Music, food, plenty of activities and a little education will come together Sunday for a celebration of St. Croix’s coral reef and the marine environment at the annual Reef Jam.
The seventh annual event will be held from 1 to 10 p.m. at Rainbow Beach to "encourage marine conservation and stewardship through community education and outreach," according to a news release from project manager Janelle Schindler.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students and children. Attendees can listen all day to music from Mercy Child, Kurt Schindler and DJ Cypher.
"Reef Jam is a day for the whole family to come out and dance and play and celebrate the reef," Schindler said. "We will have tilapia, squid and lionfish dissections, and a snorkel clinic for all ages with gear and lifeguard provided."
This will be the fourth year that Reef Jam has teamed up with St. Croix Environmental Association for Reef Rap, a contest for high school students to perform original songs written about the reef and how to protect it.
"You do not want to miss the Reef Rap," Schindler said. "The creativity and energy these kids give off is incredible."
Caribbean Lionfish Safari and CORE will be on hand for the Goodyear Lionfish Derby, an event that targets the invasive species that endangers the reef and St. Croix’s maritime industries. Details on how to enter can be obtained by calling 1-340-713-3112.
Schindler and her husband, popular island musician Kurt Schindler, founded Reef Jam in 2008 during International Year of the Reef.
"Living on an island, every single one of us is affected by the health of our reefs," Schindler said. "This event is to celebrate the incredible resource that surrounds us and gives us life."
Reef Jam is sponsored through support from 340 Crossfit, Turn and Burn Fishing Team, STX Custom Pools, BCG VI, ib designs, Seven Seas Water, West End Water Sports, Gallows Bay Hardware, the Fort Christian Brew Pub, Heineken, HH Tire and Battery, Above the Cliff, Bush Tribe Eco-Adventures, Caribbean Lionfish Safari, CORE, Kurt and Janelle Schindler, Melanie L. Feltmate and Rhythms at Rainbow Beach. Reef Jam is a project of St. Croix Environmental Association.
For details and information on how to volunteer, email reefjamstx@gmail.com or call Schindler at 340-643-6095.
