The Virgin Islands celebrates the 42nd annual Earth Day with activities on all three islands.
St. Croix Environmental Association’s Earth Day celebrations focus on students, according to Lynnea F. Roberts, the organization’s environmental education coordinator. Events begin Tuesday with a Litter Stomp for fifth- and sixth-graders from the V.I. Waste Management Office in Williams Delight to the St. George Botanical Garden.
The St. Croix students will then attend the EcoFair at the Botanical Garden. On Wednesday, third- and fourth-graders will participate in the EcoFair. On both days, the celebration runs from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Presentations both days will be made by the Planning and Natural Resources Department, the National Park Service, Seven Seas Water Corp, the St. Croix East End Marine Park, the St. Croix Environmental Association, the Botanical Gardens, The Nature Conservancy, the University of the Virgin Islands, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and V.I. Resource Conservation and Development Council.
St. John’s Earth Day celebration starts off at 8:45 a.m. Friday with a Litter Stomp Parade from Julius E. Sprauve School to the V.I. National Park ballfield. Sponsored by the V.I. Waste Management Authority and the Friends of the Park, the goal is to stomp out litter.
“The kids are creating posters and songs and slogans that they’re chanting,” said Friends program manager Audrey Penn.
The posters will be judged at the Friends Environmental Fair. It begins at 9 a.m. at the ballfield and runs until 1 p.m.
“Everyone is invited,” Penn said.
Activities include hands-on exhibits by a slew of agencies, organizations and people including the V.I. Water and Power Authority, the Junior Gardening Program, V.I. Environmental Resource Station, the Animal Care Center of St. John, the V.I. Energy Office, Gifft Hill School and Delroy Anthony’s native arts and crafts.
On Saturday activities move to Hawksnest Bay for the Friends’ third annual Reef Fest. A family event, it runs from noon to 5 p.m. Exhibits and activities take place in an out of the water throughout the day.
“Everything that happens on our small island eventually winds up in the ocean,” Penn said.
Last year over 600 St. John students attended the Earth Day Fair and over 150 participants attended Reef Fest.
Penn said these events are great ways to teach the territory’s youth about the environment and issues that are a threat to the islands. It is also an excellent opportunity to expose St. John students, who generally don’t have the ability to attend fairs on St. Thomas, to important environmental programs on other islands.
Island-wide beach cleanups will be happening throughout Earth Week. Participants of the Friends’ Adopt-A-Beach/Trail program are asked to remove debris from their adopted beach/trail as part of an island-wide cleanup. The Adopt-A-Beach/Trail program encourages volunteer groups to adopt a site and become responsible for keeping it clean.
On St. Thomas, Coral World Ocean Park, Coki Beach Dive Club, the Young Professional Network and community volunteers will join the Reef Alliance for Earth Day events and clean up Water Bay and nearby Coki Beach. It begins at 9 a.m. Sunday.
Volunteer divers and snorkelers will meet at Coki Beach Dive Club. Equipment and bottled water will be provided. Land volunteers are to meet in the Coral World parking area. Volunteers will receive a barbecue lunch and free admission to Coral World for the remainder of the day.
To reach SEA, call 773-1989. Call Penn at 779-4940. To participate on St. Thomas, email erica.palmer@yahoo.com.
