Friends April Newsletter
This month’s newsletter celebrates the laughter of children in the new playground which opened last month. It was a wonderful reminder of how so much of what we do is focused on embracing a love of life, believing in possibilities, and working towards a hopeful future.
It is not uncommon to hear a recollection of what life on St. John used to be like among residents and longtime visitors. Likewise, common are conversations expressing creative ideas about what St. John needs. In between are anecdotal accounts of what life is like today. In an effort to better understand the economic and social impact of the park, Friends commissioned a study: Economic Profile of St. John, US Virgin Islands, of current published information that revealed a number of data gaps and some startling statistics. In the coming year we aim to commission additional studies and develop plans that examine issues like visitation and further address the economic and social impact of the park on St. John, and the broader VI community.
In this month of April, we celebrate Earth Day with beach cleanups, tree giveaways, and our annual environment fair for local schools. Applications are open for Summer Trail Crew and for the Noble Samuel and Jeffrey Matheny scholarships as we build a future for the next generation!
