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Earth Day Events Teach Children About Local Environment, History

April 20, 2007 — About 400 school children from across St. John gathered Friday at the V.I. National Park ball field to celebrate Earth Day.
"I want to learn more about the earth and how the coral is doing," said Rochelle Moses, 15, a student at Julius E. Sprauve School, as she and her girlfriends made their way around the field.
About 25 booths ringed the ball field, giving the children information about environmental issues. This year the Friends of the Park, which sponsors the event, tried to have more interactive activities for the students, said Kristen Maize, the Friends' program manager.
Students kept busy planting bay beans in dirt-filled plastic cups, bending over coloring books with a cultural slant, getting their faces painted, making tops on a lathe and taking time to fill out a questionnaire.
"I learned about the first people to come here," said Bria Drew, 14, a student at Sprauve School. "They were Tainos, Caribs and Ciboneys."
Another Sprauve student, DJ Browne, 15, said he came because he wanted to learn more about how to take care of the earth.
Curtis Bridgewater of Heaven and Earth Landscaping offered tales of bush medicine.
"If you drink too much of the maiden apple, you'll die," he said, noting that the bush was good for treating fever.
Kristi Hansen of Alfredo's Landscaping had a display of plants native to St. John or Africa that grow well in St. John's conditions.
"These are low maintenance and don't need a lot of water," she said.
Gary Ray, busy showing students how to plant the bay bean, took time out to talk about the environmental problem caused when pests arrive on imported plants used in landscaping.
The biggest problem comes with pests on the 20-foot palm trees used in landscaping resorts and large homes, he said. Ten years ago the island had few plant pests, but the situation has changed dramatically, he said.
The Mexican agave weevil is busy attacking the island's century plants, Ray said. "In six or seven years, the agave will be wiped out," he said.
That eventuality will have huge ramifications for insects and birds that depend on the liters of nectar the agave produces, Ray said.
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