Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park February 2012 Seminar Series

Telephone: 340-779-4940
E-mail: info@friendsvinp.org
Friends of the Park Website

FULL MOON DRUM CIRCLE • Feb. 7, Tues. • 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Meet: Natl. Park Visitor Ctr.; Bring: A drum if you have one;
Seminar Fee: $25 Mem / $35 Non Mem • Max Group: 20

TREASURES OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS I & II
Feb. 8, Wednesday • March 7, Wednesday • 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Meet: Charlotte Amalie Waterfront at R&J Latte’s;
Bring: Energy & creativity;
Seminar Fee: $55 Mem / $65 Non Mem • Max Group: 12

BOTANICAL & HISTORIC HIKE • Feb. 11, Sat. • 9:00am – 1:00pm
Meet: Annaberg parking lot;
Bring: Sunscreen, hat, lunch, water, & hiking shoes;
Seminar Fee: $45 Mem / $55 Non Mem • Max Group: 25

COASTAL ECOLOGY • Feb. 12, Sun. • 9:30am – 3:00pm
Meet: National Park Visitor Ctr.; Bring: Lunch, water, sunscreen, & snorkel gear;
Seminar Fee: $75 Mem / $85 Non Mem • Max Group: 18

BUILD GREEN • Feb. 18, Sat. • 10:00am – 12:00pm
Meet: Skinny Legs Restaurant to carpool;
Bring: Notebook, building plans, & ideas;
Seminar Fee: $35 Mem / $45 Non Mem • Max Group: 20

MARINE BIOLOGY SAIL • Feb. 19, Sun. • 9:00am – 3:00pm
Meet: Natl. Park Visitor Ctr. Dock;
Bring: Snorkel gear, lunch, water, towel, & sunscreen;
Seminar Fee: $85 Mem / $95 Non Mem • Max Group: 30

HERITAGE EXHIBIT TOUR • Feb. 22, Wed. • 10:00am – 12:00pm
Meet: Cinnamon Bay parking lot; Bring: Notebook;
Seminar Fee: $25 Mem / $35 Non Mem • Max Group: 30

KAYAK CANEEL BAY I & II
Feb. 24, Fri. • Apr. 15, Sun. • 10:00am – 1:00pm Meet: Caneel Bay parking lot;
Seminar Fee: $75 Mem / $85 Non Mem • Max Group: 15

LEAP YEAR STARS • Feb. 25, Sat.. • 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Meet: Estate Concordia Pavilion;
Bring: Blanket, flashlight, pillow, & binoculars (if you have them)
Seminar Fee: $35 Mem / $45 Non Mem • Max Group: 35

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Wednesday, February 1

Aqua Bistro – Rascio on Steel Pan – 5:30 – 8:30 – 776-5336
Castaways – Kenny Floyd – 8:00 – 777-3316
Coconut Coast Studios – St. John Flutes – 5:30-7:00 – 776-6944
Driftwood Dave’s – Paradise People – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
High Tide – Chris Carsel – 6:00 – 9:00 – 714-6169
Sun Dog Cafe – Wednesday Night Jam – 7:30-10:00 – 244-9713

See the weekly schedule

Virgin Islands Cultureman: Mr. Justin Todman

Tyre Palm Brooms

Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park sponsored a tyre palm broom making exhibition with Virgin Islands culture man, Mr. Justin Todman from St. Thomas. After the demonstration, children were invited to ask questions:

“Mr. Justin,” asked one child, “what inspires you to make brooms?”

“It puts food on the table and it’s my art,” answered Mr. Justin.

St. John Music Schedule Friday March 18

Aqua Bistro – Mark Wallace – 5:30 – 8:30 – 776-5336
Beach Bar – Revisions – 9:00 – 777-4220
High Tide – John Lee – 7:00 – 10:00 – 714-6169
Island Blues – Mitch Woods – 3:00 – 6:00 – 776-6800
Morgan’s Mango - Lauren – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – Luba – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693 3304
Shipwreck Landing – Jimmi Prime Time Smith – 5:00 – 8:00 – 693-5640
Skinnylegs – Chris Carsel – 6:00 – 9:00 – 779-4982
Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – James Cobb – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802

A word of caution: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.

Weekly Music Schedule

Virgin Islands Photo of the Day

Salt Island, BVI

Press Release
St. John, US Virgin Islands (USVI)

Tyre Palm Boom-Making Demonstration
Thursday March 17th (St. Patty’s Day) 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
In Front of the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park Store, Mongoose Junction Cruz Bay
Presented by: Master West Indian culture-bearer, Justin Todman of St. Thomas US Virgin Islands
Sponsored by: Friends of VI National Park.

Mr. Justin’s crafts will be available, on limited basis, at the Friends of VI National Park Store. Additionally, he has indicated his willingness to teach those interested to learn this dying art of our West Indian

Contact: Cid Hamling at Connections for potential classes
Phone: 776-6922 or email connectionsstjohn.vi

Note: Tyre Palm brooms should be of great interest to wedding planners, and those who value our culture.

St. John Music Schedule Thursday March 10

Banana Deck – Steel Pan by Lemuel Callwood – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5055
Castaways – Mikey P Rocks the House – 8:00 - 777-3316
High Tide – Steven Sloan – 7:00 – 10:00  – 714-6169
Inn at Tamarind Court – Tom Mason & the Blue Buccaneers – 8:00 – 776 6378
Island Blues – Red Carpet Rats – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-6800
Miss Lucy’s – Rich & Greg – 6:00 – 9:00  – 693-5244
Morgan’s Mango – Mark Wallace – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – Rascio Steel Pan – 7:00 – 9:00 – 693 3304
Skinny Legs – Loren – Guitar & Vocal – 6:00 – 779-4982
Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – James Cobb – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802

A word of caution: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.

Weekly Music Schedule

It’s swim practice time so I can (theoretically) compete in the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park “Beach to Beach Power Swim.”

With this aspiration in mind, I drove out to Trunk Bay yesterday afternoon for a the first practice swim.

For those interested, late afternoon and early morning are the best times to enjoy Trunk Bay. There’s no fee involved because the National Park people are either not there yet or have gone home already and you’ll find the beach relatively empty, devoid of the taxi van loads of cruise ship people, the way a beautiful Virgin Islands beach should be, according to me.

The only downside is the lack of facilities, which are only available during the day, the only one I miss being the showers or at least the running water to get the sand off your feet. In order to mitigate this relatively minor inconvenience, I bring a bottle of water with me to serve this purpose, the shower stalls, although without running water, providing privacy in which to change into dry clothes.

Anyway, it’s just before sunset and I’m completing my second lap my swim from one end of the beach to another.

They say “one picture is worth a thousand words,” but finding myself without a camera or the talent needed to draw, I’ll have to use the proverbial one thousand words this time.

I’m at the west end of the beach near the rocks and as a pick my head up to take a breath I see what looks like two deer walking along the beach.

I stop swimming and look out at the scene. What appeared to be two deer walking along the beach was, in fact, two deer walking along the beach.

The late afternoon sunlight brought a softness to the vivid colors of the sea, the sandy beach and the palms on the shoreline. At the other end of the beach, a wedding was in progress, beautiful people gathered together watching the bride in her flowing white dress and the groom also dressed in white running down the beach, barefoot, hand in hand.

I stay still for a minute or two taking in the scene before continuing my late afternoon swim.

View from new overlook on the Cinnamon Bay Trail

view to the east

There’s something new to view for hikers on the Cinnamon Bay Trail.

Jeff Chabot group leader and volunteers working with the Appalachian Mountain Club in a cooperative venture with the Virgin Islands National Park and Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park have cleared an overlook along the trail, with views extending from Jost Van Dyke to St. Thomas and the northwestern cays.

Some years ago there was an overlook higher up on the trail near the top, which has long since overgrown.

The trail crew did an excellent job creating this new overlook. The view is spectacular!

Other overlooks that have now been cleared are the Lind Point Battery Overlook,  at the bench almost to the top of Caneel Hill on the Caneel Hill Trail, one on the Bordeaux Mountain Trail and another on the Lameshur Bay Trail.

We’ll be posting photos of these overlooks shortly…

Soon come… one on the Reef Bay Trail, the Francis Bay Salt Pond and two on the Johnny Horn Trail….

ADVENTURE HAS ITS REWARDS AT CANEEL BAY, A ROSEWOOD RESORT ON ST. JOHN

Virgin Islands Ecotours

– Guests enjoying off-property Kayak, Hike & Snorkel Adventure inspire donations and receive complimentary one-year membership from local environmental group –

St. John, U.S.V.I. (January 2010) – Give and get back – that’s what Caneel Bay, A Rosewood Resort is offering guests who embark upon the Kayak, Hike & Snorkel Adventure with Virgin Islands Ecotours , one of the resort’s most popular off-property activities.

Through this new partnership, for each guest who signs-up for a multi-sport adventure with Caneel Bay partner Virgin Islands Ecotours, a donation is made to the local environmental group Friends of Virgin Islands National Park . In turn, guests receive a complimentary one-year membership to Friends – a $30 value with benefits to keep them engaged on continuing efforts to preserve the beauty that the resort calls home.

The value-oriented offer reflects Caneel Bay and Virgin Islands Ecotours common goal of building eco-tourism on St. John. Virgin Islands Ecotours, which offers kayak, hiking and snorkeling tours of Caneel Bay and the Mangrove Lagoon on St. Thomas, is a strong supporter the non-profit Friends of Virgin Islands National Park organization and its dedication to protecting and preserving the natural resources of the park.

Led by expert guides, the Kayak, Hike & Snorkel Adventure available at Caneel Bay explores crystal-blue waters teeming with reef life and sea turtles, beaches shaded by sea grape trees and coconut palms, and picturesque tropical forests.