The Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park is a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of the natural and cultural resources of Virgin Islands National Park (Park) and promotes the responsible enjoyment of this unique national treasure.
January
January 4, Wed. 2:00pm – 4:00pm – Pepper Sauce Making – Learn the art of making your own hot sauce with popular pepper man Trinidad Charlie. He’ll teach you the process from pepper collection to seasoning your sauce and take you on a tour of his lush tropical garden.
Meet: Bethany Moravian Church parking lot Bring: Notebook
Seminar Fee: $35 Mem / $45 Non Mem Max Group: 15
January 5, Thu. 12:30pm – 2:30pm– Native Arts & Crafts – Delroy “Ital” Anthony walks you through the collection and creation of crafts made from materials found right here on St. John. Learn about historical uses of the items that he continues to create in the same way they have been made for generations.
Meet: School of the Arts
Seminar Fee: $35 Mem / $45 Non Mem Max Group: 25
January 7, Sat. 9:00am - 12:00pm – Native Plant and Bird Hike - The trail guide, Dr. Gary Ray, will lead guests on a relatively short hiking tour that visits four habitats in the area of Salt Pond Bay. Tour dry scrub thickets, the sand strand and coral cobble intertidal communities of Salt Pond Bay and Drunk Bay, a salt pond wetland, and a semi-arid cactus community. This field seminar will explore ecological interactions of these near pristine locales.
Meet: Salt Pond Parking lot
Bring: Sunscreen, hat, plenty of water, lunch, and binoculars Seminar Fee: $45 Mem / $55 Non Mem
Max Group: 25
January 8, Sun. 10:00am-1:00pm & February 5, Sun. 10:00am-1:00pm - Pastels Workshop I&II - Learn the technique of pastels as you create tropical landscapes at Caneel Bay under the instruction of renowned local artist Livy Hitchcock.
Meet: Caneel Bay parking lot
Bring: Drinking water, snack, and wear old clothes Seminar Fee: $75 Mem / $85 Non Mem
Max Group: 5
January 11, Wed. 9:30am – 2:00pm – Park Critter Crawl - Take a trip down the Reef Bay Trail with reptile expert Dr. Renata Plattenberg from the Division of Fish and Wildlife. She will help you to find and identify the hidden creatures and critters that are all around you if you just take the time to look.
Meet: NPS Visitor Center
Bring: Notebook, water, and lunch
January 15, Sun. 10:00am – 2:00pm and March 23, Fri. 10:00am – 2:00pm - Hassel Island
Tour I&II - Kayak from Frenchtown to historic Hassel Island with VI Ecotours on a historical trip past Danish and British colonial ruins and Careening Cove. Once on land you will hike past Fort Willoughby, a British fort from the Napoleonic era, and visit the Garrison House, the Creque Marine Railway, and Shipley Battery or Cowell Battery. Trip includes lunch and drinks.
Meet: Frenchtown, St. Thomas
Bring: Swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, dry bag, and hiking shoes Seminar Fee: $85 Mem / $95 Non Mem
Max Group: 12
January 18, Wed. 9:00am – 1:00pm – Birds of the Park – Tour the North Shore by safari, stopping along the way to view native and seasonal birds in their natural habitat. NPS Ranger Laurel Brannick will teach you about bird calls, mating seasons, and the seasonal patterns of the birds you find.
Meet: National Park Visitor Center Bring: Binoculars, water, and a notebook Seminar Fee: $55 Mem / $65 Non Mem Max Group: 20
January 24, Tue. 10:00am- 3:00pm - Archeology Boat Trip – View St. John’s coastline aboard the m/v Low Key while traveling through a presentation of the island’s pre-history with NPS Archeologist Ken Wild.
Meet: National Park Visitor Center Dock
Bring: Snorkel gear, lunch, water, towel, and sunscreen Seminar Fee: $85 Mem / $95 Non Mem
Max Group: 18
January 26, Thur. 10:00am – 12:00pm – Caribbean Creole – Dr. Gilbert Sprauve, local linguist and retired teacher, takes you on a journey through the origin and use of Caribbean Creole languages. He will show you how they relate to one another, how their grammatical structure relates back to the root languages, and he will also go over his recent research on the last speaker of Dutch Creole.
Meet: School of the Arts
Bring: Notebook
Seminar Fee: $25 Mem / $35 Non Mem Max Group: 25
January 28, Sat. 11:30am- 12:30pm, 12:30-1:30pm, and 1:30-2:30pm- Recycled Glass Blowing- Allow resident Maho Bay Glassblower Greg Lee to teach you the art of glass blowing. Create your own recycled paperweights to take home with you.
February
February 1, Wed. 10:00am – 2:00pm – Batik Class – Learn the technique of using wax resist and dye to create layered designs on recycled cloth, from Maho Bay Textile Artist, Annalisa Jensen. Take your recycled creations home with you!
Meet: Maho Bay Camps Art Center
Wear: Close-toed shoes and an apron or old clothing Seminar Fee: $65 Mem / $75 Non Mem
Max Group: 6 (2 minimum)
February 7, Tue. 6:00pm - 8:00pm – Full Moon Drum Circle - Join master drummer Eddie Bruce for a night of ethnic drumming in celebration of the full moon. Learn about the history of the art of drumming and the ritual drumming techniques of both West African and Afro- Caribbean cultures.
Meet: National Park Visitor Center Bring: A drum if you have one
Seminar Fee: $25 Mem / $35 Non Mem Max Group: 20
February 8, Wed. 1:00pm – 4:00pm and March 7, Wed. 1:00pm - 4:00pm – Treasures of the Virgin Islands I & II – Immerse yourself at Rare Earth Studio with Ivanne Farr, jeweler and gemologist, on a journey into gemology and jewelry making. Learn about local, regional & global mineral specimens and gems. Enjoy the opportunity to touch and feel Virgin Islands/ Caribbean minerals and volcanic specimens. Become a jewelry designer, and take home your own gemstone and information about your own birthstone.
Meet: Charlotte Amalie Waterfront at R & J Latte Bring: Energy and creativity
Seminar Fee: $55 Mem / $65 Non Mem
Max Group: 12
February 11, Sat. 9:00am -1:00pm – Botanical and Historical Hike - Local botanist Eleanor Gibney will lead you on a botanical and historical hike along the Leinster Bay trail to the Murphys’ Great House, highlighting the land uses of the area in the 1950’s and the seashore vegetation along the trail.
Meet: Annaberg parking lot
Bring: Sunscreen, hat, lunch, water, and hiking shoes Seminar Fee: $45 Mem / $55 Non Mem
Max Group: 25
Meet: National Park Visitor Center
Bring: Lunch, water, sunscreen, and snorkel gear Seminar Fee: $75 Mem / $85 Non Mem
Max Group: 18
February 18, Sat. 10:00am – 12:00pm – Build Green- Learn about green building, traditional West Indian wooden cottages, landscaping with native vegetation, solar power, net metering, water conservation, composting, organic gardening and solar oven bread making, all available in the Virgin Islands from Doug White. Spend a day at Doug and Leslie White’s sustainable home on East End, Stoney Point, learning how to make your existing home more efficient or how to make your future home a sustainable and environmentally-sensitive masterpiece.
Meet: Skinny Legs Restaurant to carpool Bring: Notebook, building plans, and ideas Seminar Fee: $35 Mem / $45 Non Mem Max Group: 20
February 19, Sun. 9:00am -3:00pm- Marine Biology Sail – Enjoy a guided sail aboard the s/v Kekoa and snorkel through the underwater treasures of St. John’s reefs with NPS marine biologist Jeff Miller.
Meet: National Park Visitor Center dock
Possible Destinations: Waterlemon Cay, Congo/ Lovango, Honeymoon Bay Bring: Snorkel gear, lunch, water, towel, and sunscreen
Seminar Fee: $85 Mem / $95 Non Mem
Max Group: 30
February 22, Wed. 10:00am – 12:00pm – Heritage Exhibit Tour – Join Ken Wild and his interns as they take you on a guided tour of the recently created Heritage Education Station & Archeology Lab. Allow Ken and his interns to take you through prehistory and the significance of the archeological sites around the island.
Meet: Cinnamon Bay parking lot
Bring: Notebook
Seminar Fee: $25 Mem / $35 Non Mem Max Group: 30
February 24, Fri. 10:00am – 1:00pm and April 15, Sun. 10:00am- 1:00pm - Kayak Caneel Bay I&II- Enjoy a guided kayak excursion with VI Ecotours along the fabulous turquoise waters of both Scott and Paradise beaches. Finish your excursion with a hike through a picturesque tropical forest at Turtle Point.
Meet: Caneel Bay parking lot
Bring: Swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, dry bag, and hiking shoes
Seminar Fee: $75 Mem / $85 Non Mem Max Group: 15
February 25, Sat. 7:30pm - 9:00pm – Leap Year Stars – Join astro-mythologist Kelley Hunter with Rich Geengold on telescope for an inspiring blend of mythology and modern
astrophysics under the tropical night sky. Star gazers will see planets, red, white and blue stars, and trace constellation shapes.
Meet: Estate Concordia Pavilion
Bring: Blanket, flashlight, pillow, and binoculars (if you have them) Seminar Fee: $35 Mem / $45 Non Mem
Max Group: 35
March
March 3, Sat. 10:00am - 3:00pm and March 10, Sat. 10:00am-3:00pm - Tropical Garden Tour I&II – Tour four very different island gardens with local gardening enthusiast Irene Patton. Learn how to incorporate tropical garden design, integrate native plants and how to
conserve water and soil in your own garden. Tour includes professionally-designed and homeowner-designed gardens and a Friends visor.
Meet: Friends of the Park Store
Bring: Lunch, reusable water bottle, and sunscreen. Seminar Fee: $45 Mem / $55 Non Mem
Max Group: 20
March 8, Thu. 6:30pm-9:00pm – Full Moon Hike – Hike to the top of Ram Head during the full moon while you explore the southernmost point of St. John with Audrey Penn, Friends Program Manager. On your hike you will learn about the fascinating natural and cultural history that exists in this part of St. John.
Meet: Salt pond parking lot
Bring: Hiking shoes, flashlight, snack, and water Seminar Fee: $35 Mem / $45 Non Mem
Max Group: 20
March 11, Sun. 9:00am – 11:00am –Historical Walking Tour – Explore the historical district of down town Charlotte Amalie with local historian Felipe Ayala Jr. Tour the 99 steps and other culturally significant areas ending in a tour of the St. Thomas Historical Trust Museum.
Meet: Blackbeards Castle
Bring: Notebook and water
Seminar Fee: $35 Mem / $45 Non Mem Max Group: 25
March 14, Wed. 10:00am – 12:00pm – Investigating Island Burials – Learn about our future through our history. Look at human skeletal remains and listen to the cultural lore with Kourtney Donohue, NPS Assistant Archeologist, and Chela Thomas, Archeology Intern, as they present their findings on island burial traditions and an investigation into the Osteological analysis of their remains.
Meet: Cinnamon Bay Parking Lot Bring: Notebook
Seminar Fee: $25 Mem / $35 Non Mem Max Group: 30
March 17, Sat. 12:30pm – 4:00pm - Sea Turtle Sail - Sail the Castaway Girl II to Buck Island, St. Thomas with a National Park guide and swim with the many green and hawksbill turtles that make Buck Island their home year round.
Meet: Charlotte Amalie waterfront, St. Thomas
Bring: Sunscreen, hat, snack, snorkel gear, and swimsuit Seminar Fee: $75 Mem / $85 Non Mem
Max Group: 30
March 21, Wed. 12:30pm – 2:30pm – Medicinal Herbs – Delroy “Ital” Anthony will tantalize your palate and refresh your soul with an investigation into the natural benefits of native herbs found throughout the Caribbean. Sip on local beverages as you experience the smells and tastes of many of the plants first-hand.
Meet: School of the Arts
Bring: Notebook
Seminar Fee: $35 Mem / $45 Non Mem Max Group: 25
March 25, Sun. 8:00am - 12:00pm - Tropical Light Photography – Travel through the Park with renowned photographer, Steve Simonsen, as he shows you how to creatively capture the awe-inspiring beauty of the Park, highlighting the rich feature set common with today’s digital cameras.
Meet: Friends of the Park Store
Bring: Bring camera and manual, batteries, memory cards, water, and notebook Seminar Fee: $45 Mem / $55 Non Mem
Max Group: 15
March 31, Sat. 1:00pm – 4:00pm – Taino Pottery Making – Gail Van de Bogurt local artist and owner of Maho Bay Clay Works walks you through the steps of making your own Taino style pottery. Your class will end with a Zemi firing demonstration.
Meet: Maho Bay Camps Art Center
Wear: Close-toed shoes and an apron or old clothing Seminar Fee: $55 Mem / $65 Non Mem
Max Group: 8 (4 minimun)
April
April 1, Sun. 9:00am - 12:00pm- Tropical Gardening – Start your spring garden with Irene Patton. Take part in a hands-on gardening class emphasizing water conservation, organic pest control, garden design, and composting.
Meet: Friends of the Park Store
Bring: Hat, sturdy shoes, ideas/experiences, and lunch. Seminar Fee: $35 Mem / $45 Non Mem
Max Group: 15
April 4, Wed. 1:00pm - 3:00pm – Ethnic Drumming - Join master drummer Eddie Bruce for a class on ethnic drumming. Learn about the history of the art of drumming and the ritual drumming techniques of both West African and Afro-Caribbean cultures.
Meet: St. John School of the Arts Bring: A drum if you have one
Seminar Fee: $25 Mem / $35 Non Mem Max Group: 20
April 7, Sat. 10:00am-3:00pm - Kayak the Mangroves of Hurricane Hole - Kayak with local scientist Barry Devine and Arawak Expeditions through the Coral Reef National Monument, stop along the way to snorkel in the mangroves and sea grass beds. Lunch is included in this trip!
Meet: Skinny Legs Restaurant to carpool
Bring: Snorkel gear, water, towel, and sunscreen Seminar Fee: $65 Mem / $75 Non Mem
Max Group: 12
April 11, Wed. 2:00pm-5:00pm – The History of Steel Pan- Practice your cords and a short composition while learning from Samuel Lawrence, one of the lead pan players from the famous WITCO Desperadoes steel band from Trinidad (the birthplace of the steel pan). Learn the art and history behind steel pan creation while you immerse yourself in the beauty of the music.
Meet: Pan Dragons Panyard
Bring: Notebook and snack
Seminar Fee: $65 Mem / $75 Non Mem Max Group: 20
April 18, Wed. 9:00am - 3:00pm – Fish Identification Sail – Become a citizen scientist on board the s/v Calypso learning how to identify fish with NPS Ranger Laurel Brannick. Join the REEF fish count and keep your REEF kit to continue to help the REEF fish ID program.
Meet: Margarita Phil’s restaurant
Bring: Snorkel gear, lunch, water, towel, and sunscreen Seminar Fee: $85 Mem / $95 Non Mem
Max Group: 30
Meet: National Park Visitor Center
Bring: Snorkel gear, towel, sunscreen, and snack Cost: $85 Mem / $95 Non Mem
Max Group: 30
If you have ever attended any of these events you know what a great resource these seminars are for all involved. The Friends programs are dependant upon the generous contributions of all of us. Please check out their website and support the Friends efforts by contributing through one of their fundraisers (which are also quite fun!) or volunteer at the Park while on island. Both you and the Park will benefit by your support!
