place together! Your support inspires us!

Warmly,

Tonia Lovejoy

Executive Director

Record Breaking Sea Turtle Season

Thanks to a crew of 75 trained volunteers who monitor the beaches for nesting activity and our Sea Turtle Protection Program team, the nesting season that begun with the June 30, 2025 discovery of a nest and ended with the final nest excavation on February 19, 2026 was record-breaking. The 2025 Virgin Islands National Park Sea Turtle Program Season Report noted a record 3,597 hatchlings making it to the sea. A record 44 nests were laid of which 37 were hawksbill and 7 were green. The number of green nests laid was another record.

Interested in being a Turtle Patrol Volunteer? If you live on St. John, have your own transportation and are interested in volunteering, please contact the team at vinpturtles@friendsvinp.org. All volunteers must attend a training session.

May Membership Raffle

Throughout the month of May anyone renewing their membership, or becoming a member, will be entered into an awesome raffle. The raffle prizes are:

Winner: a Vibe Jewelry sterling silver sea turtle outline pendant with a Larimar cabochon shell on an 18” link chain with a matching set of handcrafted stud earrings valued at $454.

Runner-up: goodies from the Park Store that is managed by Friends valued at $250.

Beach To Beach Power Swim

Are You Ready?

The 23rd Annual Joe Kessler's Beach To Beach Power Swim takes place on Sunday, May 24, 2026. This year the 360 registered swimmers include 121 newcomers who are doing the race for the first time and a relay team made up of GOAT veterans who have swum every one of the races. The youngest swimmer is 5 and the oldest is 88. We are particularly excited to have 10 swimmers from our Learn To Swim Program that provides free lessons to all ages. It is going to be a great day on the water raising funds for our program and enjoying the waters of Virgin Islands National Park.

Fauna Of The Caneel Subwatershed

Virtual Seminar

A recording of this informative Earth Week seminar is now available on our website. The seminar was hosted by Kahlifah Powell, chair of the Friends Young Professionals Board with the following presenters:

• Willow Melamet, Friends Sea Turtle Program Coordinator | Nesting on the Beach
• Laurel Brannick, retired NPS ranger | Black Crowned Night Heron
• Jeff Miller, retired fisheries biologist | Blue Crust Coral

Things To Do In The Park

Explore, learn or volunteer with us! With hundreds of seminars, hikes and volunteer opportunities on our calendar throughout the season, there is something to do almost daily.

MAY EVENTS

• Annaberg Cultural Demonstrations | Mon to Wed
• Cinnamon Campground Chats | Mon to Fri
• Maho Sea Turtle Info Table | Tues
• Francis Bay Bird Walk | every Fri
• Volunteer Trail Crew | Tues & Thurs
• Learn To Swim | Sat
• Beach To Beach Power Swim | May 24

News From The Park

The National Park Service has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of Caneel Bay at Virgin Islands National Park. Proposals may include plans to rebuild, rehabilitate, and operate overnight lodging and related amenities, consistent with National Park Service laws and policies. Any redevelopment must protect natural and cultural resources and support long-term stewardship of the site.

Business Spotlight

POWER SWIM PREMIER SPONSORS

Every Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of swimmers take to the beautiful waters of Virgin Islands National Park to raise funds for kids swim programs, marine conservation, education outreach and more! Joe Kessler's Beach To Beach Power Swim is made possible thanks to the support of our community. A particular thanks goes to our Premier Sponsors:

• 1First Bank for sponsoring the medal lanyards.
• 340 Real Estate for sponsoring the awards.
• St. John Insurance Agency for sponsoring the shirts.
• Guardian Insurance for sponsoring the shirts.

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. Local businesses interested in becoming an Affinity Partner or sponsoring our events and programs, should please contact Jennifer Stone at jstone@friendsvinp.org.

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.

2026 Power Swim Trucker

Vintage Turtle Rash

Mineral Sunscreen

Field Guide Rash

Green Turtle Plushy

Turtle Program Tank

Useful Numbers