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Trip Number: 12409A
Price: $1,245
Deposit: $200
Capacity: 12
Staff: Francy Rubin
Highlights:
- Snorkel in warm Caribbean waters
- Explore and hike Virgin Islands National Park
- Help the National Park Service with trail and historic site maintenance
Includes:
- Shared accommodations in a rustic eco-camp for six nights
- Mornings of meaningful work and afternoons to explore the island and
its waters
- Half-day boat trip to special snorkel sites
- All meals and transportation on St. John
The Trip
Photo: John Doidge
The Virgin Islands National Park is located mostly on and around St. John,
the smallest of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The park encompasses three-fourths
of the island, making St. John one of the most non-commercialized of all the
Caribbean islands. This mountainous island boasts a vast and diverse ecology,
with more than 800 species of plants. Here, tropical forests are ringed by white-sand
beaches and coral reefs with colorful fish and waving, exotic fans.
The Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) is situated at the
base of Bordeaux Mountain on the southeast shore of St. John within walking
distance of the beautiful beaches at Lameshur Bay. It lies within the boundaries
of the Virgin Islands National Park and United Nations (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve,
both of which offer protection for the various pristine habitats.
A remote and rustic eco-camp, VIERS is committed to providing environmental
education to the islands of the Caribbean through many different programs and
seminars. A series of trails leading to historic sugar estates, bay rum distilleries,
petroglyphs, geologically significant rock formations, and idyllic beaches are
maintained by the park and can be accessed from VIERS. At VIERS, you are "in
nature." Here you are part of the ecosystem, just minutes from a mountaintop
hike or a swim in the Caribbean Sea.
The Project
Our projects will be helping the National Park Service, which could include
trail maintenance, clearing vegetation from walking and hiking paths, beach
clearing for turtle nesting, or uncovering historic sugar plantations and mill
ruins. We will work on projects during our mornings. After lunch, we will have
time to explore this gorgeous island. On work days, when possible, we will combine
our on-island work-travel with our afternoon play-travel. We will sometimes
make use of local, island taxis and safari trucks.
Itinerary
Photo: Sarah Stout
Day 1: Meet the group at the Cruz Bay, St. John, dock by 3
p.m. for the trip to the VIERS at Lameshur Bay on the southeastern side of the
island. The nearest major airport is on St. Thomas. Ferries from Charlotte Amalie
(nearest to the airport, but limited service) and from Red Hook (a 30-minute
taxi ride from the airport, but more frequent service to St. John) go to Cruz
Bay on St. John. There are many restaurants and small shops within walking distance
of the ferry terminal in Cruz Bay. Transportation to and from the ferry dock
to VIERS will be provided using island taxis or open-backed safari trucks. We'll
have a "get acquainted" get together and evening meal once we are
settled at VIERS.
Days 2-6: We will work on projects with the National Park
Service each morning. After lunch, the afternoons are free for hiking, swimming,
snorkeling, or relaxing. Our meals will be provided by the staff at VIERS. Evening
activities are low key; beach walks, stargazing, reading, games, and conversation
are a few examples. The Tektite museum and the book and film library will delight
historians and conservationists. We will have a private half-day snorkel trip
departing from the VIERS dock one afternoon. Our snorkel trip will be on a private
boat to interesting areas, which may include mangroves and deep-water canyons.
An evening conservation talk is a possibility.
Photo: John Doidge
Day 7: Today we'll pack up and clean our cabins as we prepare
to leave VIERS by late morning for Cruz Bay. Departing flights from St. Thomas
should be scheduled for 2 p.m. or later.
The leaders will make every reasonable effort to meet the goals outlined in
the itinerary. Please keep in mind that weather or other conditions beyond our
control may cause us to modify the itinerary in order to ensure the safety and
well-being of the group.
Getting There
The most direct way to get to St. John is via ferry from either Charlotte
Amalie (closest to airport) or from Red Hook (most frequent service and shortest
ferry ride). Participants traveling from outside of the Eastern Time Zone may
need to arrive in the islands one day early and overnight in Charlotte Amalie,
St. Thomas.
Accommodations and Food
Photo: Sarah Stout
We will have single-bed, dormitory-style accommodations at VIERS, a remote
and rustic eco-camp consisting of 18 buildings -- cabins, classroom, museum,
library, office, restrooms, outdoor showers, and a dining hall with kitchen.
The kitchen staff provides three meals a day in the dining hall. We will share
in the dishwashing and housekeeping responsibilities. Our first meal will be
dinner on day one. Our last meal will be breakfast on the day of departure.
Trip Difficulty
Our work projects range from moderate to fairly strenuous and the heat and
sun are taxing, but rest breaks are at your option, and no one is expected to
do more than he or she is comfortable with. The tropical environment, while
beautiful, is hot and humid, and contains biting insects and thorn scrub. Our
hikes will normally be 2-3 miles, but with the possibility of up to five miles.
Snorkelers should be competent swimmers and we will always use the buddy system
when snorkeling.
Equipment and Clothing
Lightweight hiking boots, shorts, and a T-shirt should be suitable for most
work projects and for afternoon trail hikes, but some projects may require a
long-sleeved cotton shirt and long cotton pants for protection from sun, bugs,
or thorns. Nylon clothing tends to rip in the thorn bushes. Also, bring a hat
with a brim and heavy work gloves.
Each participant must bring his or her own day pack and bottles/hydration system
for two liters of water. A more detailed packing list will be sent to confirmed
participants.
References
Photo: Sarah Stout
Maps:
- ITMB Publishing Ltd. "U.S. Virgin Islands: An International Travel
Map."
Books:
- Anderson, John Lorenzo, Night of the Silent Drums.
- Sullivan, Lynne, Adventure Guide to the Virgin Islands.
- Nellis, David W, Seashore Plants of the South Florida and the Caribbean.
- Raffaele, Herbert, A Guide to the Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands.
- Kaplan, Eugene H. Peterson, Field Guides' Coral Reefs: Caribbean and
Florida.
- Kaplan, Eugene H. Peterson, Field Guides' Seashores: Southeastern and
Caribbean.
Conservation
VIERS is operated by Clean Islands International, a U.S. non-profit, non-governmental
environmental organization dedicated to providing educational and technical
assistance to Caribbean island communities for the preservation of their environment.
Among other projects, they run special experimental studies on water conservation
and solar energy. Our trip to St. John will allow us to see the benefits of
an island that is over 60% national park, and we will see close-up the issues
caused by donkeys and chickens running wild. Waters around St. John are threatened
by Lion Fish invaders, and we will be on the lookout for this predatory fish
during our snorkeling expeditions.
Trip Price
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details
about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy.
The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
Staff
Leader:
Francy Rubin is an early retired physical therapist/athletic trainer who loves having time to spend outdoors. She is a strong believer in the concept of "giving back," and has lived this motto through activities ranging from weekly trail maintenance on the Appalachian Trail to five years spent volunteering in Mexico. She now serves as a volunteer Sierra Club leader for trips across the United States and in the Caribbean. Come join her in nature!
E-mail: tomtroyfrancy@yahoo.com
Assistant Leader:
Tom Brown has a lifetime of outdoor experience. He is a bicyclist, hiker, fisherman, and skier. Tom is a certified snow skiing instructor, certified in Wilderness First Aid, and he's active as a trail maintainer on the Appalachian Trail in his home state of Virginia. Tom has a passion for sharing the outdoors with others and believes that the best way to instill a spirit of conservation is simply to spend time with nature.
E-mail: emailtombrown@gmail.com
General Notes About Sierra Club Trips