80.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesPark Friends Need Help at Fortsberg Ruins

Park Friends Need Help at Fortsberg Ruins

The Friends of V.I. National Park need help in keeping the bush at bay at the historic Fortsberg ruins and want volunteers for work crews on Tuesday and Thursday.

Fortsberg, located on private property in Coral Bay, is the site of the start of the 1733 slave revolt. The cleanup runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Transportation to the Fortsberg site is provided by the park so participants don’t have to hike up a big hill. They’ll spend their time cutting down tan tan and catch and keep.

"It threatened to take over," Friends volunteer coordinator Jeff Chabot said of the encroaching bush.

This is the second winter season that the Friends worked at Fortsberg. Chabot said that last year, work at Fortsberg drew the most volunteers of any of the projects, which made a "massive" difference in keeping down the bush.

"So the plants don’t cause further damage to the structure," Friends program manager Audrey Penn added.

While Fortsberg is located outside the park, Chabot said that the park and the Friends are interested in keeping down the bush because of its significance to the St. John community.

"It’s the most significant cultural site and it needs our help as much as the park does," Chabot said.

Tuesday and Thursday are final volunteer work crews of the season.

The Friends van will pick up volunteers at 8 a.m. at Mongoose Junction shopping center, at 8:15 a.m. at Cinnamon By Campground, at 8:30 a.m. at the Maho Bay Goat Trail located at the north end of Maho Bay Beach, and at 8:45 a.m. at Skinny Legs Bar and Restaurant. Volunteers with their own car should meet the group at Skinny Legs to follow the van.

Penn advised participants to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts to prevent getting scratched by bush or bitten by insects when clearing bush. Bring a snack and a reusable water bottle. The Friends will provide water.

For more information, Chabot at 998-5627 Penn at 779-4940.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.