Greetings!
"I have lots of heroes: anyone and everyone who does whatever they can to leave the natural world better than they found it." This quote by the renowned oceanographer, Dr. Sylvia Earle sums up the appreciation we feel for our community and supporters! During last month's Ocean Week, St.Johnians of all ages took to our beaches and picked up marine debris and trash. The group pictured above at Cinnamon Bay beach are all part of the KATS youth program that teaches ocean skills and sailing and participates in our Learn To Swim sessions.
This month sees our season getting into full swing with a great lineup of seminars and hikes for you to experience and learn about the Park, the Paddle The Park paddle board race this weekend, and the opening of bidding for our Villas For The Park auction that is an important fundraiser.
Programs like School Kids In The Park (SKIP) and Learn to Swim are picking up momentum, and mama sea turtles are laying nests all over the island. We are truly blessed to be given the opportunity to nurture our youth and protect the natural and cultural gifts in our backyard.
Thank you for your support and for being one of our heros!
Warmly,
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Tonia Lovejoy
Executive Director
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Paddle The Park Is This Weekend |
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Stop by Maho on Sunday, November 12 for Paddle The Park! Join us in cheering on all the paddlers! The race starts at 8:15am!
A big thank you to all the local businesses who sponsor this event! Their engagement with the Park and our community is a blessing.
We're looking forward to a great day on the beach and the opportunity to raise funds for programs like turtle protection, mangrove research and restoration, and coral reef protection.
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Villas For The Park
Bidding Opens on November 10
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Are you ready for a great island vacation? This year marks the 7th anniversary of our Annual Villas For The Park auction that raises funds to support programs like School Kids In The Park, sea turtle protection, and trails & ruin maintenance!
Bidding opens on Friday, November 10 at 9AM EST and closes on Friday, November 24 at 3PM EST. Thank you for contributing to this important fundraiser!
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Our thanks to the following 40 amazing places who have donated stays: Aahana Grande Bay Resort, Astral Villa, Banana Tree Villa, Bananakeet, Bombalassy Villa, Catch 'n Keep Cottage, Coral Caribe Villa, Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel, Desert Rose Villa, Dream Come True, Fish Tales Cottage, Gaia's Pearl, Garden By The Sea, Into The Mystic, Just Add Rum, Lily Villa, Lime Time, Lots of Knots, Lovango Resort & Beach Club, Marketplace Suites, Mystical Mermaid, On A Clear Day, Paradise Carest, Rebecca’s Fancy, Reef Break Vista, Rainbow Hideaway, Stonehouse, Sunnyside Villa, Sunset Ridge Villa, The Fred Boutique Resort & Spa, The Green Iguana Hotel, The Hills St John, The Other World Villa, Villa Adagio, Villa Circe, Villa Dal Mare, Wharfside Village Hotel, and Windcatcher Lavender Hill. |
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Season Kickoff For Events, Seminars, & Volunteering |
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SEMINAR PROGRAM
Friends runs a seminar program of over 100 events from November through June. Explore and learn about Virgin Islands National Park through a series of hikes, nature & culture seminars, boat trips, turtle talks, and more.
These fabulous opportunities to learn and engage with the gifts of the Park are, for the most part, free and open to all.
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VOLUNTEER ON THE TRAILS
On the trails again! Join the trail crew on Tuesdays and Thursdays and help maintain trails, clear ruins, plant trees, and remove trash! Work locations and meeting times are posted on our facebook and instagram every Monday. This is hot, sweaty satisfying work. Thank you as always for the incredible support we receive helping maintain the 27 miles of trails and 30 historical ruins in the Park!
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Ocean Week Virtual Seminars |
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Ocean Week on St. John last month was an opportunity for us to collectively focus on protecting our ocean, marine life, and coral reefs! Thank you to everyone who pitched in and cleaned up so many of our beaches! Pictured here is the Lime Out crew getting it done at Haulover.
We invite you to take a look at the recordings of these fascinating virtual seminars:
🌊 Sea Turtle Research in the USVI
🌊 Sedimentation Impacts on Yellowtail Parrotfish
🌊 Rescue to Reef: A Novel Partnership for Coral Restoration
🌊 Mangroves Matter
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Out And About In The Park
SKIP & Learn To Swim
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Our vision is to create a pipeline of environmental education experiences for youth from preschool to college, and beyond! Together with the help of supporters like you, we offer classroom sessions, swimming lessons, field trips, internships, scholarships, and employment opportunities to Virgin Island youth. |
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SCHOOL KIDS IN THE PARK (SKIP)
Fostering the next generation of conservationists, SKIP encourages educators to utilize the Park as a living classroom by facilitating visits to the Park, and working to remove financial barriers that may limit students' participation. Over 12 trips and classroom visits in the past month have included coastal walks, nursery visits, turtle talks, and lessons in volunteerism on the trails (see picture).
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LEARN TO SWIM PROGRAM
Friends believes that everyone on our island should be able to swim. More than a safety issue being able to swim opens up a world of joy above and below the water as well as employment opportunities in the tourism and marine industries and in areas like marine research and conservation. Learn to Swim classes got going again on Saturday, November 4! These free swim classes are for all ages, adults and kids, and take place at Cinnamon Bay Beach every first and third Saturday.
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Typically the nesting season for sea turtles on St. John runs from July to November with most of the nests being hawksbills. The total nest count this year is 25 of which 4 are green sea turtles and the remainder, hawksbill. There are 12 nests currently incubating.
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Sea turtle outreach and education is in full swing again with multiple visits to schools, marine expos and more on the books. We invite you to take the opportunity to learn more about sea turtles at one of the following events:
- Maho Turtle Info Table | Tuesdays 9am-11am.
- Cinnamon Campground Chats Turtle Talk | Mondays 5:30pm-6:30pm
- Unique Boat & Snorkel Trip | Second Fridays of the month 9am - 12:30pm.
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October Membership Drive Raffle Winners |
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Congratulations William Toth! You are the winner of a beautiful necklace handcrafted on St. John and kindly donated by Bamboo Studio.
Runner-up Karla Packer will receive an awesome canvas tote full of goodies from the Park Store which is managed by Friends.
October was Adopt a Sea Turtle Membership Drive month! A huge thank you to all our members! Your support is so important to protecting and preserving your Park!
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Friends VI License Plates |
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The Friends vehicle and motorcycle license plates feature the endangered sea turtles found in our waters and proceeds support the work we do. They can be purchased online or in the Park Store in the National Park Visitor Center in Cruz Bay (Mon-Fri, 8:15am-1:30pm).
Please note: The old Trunk Bay plates expire on December 31, 2023 so holders must change their plates to new Friends turtle license plates or Virgin Islands plates before the end of 2023.
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The National Park Service (NPS) has launched its search for a dynamic new leader to manage the Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument as superintendent.
The position is open to the public and candidates with federal experience meeting established criteria. NPS officials seek candidates for the superintendent role with strong skills to oversee the full suite of park management responsibilities, including resource management, operations, public affairs and engagement, visitor and resource protection, interpretation and visitor services, facilities management, and administrative functions.
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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. Here we highlight a business that regularly contributes to support programs that protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources in your park. |
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Tucked away on Maho Bay Beach, Reef2Peak shares our passion for preserving the enchanting beauty of St. John as evidenced in this photo which was taken during a recent beach cleanup. They are a strong supporter of all of our events including loaning paddle boards and kayaks to both the upcoming Paddle The Park and the Beach To Beach Power Swim in May. In addition, they guide trips for our SKIP (School Kids In the Park) and Summer Trails Crew programs, as well as donating trips to fundraisers and auctions. Thank you to Jenn Russ and her crew at Reef2Peak for their support of the work we do.
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