Greetings!
Our mission to help protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources in Virgin Islands National Park means that we regularly celebrate the bounty of the world around us and continually remind ourselves of our blessings and challenges.
Every year Earth Day provides a singular day to share our mission and celebrate as an island community. The theme for last month's celebration focused on the beautiful oceans that surround our island home and included multiple coastal cleanups, a community tree giveaway, and the 14th Annual Earth Day Fair for St. John schools. It was a joy to see kids posters displayed with pride, engagement and conversation about everything from mangrove restoration to watershed management, and piles of marine debris collected!
It was also a reminder that it takes a community to do the work we do. The businesses and organizations on St. John have battled through extraordinary challenges over the past five years and yet they can always be relied upon to come through with impactful actions that make a difference on our island! For Earth Day activities alone we thank Low Key Watersports, Virgin Islands Expedition Company, St. John Rotary, Dulce Vita Sails, Get Trashed St. John, and the Unitarian Universalist Church for helping with beach cleanups, as well as the twelve groups who hosted Earth Day Fair booths. The upcoming Beach To Beach Power Swim is made possible thanks to another 69 sponsors listed below. Going forward we will regularly feature one of our business partnerships in this newsletter by way of thanks to this community! We start this month with Ocean Surfari.
As our season of seminars and events comes to an end in June, we shift gears to youth programming, scholarships, and the kick off of turtle nesting season. Please take time to read the 2022/23 Sea Turtle Protection Program report that highlights the critical work the team does to protect these endangered creatures.
As always, I thank you for being members, donors, volunteers, supporters, and sponsors. For working with us to make a difference in this small magical place, and for sharing our passion!
Warmly,
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Tonia Lovejoy
Executive Director
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Beach To Beach Power Swim 2023
20th Anniversary
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We're celebrating 20 years of the Annual Beach-to-Beach Power Swim which takes place every Memorial Day weekend with an awesome raffle to add to the funds raised! Tickets are $20 each with over $5,000 worth of great prizes to be had!
If you are planning on swimming, register NOW or get on the waiting list as spots are close to full. Also, we are looking for volunteers to help on the water or on land on race day which is Sunday, May 28!
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The support and generosity of the St. John community is awe inspiring. Meet the sponsors of the 2023 Beach To Beach Power Swim! Our thanks to St. John Insurance Agency, TOPA Insurance, USVI Tourism, 340 Real Estate Co., Liberty Foundation, Salty Daze Charters, Salt Deck, Paradise Lumber, Mongoose Junction, United Health Care, First Bank, Great Horizons General Construction, Maho Crossroads, TOPA Properties, Islandia Real Estate, Merchants Bank, Shambles Bar and Grill, Baker, Magras & Associates, Topsail Wealth Management, St. John Hardware, Skyline Adjusters, Windspree Vacation Homes, VIBE Jewelry, Tycheros Capital Management, High Tide Bar & Seafood Grill, Seaside at Grande Bay, DeSigns, Gallows Point, Low Key Watersports, Ocean Runner, The Longboard, Rotary Club of St. John, St. John Physical Therapy, Chelsea Drugstore, Holiday Homes, Bella Soiree Events, Lime Out, Salty Mongoose, BXD Design, Alfredo’s Landscaping, St. John Dinghy Rental, Virgin Islands Expedition Company, NBC, Stream 2 Sea, St. John Brewers, Reef2Peak, T-Shirt One, Love City Ice, Crown Awards, St. John Coastal, Art by Kavone, Raw Elements, Upful Life, Race Impressions, Cinnamon Bay Campground, Irie Pops, Island Media Co., Kate N’ Design, Swim Capz, St. John Rescue, VI Port Authority, Daily News, 4-Imprint, Sun Dog Café, Landlubber Logistics, Muilenberg Law LLC, Conch Villa Vista, Dave and Jerry’s Steakhouse, and Love City Community Network (LCCN).
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Be a Friend! Anyone renewing their membership or becoming a member during the month of May will be entered into a raffle to win one of these great prizes:
First : A beautiful set of sterling silver jewelry donated by Vibe Jewelry. The set includes a classic pair of petroglyph stud earrings and a turtle pendant on a 20” silver chain. Valued at $505.
Second: A gift bag of a selection of Virgin Islands National Park goodies from the Park store worth over $200.
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Sea Turtle Program 2022/23 Report Now Available |
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The Virgin Islands National Park Sea Turtle Monitoring and Protection Program aims to protect sea turtle nests, facilitate research projects, and spread awareness of sea turtle conservation. The program is funded and managed by Friends working with Park Rangers and a team of trained volunteers.
The 2022/23 season counted 25 leatherback, hawksbill, and green nests hatched with 2,289 hatchlings making it to the ocean!
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Youth Scholarships & Summer Opportunities |
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Friends of Virgin Islands National Park believes that the future of conservation on St. John resides in our youth. As such we are focused on building a pipeline of concerned and engaged citizens starting with School Kids In The Park (SKIP) and Learn To Swim programs through scholarships, summer job opportunities, and internships.
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SCHOLARSHIPS
The application period for the Noble Samuel and Jeffrey Matheny scholarships to Virgin Islands youth for the 2023/24 academic year is currently open until May 30. These scholarships are available to Virgin Island youth attending college (the University of the Virgin Islands or another university) in any field of study contributing to natural resource management, protection and conservation.
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LEARN TO SWIM INSTRUCTORS & LIFEGUARDS
Friends is seeking instructors and lifeguards for its Learn to Swim program that runs through the summer providing free classes to the community every first and third Saturday and to the summer camps on island.
Training is provided. The next lifeguard training is an American Red Cross Lifeguard training course at Cinnamon Bay Resort and Campground on June 22 to 24 managed by St. John Rescue. Must be 15 years old or older.
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Friends has a full schedule of seminars, hikes, demonstrations, boat trips, and volunteer opportunities with something going on every day from Monday to Friday until the end of June 2023. Check out our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram to get regular reminders and updates on happenings and events! Please join us.
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Guided Reef Bay Hike | Every Monday and Tuesday | This popular three mile guided hike of Reef Bay Trail includes a boat pickup at the bottom! Spots fill up fast so book now.
Awesome Turtle Boat Trip | Friday, June 9 | last one this season | Pick ups/drop offs in both St.Thomas and St.John | This unique experience on an Ocean Surfari boat is hosted by a sea turtle and coral ecosystem expert.
Annaberg Cultural Program | Mondays - Wednesdays | 10AM to 2PM | Cultural demonstrators on site showcasing bread making and gardening.
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Bulkhead and Pier Repairs
These repairs are well underway and on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, a turbidity barrier will be installed from the National Park Service "pick up and drop off" bulkhead area to the corner near the Port Authority. At that time no boats will be allowed to enter that portion of the creek, and neither the bulkhead nor the pier will be accessible to the public.
School Land Exchange Comment Period
Due to the high level of interest on the future of a new public school on St. John, the NPS is offering an additional 45-day comment period through June 9 on the Notice of Realty Action (NORA) related to the St. John Land Exchange.
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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. This new spotlight section will highlight a business that contributes at least $10,000 a year to support programs that protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources in your park. |
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OCEAN SURFARI
Ocean Surfari came to us a couple of years ago interested in building a partnership with a purpose that had multiple elements.
For every trip booked or rash guard purchased under their "Let's Make A Difference" campaign, the company donates $5 to Friends. To date this year, Ocean Surfari customers have helped contribute $22,487 of an impressive annual goal of $60,000 to support youth programs, coral reef preservation, and sea turtle protection. In addition, Ocean Surfari provides the boat and crew for our monthly Sea Turtle Trip at cost.
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