Logo design: Kavone Wyatt
Greetings!
If you have been on St. John lately, you would be hearing the buzz about the success of the 20th Beach-to-Beach Power Swim, or be noting how many people are walking around with a temporary tattoo of the Friends logo on their arms. The massive event is truly a testament to the expression, “It takes a village!”
Literally, hundreds (332 people) dove into Maho Bay early on the Sunday morning before Memorial Day to swim in the race. Meanwhile, in the water and on the shore 140 more people volunteered to help support the swimmers. From safety kayakers to timers, and everything in between, we are so grateful for the many helping hands that have made the Power Swim possible each year! Certainly, our 20-year swim veterans - Craig Barshinger, Karen Cannell, Alfredo Del Olmo, and Jeff Miller – can attest to the joy that this fundraising event brings each year. Thank you to everyone who has contributed!
The biggest takeaway from the event however was not the incredible volunteer spirit of the island or the awesome coordination of the Friends staff. Rather, the event drilled home how important swimming is as a life skill on St. John, and how access to swimming lessons can impact one’s opportunities and experiences. Take it from one of our youngest swim program graduates Carlton who spoke at the event, “Swimming can save your life!”
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. That is why we are working to strengthen our pipeline of environmental education experiences by anchoring them around a swim program operated in partnership with our park, and the non-profit and business community.
In just a few weeks, we offer our second lifeguard training course of the year. Then, our support for local summer camps begins with weekly field trips into the park as well as swim lessons!
I wish everyone a wonderful summer! Get outdoors, breathe in the fresh air, stand on a mountain, take a swim! We have much to be grateful for!
Warmly,
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Tonia Lovejoy
Executive Director
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Friends is focused on building a pipeline of concerned and engaged citizens starting with School Kids In The Park (SKIP) and Learn To Swim programs as well as scholarships, summer job opportunities, and internships. The park is a fabulous "living classroom!" This school year, alongside the Park's Interpretative team, we hosted 375 students with 32 field trips in the park and 3 classroom visits covering subjects as diverse as turtles, birds, history, and volunteerism. And we have a busy summer planned! |
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MANGROVE RESTORATION CREW & SUMMER TRAIL CREW
Planting mangroves and working on the trails is hot, sweaty work! We are so proud of our young crews-- many of them work on both crews and have worked on the Summer Crew in the past. The planting of 750 mangrove saplings to restore this critical vegetation began this week while Summer Trail Crew begins on June 26! If you see them around town, please congratulate them and thank them!
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LEARN TO SWIM
Friends offers free classes every first and third Saturday year round to adults and kids as well as classes to island summer camps.
We also offer free instructor and lifeguard training and employment opportunities. The next lifeguard training is an American Red Cross Lifeguard training course on June 22 to 24.
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SUMMER CAMP SESSIONS
Friends provides swim classes for these summer camps: Sports, Park and Recreation, Boys and Girls Club, and Literacy Club. Last year over 100 kids learned to swim over the summer. In addition, fun learning sessions include subjects like turtles, plants, and history.
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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 team hosted a Let's Talk Turtles on St. John Virtual Seminar on Thursday May 25th and provided an update on the program and the challenges our sea turtle population faces as we kick off the 2023/24 nesting season.
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JOIN OUR TURTLE PATROL
Call for awesome volunteers living on island to join the turtle patrol! Volunteers must be able to commit 1-2 hours per week from July-November patrolling a beach, have their own transportation, and attend at least one training session! Please contact the program team at vinpturtles@friendsvinp.org if you are interested.
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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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Beach To Beach Power Swim 2023
20th Anniversary Raffle
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The winner who takes all in our 20th Anniversary Beach To Beach Power Swim raffle is Bob Zaiser! 20 years is something to celebrate and our raffle did just that! We sold 493 tickets and added $8,620 to the important program funds raised by the Beach To Beach Power Swim! Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket and huge thanks to the amazing businesses who collectively donated the $5,000 prize package. |
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Anyone renewing their membership or becoming a member during the month of May was entered into a raffle to win some great prizes! The winners of our May Membership raffle are Christine Barbich who wins the turtle pendant and earrings donated by Vibe Jewelry, and Walter Mugdan who wins a gift bag of Virgin Islands National Park goodies from the Park Store!
Thank you for to all our members for sharing our passion for protecting and preserving the magic of your park!
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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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340 Real Estate Co is a supporter extraordinaire. Tammy Donnelly, the principal at 340 Real Estate Co is an engaged and active member of the Friends board. She can be seen volunteering her time at events like Paddle The Park and the Beach To Beach Power Swim, and during turtle nesting season is a member of the beach patrol.
The company sponsors all of our events as well as our volunteer shirts, and offers up villas for our Villas In The Park fundraiser. In addition, 340 Real Estate Co pays for a full page Friends advertisement in Destination magazine which serves as an important outreach tool for visitor education.
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