Fun, food and myriad environmental messages came with Saturday’s first annual Reef Fest at Hawknest Beach. It wrapped up the Friends of V.I. National Park-sponsored Earth Day activities that began Friday with a fair in Cruz Bay.
"It’s one of the best places to celebrate our coral reefs with our youths," park Superintendent Mark Hardgrove said.
Audrey Penn, the Friends program manager who organized the Reef Fest, saw it as an opportunity to get kids in the water.
"Hopefully a couple will learn to swim and a couple will snorkel," she said.
Many people ventured into the water despite the cloudy skies, but others said they came to learn more about the environment.
UVI student Lorraine Callwood, who hails from nearby Jost Van Dyke, said that while the extra credit she will get for her Science 100 class was nice, what she learned was more important.
"This cup is made out of corn. Feel how sturdy it is," she said, holding a clear plastic-looking cup that is biodegradable.
UVI marine biology professor Marilyn Brandt, who works at the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, made the trip to St. John to help the Friends put on the Reef Fest.
"We like to support educating the public," she said.
The St. John Recycling Association was on hand to promote its can recycling program. Member Karl Pytlik suggested that residents with large amounts of cans put them in clear plastic bags and drop them off at the organization’s staging area. To find it, make the first left off the road that leads to the Enighed Pond Marine Terminal barge ramp. He said that people who can’t take their large amounts of cans to Enighed Pond should leave them in clear plastic bags at the recycling bins located adjacent to Dumpsters and at other locations around St. John.
Coral World Marine Park was also on hand.
"We are promoting people being careful about putting trash in the water," Kate Reed said.
The day brought out a group of young St. John youths with a mission.
Charlie Garland, 11, was hanging out with his sister, Lexi Garland, 9, and Nadia Dukin, 10. They all said they were there to learn more about the environment, but Lexi added that she wants to help get rid of the lionfish that are threatening the territory’s marine environment.
Charlie was out to save the earth, he said.
"I want to end world hunger," he said, adding that he helped by sending aid to Haiti’s earthquake victims.
He also wants to work with alternative energy, and, of course, there was the fact that this was a party.
"I like to go to all parties that support the earth," he said.
