Eager and excited students enjoyed the beauty of St. George Village Botanical Gardens this week and learned from local agencies how to keep St. Croix’s environment healthy.
For the last 21 years, the St. Croix Environmental Association has hosted the annual Earth Day EcoFair for local students. This year’s theme is “Green Cities, Green Islands.”
Maria Edwards, a third-grade teacher at Lew Muckle Elementary School, said her students were really excited. “The fair is a great experience for the students,” Edwards said. “They need to know about and pay attention to our environment, especially since they live on an island.”
“This is a good age to inform and make them aware of protecting the environment,” she said. 
Their excitement was evident as they jumped and squealed, trying to catch or dodge sponges thrown by a child acting as the sun. Other students portrayed the earth, atmosphere and gases that were bombarded with solar radiation. Jen Travis, from the Friends of St. Croix East End Marine Park, led the children in the lively activity.
Naturalist Veronica Gordon, who gives the students walking tours of the gardens every year, said it is great to see the students are retaining the given information. Students that recall her talks from previous years have the honor of being her assistants on their walk.
On the 20-minute tour of the grounds, she points out local trees such as the cashew. She says there are a lot of students who are surprised there are cashews on St. Croix. She takes the students to the herb gardens and has them taste bay rum leaves.
Naturalist Olasee Davis, a University of the Virgin Islands Extension Service professor, also gave a walking lecture on the ecosystem, and naturalist and island tour guide Ras Lamumba walked and talked with the students about the gardens.
Marcia Taylor, from Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service, told the students about the bioluminescence bay at Salt River. She said it amazes her that the locals aren’t aware of the special bays on St. Croix.
At the National Park Service tent the children learned about sea turtles and why they are endangered through playing an interactive team game.
Nelson Velazquez, an 8-year-old from Alfredo Andrews School, said he learned how to protect turtles and how important it is to not hurt the turtles.
V.I. Energy Office representatives displayed mechanical toys powered by the sun, and the V.I. Water and Power Authority had a gentleman telling about water quality testing and lab work. The Department of Parks and Natural Resources had a diorama set up to show students about runoff and erosion.
Emily Wetson, SEA education coordinator and organizer of the fair, said they had 623 students registered. The number of presenters was down from years past, but she said they had a few new ones this year. “The kids were very enthusiastic and really exited to participate,” she said.
Participating schools included Alfredo Andrews Elementary, Good Hope Country Day, Eulalie Rivera Elementary, Evelyn M. Williams Elementary, Pearle B. Larsen Elementary and Lew Muckle Elementary.
The fair was sponsored by Tibbar Energy, WAPA, Seven Seas Water and SEA.
The following participating agencies offered a hands-on activity and/or an interactive presentation: DPNR Department of Environmental Protection’s Water Pollution Program; Friends of the East End Marine Park; National Park Service; Seven Seas Water Corp.; St. Croix East End Marine Park; St. Croix Environmental Association; St. George Village Botanical Gardens; Tibbar Energy USVI; Caribbean Lion Fish Response; UVI Center for Marine and Environmental Studies; the St. George Village Children’s Garden; UVI Cooperative Extension Services; V.I. Energy Office; V.I. Waste Management Authority; Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service; and WAPA.
