USVI Earth Day March And Celebration Planned For April 22

The USVI Earth Day March and Celebration joins three events organized for Washington D.C. and hundreds of other communities across the country: the 2017 Earth Day Campaign, the March for Science, and the People’s Climate March. In the territory, the events will be held on April 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on St. Thomas and St. Croix.

The theme for the 2017 Earth Day is Environmental & Climate Literacy. The March for Science champions robustly-funded and publicly-communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity. The People’s Climate March focuses attention on social, economic, and climate justice.

The 2017 USVI Earth Day March & Celebration includes several activities on St. Thomas and St. Croix that stand in solidarity with the themes, missions and goals of the sister organizations campaigning in Washington D.C. and elsewhere this Earth Day. Feature will beb earth day marches, science talks and demonstrations, and contests for kites made from recycled materials on both islands.

Earth Day marches will proceed from the event staging areas (Addelita Cancryn Jr. High School soccer field on St. Thomas and Ft. Frederik Park on St. Croix). The St. Croix march route will begin at Ft. Frederik Park (north of Ft. Frederik). The walk will proceed along streets of Frederiksted and the Frederiksted harbor, and back to Ft. Frederik Park. The St. Thomas march route will proceed from the Cancryn School soccer field through Frenchtown to Veterans Highway, along the Charlotte Amalie Harbor and back to Cancryn School. Drinking water will be provided, but no single use water bottles will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles. Roadside, park and beach cleanup activities will be undertaken along the march routes, therefore organizers are encouraging participants to walk with gloves. Garbage bags will be provided and trash bins by the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority.

Back at Ft. Frederik Park and Cancryn School soccer field, scientists will inform participants through talks and demonstrations, and we will have a contest for kites made from recycled materials. Kites may be made in advance, or be made at craft tables set up for participants to make their own kites at the event. Prizes will be awarded for best kites, judged on the amount of recycled materials used, creativity, and ability of the kite to fly.

In addition to the recycle kite contests, organizers have invited student classrooms, church and youth organizations to enter a contest for posters or performances around the 2017 Earth-Day theme: Environmental and Climate Literacy or the themes of the March for Science or Peoples Climate March. Posters and performances will be judged on the following categories: Creativity in interpreting the 2017 Earth Day themes, public education value, entertainment value, and number of participants. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Organizations participating in the 2017 USVI Earth Day Events include: Virgin Islands Conservation Society, Environmental Association of St. Thomas St. John (EAST), St. Croix Environmental Association (SEA), University of the Virgin Islands, EPSCOR, VIMAS, VI Waste Management Authority, Coral World, and Scoops & Brew.

For more information on St. Croix, contact Antonio Farchette; Ph. 340.277.0286, or email [email protected]. On St. Thomas, contact Jason Budsan; Ph. 340.626.9007; Email [email protected]