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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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VIERS Science Camp a Big Hit with Students

Viers campers examine coral at science camp.Snorkeling won hands down as the favorite activity for a group of teens and almost-teens who gathered this week at the V.I. Environmental Resource Station for one of two science camps held at the Lameshur Bay facility.

“I saw squid and all kinds of stuff,” said St. Thomas resident Jendahye Antoine, 15, a student at Charlotte Amalie High School.

The 20 students at this week’s camp arrived Monday and will leave Friday. Another science camp for 28 youths ages 12 to 16 will be held next week, wrapping up a summer that started with eco-camps for younger students. A total of 115 youths participated in the four eco-camps.

The science and eco camps are part of the Friends of V.I. National Park’s summer focus on the territory’s youths.

“This is nurturing the next generation of environmental stewards,” Friends development director Karen Vahling said.

In addition to those at the camps, the Friends also sponsored a summer jobs program under the Student Conservation Program umbrella that paid seven youths from St. Thomas and St. John to do various jobs at the park. It runs for six weeks.

Several of the youths at the science camp said they attended numerous eco-camps before they got old enough for science camp.

“I’ve been coming here for four years, and I was hoping my friends came along. And I want to meet new friends too,” Marc Cavagnaro, 13 and a St. Thomas resident who attends Antilles School, said.

Another Antilles student, Alex Whitter, 13, of St. Thomas said his favorite part of the week was stargazing on the beach.

“I saw a couple of shooting stars,” he said.

Some of the days included classroom lectures by California State University, Northridge, professor Peter Edmunds and his crew as well as laboratory work under their direction.

“I liked looking at organisms under microscopes,” said Hannah Tonin, 14, a Good Hope Country Day student from St. Croix.

For Solana Suazo, 14, a St. Thomas resident who attends Antilles School, attending the science camp added to the environmental ethic she learned at home.

“I’m learning about the environment and caring about it,” she said.

Omori Wade, 16, a Charlotte Amalie student from St. Thomas, said he wants to be a marine biologist.

“I’m learning about the animals in the ocean and the different corals,” he said.

Derek Coleman, a 14-year-old student at St. Thomas’ Zion Assembly, said he enjoyed the camp because he likes nature.

“I always want to know about the ocean and sea life,” he said.

The students impressed both Edmunds, who is in his 28th year of monitoring corals on St. John, and VIERS administrator Randy Brown.

“I’m really surprised at the level of questions they ask, and their attentiveness,” Brown said.

Alas, even the most fun summer weeks have a downside.

“I can’t wake up early enough,” Zohar Sofer-Greer, 14, a St. John resident who attends Gifft Hill School.

A few other students agreed that it was hard to get up in the morning, but others said the 10 p.m. bed time was either too early or too late.

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