May 24th was a beautiful day and the conditions were perfect to celebrate the beaches and waters of VI National Park as we held the 12th annual Beach-to-Beach Power Swim. 272 swimmers took off from Maho Beach just before 8:00 a.m. competing in one of three open water swims: the short course (1 mile) to Cinnamon Bay, the intermediate course (2¼ miles) to Trunk Bay, and the long course (3½ miles) to Hawksnest Bay. Some swimmers competed in the “assisted” category using masks, fins and/or snorkels. To add to the uniqueness of the event, this year three disabled veterans from Team River Runner, two swimmers using mono-fins and dressed in mermaid costumes, and one swimmer accompanied by his service dog competed in the event.

Awards were given to the top three finishers and first place age-group winners in each event/category. Special awards were also presented as follows: “Hero

Awards” to the three Team River Runner competitors, Aaron Hale, Josh Palmer and Tim Payne; “Veteran Awards” to the swimmers that have competed in 10, 11, and 12 Power Swims; “Nemo Awards” to Sofia Becerra and Isabel Thill, our youngest swimmers, each 8 years old; the “Neptune Award” went to our oldest swimmer, Manny de la Torre (73 years old) and the “Magellan Award” went to Olwyn Smith and Alice Sagar, two swimmers who travelled all the way from New Zealand to compete.

We are extremely grateful to the dozens of local businesses that sponsored this event and contributed to its success. A huge THANK YOU goes to the more than 120 volunteers that helped on the water, at the beaches, and at the beach party and awards ceremony – they played an important role in making the event safe, enjoyable and a success.

Mark your calendars, the 13th annual Beach-to-Beach Power Swim will be May 29, 2016.

august 2015

www.friendsvinp.orgprinted on recycled paper

The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park advances the protection and preservation of the natural and cultural resources of Virgin Islands National Park and promotes the responsible enjoyment of this unique national treasure while educating and inspiring adults and children to be stewards of the environment.

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what’s inside! Beach-to-Beach Power Swim

Tidings Notes

Message from the Supt.

Friends Summer Trail Crew

Welcome Shawana Thomas

Earth Day Environmental Fair 2015

Friends Summer Intern

Food & Wine Signature Events

Helping Hassel Island

VIERS Summer Camp

Obama’s Park Initiative

Friends Store Expansion

President’s Message

Upcoming Events

Preserve. Protect. Educate.

12TH BEACH-TO-BEACH POWER SWIM A SUCCESS

2015 Power Swim top finishers Rex Tullius of

St. John and Jamaris Washshah of St. Croix.

2 august 2015

MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT BY BRION FITZGERALD

2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of America’s National Park System and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Virgin Islands National Park. As we approach the NPS Centennial, I am delighted to tell you that we have asked the Friends to assume responsibility of operating our Visitor

Center bookstore and gift shop, beginning August 1, 2015. Given our long partnership and their proven success in operating the Friends store at Mongoose Junction, they are a natural choice for this opportunity. Our staff is looking forward to working with the Friends as we renew our focus on protecting these precious resources and providing exceptional educational opportunities to our visitors.

By the time you are reading this the response period for the Concession Prospectus for the Cinnamon Bay Campground and the Trunk Bay snack shack and gift shop will have closed. We have had a good deal of interest in the opportunity with many requests for the bid package from potential bidders. I remain optimistic that we will receive a number of substantive proposals. Our Washington Office panels the evaluation of responsive bids and we hope to have that group meet in mid-August. It generally takes 12 months from the bid closing to the final award of operator.

As we finalize the Friends Support requests for Fiscal Year 2016, I am once again reminded of the level of the support that you all provide to the park and our visitors. Member and donor support are key to any success we have in resource protection and visitor education. Please know that we sincerely appreciate your dedication to the Friends,

Notes

NotesTake a Hike!Virgin Islands National Park is pleased to offer ranger-led hikes along the Reef Bay and L’Esperance Trails. Recently added to the list of official national park trails, the L’Esperance Trail and ruins are rich in history and vegetation, with much to see. The Reef Bay and L’Esperance hikes tend to sell out quickly, so be sure to make your reservations well in advance by contacting the Friends of the Park Store in Mongoose Junction at 340-779-4940.

2015 Jeffrey Matheny Scholarship RecipientsWe are proud to announce that Lila Uzzell and Danielle Olive are recipients of this year’s Jeffrey Matheny Scholarship. Lila is currently focusing on biology/environmental studies at University of North Carolina-Asheville, and Danielle will begin studying marine biology at Nova Southeastern University this fall. We wish Lila and Danielle all the best as the fall semester approaches!

Friends Voted Best in VIThe Friends has once again been recognized as “The Best Association on St. John” by the Virgin Islands Daily News readers. We are humbled by this honor and appreciate the support of all those who voted for us.

Brion FitzGerald

what can you do?

After more than ten years as administrative assistant and arguably the Friends most beloved staff member, Arlington (Ali) Tyrell resigned in July to go back to school and pursue a career in the medical field. Familiar to many, Ali was the nerve center of the Friends office, and a constant source of assistance to those who called upon him. During his years with the organization, Ali became an endearing friend who was loved by all who knew him, both near and far. Ali will still reside on St. John, and we hope he will continue to support the Friends by volunteering when he can.

While we are obviously saddened by Ali’s departure, we are excited to welcome Shawana Thomas as the new administrative assistant. A recent graduate of the University of the Virgin Islands, Shawana majored in Business Administration and is eager to put some of her recently acquired skills to work! Fortunately, Shawana and Ali had the chance to work together for a period of time before Ali’s departure to ensure a smooth transition.

We trust that you will join us in wishing Ali the best in his future endeavors and in welcoming Shawana to the Friends team.

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use only refillable water bottles

This summer Friends of VINP, in partnership with Greening

Youth Foundation (GYF), worked with a group of eight Virgin

Islands high school students on a six week summer trail crew and

environmental education program.

The program had two main components: first is maintenance,

repair, and restoration of hiking trails and historic ruins within

Virgin Islands National Park. Second is a series of educational/

recreational experiences that encourage the crew to connect with

their natural environment while having fun and earning money.

Highlights of this year’s program included a ranger led hike of

Hassel Island, a zip line adventure hosted by Tree Limin’ Extreme,

a mangrove kayak of Hurricane Hole hosted by Reef 2 Peak

Excursions, and many more. Crew members gained hands-on

technical skills while developing self-confidence and leadership

skills. As a result, the Brown Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Francis

Bay, L’Esperance, Peace Hill, and many more trails are all in

great shape!

This year’s crew leaders, Chad Whisenant and Kwame Baldwin

from Greening Youth Foundation, travelled from Atlanta, Georgia

to lead the crew. This was the first time to the Caribbean for both

men, and they were enthusiastic about their island adventure.

Their time on St. John was spent learning and exploring VINP’s

bountiful natural resources and rich history of the US Virgin

Islands in addition to their work with the students.

NEXT GENERATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS: FRIENDS SUMMER TRAIL CREW

Friends of VINP Summer Trail Crew pause for a group photo in Cruz Bay.

Friends Administrative Assistant Shawana Thomas.

SEMINAR SERIES 2016Friends Seminars focus on promoting enjoyment of the park and understanding of St. John’s rich cul-tural history. The 2016 Seminar Series will include many of our classic offerings and some new semi-nars as well. The schedule will be available in late November, so please be sure to check the Friends website, www.friendsvinp.org for details.

FAREWELL ALI / WELCOME SHAWANA

HELLO FRIENDS!BY JASPER GUYER-STEVENS, FRIENDS SUMMER INTERN

Working as the Summer Intern for the Friends has been a great opportunity for me in so many ways. I recently moved to St. John from northern California, so being a part of an organization so vital to the island in all aspects, is incredibly important for my understanding of the dynamics of St. John. Working with the Friends on various environmental outreach programs has enabled me to pursue my interests in environmental conservation, preservation, and education. As I begin my second year at Wheaton College, I will be continuing on the path to become an environmental science major, and this internship with the Friends has given me even more confidence that this is the right direction for me.

Throughout my ten weeks with the Friends, I have worked on events such as the ever-popular Beach to Beach Power Swim and several environmental education projects to insure the conservation of resources within our park. Boater, snorkeler and villa outreach programs help to spread information on the best ways for our visitors and locals to responsibly enjoy the park. Volunteering at VIERS Eco Camps, as well as assisting with the Learn to Swim Program sponsored by the national park have provided great opportunities for me to give back to the community and gain an understanding of environmental education first hand. Being involved with the conservation and preservation of the incredible wonders that the ecosystems of St. John presents to everyone on a daily basis has been a truly meaningful experience. Working for the Friends has been a most productive way to immerse myself into the various communities of St. John. I am grateful to have had this experience, and look forward to volunteering and staying involved in the future, as St. John is my new (part-time) home.

4 august 2015

EARTH DAY ENVIRONMENTAL FAIR 2015 WOWS THE CROWD

The 2015 Earth Day Environmental Fair and Litter Stomp Parade took place on Friday April 24th at the National Park Ball Field in Cruz Bay, St. John. There was a wide array of presenters this year including (but not limited to): a state-of-the-art Nissan Leaf electric car provided by Pro Solar, exhibits

from: UVI Sea Turtle Club, CORE Lionfish education program, UVI Marine Biology program, Caribbean Solar, Coral World Ocean Park, Blue Flag, Gifft Hill School’s EARTH Program students, Dr. Gary Ray of Virgin Forest Nursery, Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS), and a mock dig led by VINP archaeology interns.

Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority co-hosted the ever-popular Litter Stomp Parade. Students carried signs promoting environmental awareness and responsibility as they paraded through Cruz Bay to the fairgrounds. The top posters were selected and the winners received the prize of day passes for their classes to visit Coral World Ocean Park on St. Thomas.

The goal of the environmental fair is to inspire, inform, and educate Virgin Islands youth and community on the importance of preserving and protecting our terrestrial and marine environments and resources. Free and

open to the public, all St. John schools and families were invited to attend the fair. This year, over 550 people were in attendance. Educating our community about the environment and issues that are a threat to our islands was the focus.

The Friends would like to thank the numerous volunteers who made the Environmental Fair a success. A special thank you goes out to Love City Pan Dragons, Westin Resort and Villas, Concordia Eco Resort, Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority, Virgin Islands National Park, Coral World Ocean Park, St. John Ice, Starfish Market, and Freshwater Church for their extremely generous contributions that made this event possible.

Environmental education was front and center at the 2015 Earth Day Environmental Fair.

Friends Summer Intern Jasper Guyer-Stevens

In honor of Earth Day, participants of the Friends’ Adopt-A- Beach program were asked to clean their adopted areas as part of an island-wide beach cleanup. The Adopt-A-Beach/Trail program encourages volunteer groups to adopt a site and become responsible for keeping it clean. If you are interested in adopting a beach or trail please contact Karen Jarvis at kjarvis@friendsvinp.org.

what can you do?

www.friendsvinp.org 5

wear a rash guard instead of sunscreen to protect coral reefs

NEW IN 2016: FOOD & WINE WITH FRIENDS SIGNATURE EVENTS!

HELPING HASSEL ISLANDBY VINCENT PALANCIA, ST. THOMAS HISTORICAL TRUST

The mission of the St. Thomas Historical Trust (STHT) is to identify, protect and preserve the history, sites and culture of St. Thomas. To that end, a major undertaking of the Trust is to preserve the structures and history of Hassel Island. Approximately 95% of the island is part of the Virgin Islands National Park (VINP). The Trust, under a Memorandum of Agreement with VINP, has taken on the responsibility of trail maintenance and preserving and restoring

the historic structures, making them accessible to the public. Partnering with The Trust are the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park and the VI St. Thomas Historic Preservation Office (VISHPO). These three organizations are the primary impetus for the results we see today on the island. The initial clean-up of Hassel Island started with a contribution from Friends of the Park in conjunction with STHT to pay to remove the derelict wrecks on the island’s shore. When site clearing started and the Creque Marine Machine Shop was uncovered, Friends contributed funds for metal conservation of the numerous unearthed machines and tools. Friends are currently funding the long awaited reconstruction of the Creque Machine Shed, and through VINP, some funding for trail clearing support.

The VISHPO is the owner of three sites on Hassel Island: Prince Fredrick’s Battery, Garrison House and Cowell’s Battery. Partnering with The Trust, has resulted in these three structures being restored for future generations.

Recently with a Grant for $129,000 through the TAP grant from the Office of Insular Affairs, STHT has restored the Lime Kiln in Careening Cove and re-pointed the stone work and added safety railings to Cowells’ Battery.

Food and Wine with Friends events will focus on natural resource protection, preservation, and education.

Before restoration photo of a (Hassel Island) lime kiln that dates back to 1851.

After restoration photo.

Raise your glasses for the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service, and 60th Anniversary of our Virgin Islands National Park! These special milestones will be celebrated with three unique fundraising events for Friends of VI National Park, held at three amazing homes on St. John in 2016. The Food & Wine with Friends Series will dazzle and delight with superb wine and cuisine in exclusive island locations. Stirring stories and examples of how our park thrives with the help of Friends of VI National Park and the importance of your support will be the main focus.

The Food & Wine with Friends evenings will be fun, social, infor-mative and most of all, inspirational. Guests will be delighted by a luxurious dinner with a view, dancing under the stars, and a focused presentation on future park projects and programs. These three, smaller events of 20-40 guests each will replace our large, annual gala in 2016 as we pause to recognize the achievements of the Friends and the wonders of the park that we will pass on to future generations.

Each evening will showcase a different theme of Preservation, Protection or Education. Guests will meet and mingle with new friends as well as those who play a major role in influencing the protection and preservation of our national park.

Dates and locations to be announced shortly by invitation and on our website. The events will be held in January, February and March. To request an invitation, contact Karen Vahling at kvahling@friendsvinp.org.

6 august 2015

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S PARK INITIATIVE BY LAUREL BRANNICK

This summer, the Friends and Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) provided free educational summer programs for Virgin Islands students. In July and August, 160 local children between the ages of 7–17 attended various summer camp sessions held at VIERS, located at Lameshur Bay on St. John’s south side. Eco-Camps for children age 7–12 were designed to ensure that the campers enjoyed themselves while learning about marine and terrestrial ecology through hands-on activities and lessons. Science Camps gave students ages 13–17 the opportunity to assist with research activities and learn about experiment design and marine biology, all while exploring beautiful Lameshur Bay. Returning for its fifth year was a Ranger-in-Training camp. This five-day/three-night experience focused on providing 13–17 year olds insight into the career opportunities available to them in the park service such as the fields of environmental stewardship and resource management. Classroom and study sessions combined with hands-on activities alongside rangers in the park, created a comprehensive learning experience.

These amazing camps are made possible by generous funding from the following: Paul Angell Family Foundation, Disney, First Bank, Innovative, International Capital & Management Company, the Klaus Kroeger/Frederick Bliss Foundation, R & I Patton, Stephen and Carol Spring, St. John Rotary, the Vento Charitable Trust, and VI EPSCoR.

In 2016 the National Park Service will celebrate its centennial birthday. To commemorate this special occasion President Barack Obama announced his initiative, “Every Kid in a Park”. This initiative sends out a challenge to National Park units to get every fourth grader in the Nation into a National Park during the 2015–2016 school year. Part of the program also includes access passes for fourth graders and their families to visit all National Parks and federal lands free of charge for the same school year.

Recent studies have shown that many children spend too much time inside, often using electronic media. This project is all part of an effort to get children outdoors where they can discover, explore, and enjoy America’s national treasures. Here at Virgin Islands National Park we will be meeting this challenge with the help of a grant from the National Parks Foundation. We will be partnering with Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, taking all fourth and fifth grade students on St John kayaking into the Coral Reef National Monument. The Monument is primarily located on the south side of St. John and includes the mangroves of Hurricane Hole. Research has shown that the mangroves of Hurricane Hole support communities of fish and coral unlike any other mangrove habitats, and are unique.

The project will start in October of 2015 and finish by January of 2016. Students will be transported out to Hurricane Hole, where they will spend the day snorkeling and kayaking in the Coral Reef National Monument. Volunteers interested in participating in this project can contact the Park’s volunteer coordinator Corinne Fenner by emailing corinne_fenner@nps.gov

Eco-campers get fun lessons in biology and ecology at VIERS.

VIERS SUMMER CAMP ADVENTURES FOR KIDS!

Kids explore the wonders of the Coral Reef National Monument.

what can you do?

www.friendsvinp.org 7

support eco-friendly businesses and initiatives

GREAT NEWS!!! The Friends of the Park Store will be opening up a second bookstore and gift shop in the Virgin Islands National Park Visitors Center starting this August 1, 2015. Initially, we will be selling basic items such as trail snacks, water, sunscreen, bug spray and other items while we remodel the current retail space (August and September) in preparation for the coming season.

The purpose of the store will be to complement the park’s interpretive activities, increase visitors’ understanding and appreciation of the park’s resources and enhance the visitor experience. The store will have an expanded selection of St. John

and Caribbean-related books for both children and adults. Gifts will include everything from affordable binoculars to collapsible water & wine bottles, hand painted clothing, beach towels, educational games, cards, postcards, etc. that will enhance the overall visitor experience while educating people to the amazing experiences that are possible while visiting our beautiful park. We will also host live demonstrations of local arts and crafts throughout the year, will sell locally made, traditional food products.

Once the Visitors Center store is open, reservations for the Reef Bay and L’Esperance Hikes will move to the Visitors Center. It will be much more convenient for hikers to pick up everything they need from hike vouchers to drinks, walking sticks, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, hats, socks, etc., at the Visitors Center, the point of embarkation for these adventures.

2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and the 60th anniversary of Virgin Islands National Park. “Find Your Park” is a national awareness campaign marking this very important milestone for the National Park Service, and so we will be creating limited edition coins as well as other special products to commemorate the inception of one of America’s best ideas. In addition, we hope to be able to offer these fabulous limited edition items on the Friends website in time for the holidays. When you “Find Your Park” here in the Virgin Islands, you might just find your destiny through the interpretive and educational programs and products offered at both Friends of Park stores offer.

VINP Visitors Center, future home of the second Friends of the Park Store.

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Friends of VI National Park, PO Box 811, St John, VI 00831

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FRIENDS STORE EXPANDING TO THE PARK’S VISITORS CENTER

DIRECTORY — FRIENDS OFFICE: 340.779.4940 FRIENDS STORE: 340.779.8700 FRIENDS EMAIL: info@friendsvinp.org VI NATIONAL PARK FRONT DESK: 340.776.6201 ext: 238

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY JOE KESSLER

First off I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ali Tyrell for his 10+ years of service to the Friends. He made significant contributions to the Friends’ successes over these years. We will miss his affable and engaging presence and his warm and serene nature. We wish him the very best for the future.

I write this message as Cristina and I are returning from an amazing trip to South Africa and Swaziland (a small country nestled between South Africa and Mozambique) primarily visiting national parks and private game reserves. South Africa has a long history with national parks – parts of Kruger National

Park were protected by the government starting in 1898 and the park was formally established in 1928. Complementing their national parks is a network of private game and nature reserves throughout the country, especially adjacent to national parks.

Swaziland’s national parks started as a private endeavor 50 years ago. Unable to get the colonial govern-ment to set aside land for the protection of wildlife, the Reiley family turned their family farm into a game reserve. They were later able to expand the original reserve and establish two others. These formed the core of Swaziland’s national parks which have since been expanded by the government. Especially impressive is that as most of the country’s wildlife had been depleted, and in some cases decimated, by uncontrolled hunting, Ted Reiley and his NGO Big Game Parks Trust have reintroduced 28 species into these reserves and parks, which now have thriving herds.

These parks and reserves have many unmet needs (sound familiar?) however there is no network of sup-port groups such as the Friends to assist. While there are numerous local and international conservation organizations, they tend to focus on the plight of a specific species, such as rhino or elephant. We are fortunate that we have such park support groups for US national parks and I am reminded of a quote by a veteran park superintendent who said “We use federal funds to do what is required by law, and use part-ners’ funds for what is required by conscience”.

I came back from this trip inspired and invigorated and eager to continue to help preserve and protect the amazing natural and cultural resources of our amazing park. I hope that I can continue to count on you to accompany me on this journey.

I look forward to seeing you out in the park!

august 2015

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PAIDCRUZ BAY, VI

00831 PERMIT NO. 07

PO Box 811 St John, Virgin Islands 00831

Coming events! Coastweeks 2015:September 19th marks the beginning of VI Coastweeks. During this time, community members will remove trash and other debris from Virgin Islands beaches and coastal shores. Last year over 100 Virgin Islanders participated, and 12.3 million pounds of trash was collected from our beaches and waterways! For details on how you can participate, please call Karen Jarvis at 340-779-4940.

Paddle the Park SUP Race: The 3rd annual Paddle the Park standup paddleboard race will be held at Maho Bay on Sunday, November 1st. Registration will begin on Monday, September 5th, and will continue through Saturday, October 31st. For more information, please visit www.friendsvinp.org/news-a-events/paddle-the-park or give us a call at 340-779-4940.

Online Auction: Nov. 2015Friends Annual Online AuctionNov. 14 – Dec. 6, 2015: Don’t miss great deals on all things St. John: vacation stays, shopping, excursions, dining and more. Build your next vacation! Watch the auction items grow before opening at www.biddingforgood.com/friendsvinp

To donate an item contact Karen Vahling at kvahling@friendsvinp.org

www.friendsvinp.org

Joe Kessler

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED