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HomeNewsArchivesSIGN UP NOW FOR V.I. NATIONAL PARK SEMINARS

SIGN UP NOW FOR V.I. NATIONAL PARK SEMINARS

Dec. 9, 2003 – It's not too early to sign up for a seminar held by the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park.
"The slots fill up fast and there's limited space in the seminars," program manager Emily Burton said.
As it has for the past several years, the organization offers an extensive list of seminar choices. Burton said that they give participants an opportunity to learn more about the island's culture and natural resources. Additionally, some of the seminars give participants a chance to learn new skills.
All the money raised through the seminars goes to fund projects at the national park.
Children under 12 pay only half price for all seminars except those involving boat trips.
The Friends accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express.
To sign up, call 779-4940.
The series kicks off in January and concludes in April.
Here's the list:
• Tropical Photography Workshop, Jan. 10 and April 14, both 8 a.m. to noon. Professional photographer Steve Simonsen teaches you how to take professional quality photos at a variety of St. John locations. Meet at the park Visitors Center. Bring one to four rolls of film, your camera manual, extra batteries, a snack and water. The maximum group size is 12. The cost, which includes transportation, is $35 for Friends members and $40 for nonmembers.
• Nature Writing Workshop, 9 a.m. to noon, Jan. 17. Author Cristina Kessler will show you how to get started in the freelance writing world. Meet at the Trunk Bay picnic area with a notebook and pen. The maximum group size is 12. The cost is $35 for members and $40 for nonmembers.
• Historical Sugarworks Stroll, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Jan. 21. St. John Historical Society President Chuck Pishko takes you on an historical tour of Caneel Bay Resort. Meet at the Caneel Bay parking lot. The maximum group size is 20. The fee is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Archaeology Boat Trip, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Jan. 24. Circumnavigate St. John with park archaeologist Ken Wild as he shares interesting archaeological discoveries made in a number of bays. Meet at the park Visitors Center boat dock. Bring lunch, water, sunscreen, and a hat. The maximum group size is 18. The fee is $60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Make Genuine Coconut Oil, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Jan. 28. Park ranger Deanna Somerville shows you how to make coconut oil. Meet at the Maho Bay Beach Pavilion with lunch, a hammer and a grater. The maximum group size is 10. The fee is $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers.
• Explore the Ecosystems of Lameshur and Europa Bays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Jan. 31. Botanist and plant ecologist Gary Ray explores the native plants and wildlife from the Lameshur mangroves to the Europa Bay coastline. Finish the day with lunch at the V.I. Environmental Resource Station. Meet at Lameshur Bay Beach. Carpooling from Cruz Bay can be arranged. Bring binoculars if you have them, water, sunscreen, and bug repellent. The maximum group size is 20. The fee, which includes lunch, is $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers.
• Bird Watching Tour, 7 to 11 a.m., Feb. 7. Explore Trunk, Cinnamon and Francis Bays to search for resident and migratory birds with park ranger and Audubon Society of the Virgin Islands president Laurel Brannick-Trager. Meet at the Cruz Bay taxi area. St. Thomas residents must take the 6:30 a.m. ferry. Bring binoculars if you have them, insect repellent and water. The maximum group size is 25. The fee, which includes transportation, is $30 for members and $35 for nonmembers.
• Discovering Historic Little Reef Bay, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Feb. 14. Explore the ruins of a modest cotton and livestock plantation with historian David Knight. The hike involves some rock climbing. Meet at Oyen’s Point at end of Fish Bay Road. Bring a snack, water, hiking shoes, sunscreen, and a sunhat. The maximum group size is 35. The fee is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Marine Biology Sailing Trip, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Feb. 15. Sail aboard the catamaran Adventure with two to three stops at snorkel spots. Park marine biologist Jeff Miller will be your guide. Meet at the park Visitors Center boat dock. Bring snorkel gear, sunscreen, lunch, and water. The maximum group size is 40. The fee is $60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• The East End Experience: A Microcosm of our Changing World, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Feb. 21. Economist Bernie Kemp and educator, historian, author, and East End resident Guy Benjamin discuss how changes in technology and economic conditions led to East End's decline and ultimate demise as a community. Meet at Vie's Snack Shack. Carpooling from Cruz Bay is available. The maximum group size is 15. The fee is $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers.
• Stars and their Stories, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Feb. 21. Join astro-mythologist Kelley Hunter as she guides you through the constellations and various myths of the night sky. Meet at the Peace Hill parking lot. Bring a flashlight, binoculars if you have them and a blanket. The maximum group size is 30. The fee is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Afro-Caribbean Drumming Workshop, noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 25. Master drummer Eddie Bruce will demonstrate basic entertainment and ritual drumming techniques of West African and Afro-Caribbean cultures. Meet at the Catherineberg Ruins. Bring a drum if you have one. The maximum group size is 25. The fee is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• St. John Architecture, March 3 and April 17, both 9 a.m. to noon. Visit several architecturally interesting sights with architect Glen Speer. Meet at the Sun Dog Café in Mongoose Junction to carpool. The maximum group size is 20. The fee is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Coastal Ecology, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 6. Circumnavigate St. John on the Sadie Sea with Rafe Boulon, the park's chief of resource management. The trip includes snorkeling, wading and floating in the coast's diverse habitats. Meet at the park Visitors Center boat dock. Bring lunch, water, wading shoes, and snorkel gear. The maximum group size is 25. The fee is $60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Traditional West Indian Cooking, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 13. Learn how to prepare traditional West Indian whelk dishes with park ranger Denise Georges. Meet at the Annaberg Plantation cookhouse. The maximum group size is 10. The fee is $30 for members and $35 for nonmembers.
• Leinster Bay: A Piece of Ireland in the Danish West Indies, 9 to 11 a.m., March 17. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with historian David Knight on a visit to the ruins of James Murphy’s Leinster Bay and Annaberg plantations. Meet at the Annaberg Plantation parking lot. Bring water and wear hiking shoes. The maximum group size is 25. The fee is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Kayak Hurricane Hole, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 20. Explore Coral Reef National Monument by kayak with park fisheries biologist Rob Waara. The trip includes snorkeling. Meet at Skinny Legs Restaurant in Coral Bay. Bring water, snorkel gear and sunscreen. The maximum group size is 12. The fee, which includes lunch, is $60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Coral Reef Research, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 27. Join U.S. Geological Survey ecologist Caroline Rogers on a snorkel trip through monitored sites of corals that may be listed as endangered species. Not recommended for novice snorkelers. Meet at the Caneel Bay boat dock. Bring lunch, water, snorkel gear, hat, and sunscreen. The maximum group size is 15. The fee is $60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Introduction to Bush Medicine, 3 to 5 p.m., April 3. Herbalist Eulita Jacobs will talk about medicinal plants on St. John. Meet at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Cruz Bay. The maximum group size is 15. The fee is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Taino Pottery Pit Firing Workshop, a two-day seminar that meets April 5 from 9 a.m. to noon and April 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. St.
John artist Gail Van de Bogurt and park archaeologist Ken Wild will show you how to create Taino style ceramics. Meet at the Cinnamon Bay archaeology lab, located at the beach. Bring clothes you can get dirty, a snack and water. The maximum group size is 15. The fee is $60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Turtle Identification and Monitoring, 9 a.m. to noon, April 10. Park biologist Thomas Kelley will discuss the biology and nesting behaviors of leatherback, green and hawksbill sea turtles. This seminar is also an effort to recruit volunteers to monitor turtle nests in the park from July to December. Meet at the park maintenance building conference room. Bring water, hat and sunscreen. The maximum group size is 20. The fee is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
• Marine Biology Sailing Trip, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 18. Go sailing aboard the Allura with a park ranger. The trip includes two to three snorkeling spots. Meet at the park Visitors Center boat dock. Bring snorkel gear, sunscreen, water, and lunch. The maximum group size is eight. The fee is $60 for members and $70 for nonmembers.
• Snorkel the Six Ecosystems of Scott Bay, 9 a.m. to noon April 25. Caneel Bay Resort’s chief snorkologist Lucy Portlock will explain the various marine species that live in Scott Bay. Meet at the Caneel Bay Resort shop. Bring snorkel gear, a snack and water. The maximum group size is eight. The fee is $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers.

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