Greetings!
Native to the Caribbean, the Seagrape tree (Coccoloba uvifera) with it's beautiful red veined leaves (pictured above) can be found on most of our beaches. Beyond having root systems that help with erosion, each seagrape plant has blossoms that bees love, late summer fruit devoured by birds, and wonderful shade for beach visitors. In the past three years, over 800 trees and plants including seagrape have been cultivated and planted on North Shore beaches to replenish vegetation, help address erosion, and build new ecosystems.
It seems fitting as we kick off a new year to appreciate the multiple possibilities created by each new opportunity. Like the ecosystem of the seagrape, so much potential stems from a child's first lesson about sea turtles, an adult learning to swim, or the seeding of a protected species like Solanum conocarpum in the Friends nursery. Thank you for the gift of possibilities provided by your support.
Please join us for our Annual Meeting on January 27 for an update on our work and an open conversation about the Park. In addition, we invite you to kick off your shoes, put your toes in the sand, and enjoy a night full of laughter, dancing, inspiration and impact at our Annual Gala. Join us for a wonderful celebration and fundraiser on Saturday, February 3, 2024! If you can't attend, please join in the fun and participate in the online auction and raffle in support of the protection and preservation of the natural and cultural resources in your park.
I wish you a joyful 2024 full of possibilities!
Warmly,
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Tonia Lovejoy
Executive Director
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Please join Friends of Virgin Islands National Park on Saturday, January 27 from 11am to 2pm for our Annual Meeting at Raintree Cafe at Cinnamon Bay Beach & Campground. All are welcome.
We ask that you please register so that we can determine space, shuttle bus, and refreshment requirements. Select the parking/shuttle option that applies to you.
The meeting will include a guest speaker, remarks from Friends Executive Director, Tonia Lovejoy and more, as well as a question and answer session.
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IMPACT REPORT 2023
The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park Impact Report for our financial year ending on September 30, 2023 is available. We encourage you to take the time to read about our collective success.
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Friends invites you to kick off your shoes, put your toes in the sand, and enjoy a night full of laughter, dancing, inspiration and impact at our Annual Gala. Join us for a wonderful celebration and fundraiser on Saturday, February 3, 2024!
Can't attend! Please join in the fun and participate in the online auction and raffle in support of the protection and preservation of the natural and cultural resources in your park.
The evening at Lovango Resort & Beach Club includes a boat shuttle, delicious food, great cocktails, fine wines, a cigar and rum bar, and wonderful live music and entertainment!
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School Kids In The Park (SKIP)
& Learn To Swim
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School is back in session! We invite local teachers and educators looking to arrange student visits to the park and more, as well as those further away, to explore the options and resources for fun learning about natural and cultural resources and history outlined on our website.
Learn To Swim has also kicked off. Join us every first and third Saturday for FREE swim classes! Open to all ages over 4 years! Adults and kids!
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The popular ranger-led Reef Bay hike that Friends facilitates kicked off this season on January 8! The hike that includes a boat pickup at the beach, is a great opportunity to learn about and explore the natural resources and rich history of the island!
Beyond Reef Bay, there are seminars, boat trips, demonstrations and hikes going on every day from Monday to Friday until June!
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VOLUNTEER ON THE TRAILS
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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Providing visitors with useful and informative information on the Park's natural, cultural and historical resources, and encouraging responsible visitation is important. Please take a look at the 2024 Destination Magazine which includes a great article on the Annaberg Plantation and the cultural demonstrators there, as well as an advertisement encouraging responsible enjoyment of the Park. The magazine is hand distributed to hundreds of passengers as they board their direct American Airlines flights to St Thomas. Our thanks to 340 Real Estate Co for sponsoring the advertisement.
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CULTURAL DEMONSTRATORS AT ANNABERG
Monday to Wednesday | 10AM to 2PM | November to June
Annaberg Plantation is the park's most accessible historic plantation site and a must visit for anyone interested in understanding the history and heritage of St. John. We welcome you to visit with St. John cultural ambassadors demonstrating bread making and local flavors in the old cook house, the plants in the Annaberg gardens including medicinal uses and more.
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We love seeing Friends plates driving around! Nothing like turtle love! Learn more and purchase yours online or in the National Park Visitor Center store (Open Mon-Fri 8:15 to 1:30). Proceeds from the plates support the work we do.
Not in the VI but would like to purchase a souvenir plate. Find them in our online store.
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Ken Wild Retires
Virgin Islands National Park wishes Archeologist Ken Wild happy trails and congratulations on his retirement. Ken began his career with the National Park Service in 1980, and has been involved in numerous NPS archeology investigations and reports for the Caribbean specifically since 1985. Read VINP facebook post of December 19, 2023 here.
Caneel Judge Change
V.I. District Court Chief Judge Robert Molloy has been removed and a Third Circuit Court of Appeals judge assigned in his place to preside over the lawsuit that will determine the ownership of the Caneel Bay Resort property on St. John, according to the latest filing in the case. Read news article here.
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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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Our thanks to the awesome team at Love City Ice who generously donate ice and water to all of our events.They keep participants and volunteers hydrated and drinks chilled at Paddle The Park, Beach To Beach Power Swim, the Friends Annual Meeting, and more.
Visitors and residents can stock up on water and ice at their place in the Lumberyard in Cruz Bay.
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