June 6, 2006–Workshops on how island residents relate to the water around them are planned for each of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Fishermen, water quality analysts, waste management contractors, seafood lovers and beach goers are among the types of people the workshops are targeting.
"We want to learn from and enlighten all types of people," said Roy Watlington, University of the Virgin Islands oceanography professor and sub-regional coordinator of the Caribbean Regional Association for Integrated Ocean Observing Systems.
The program is being developed through a partnership among CaRA, UVI, the University of Puerto Rico, and stakeholders throughout the region.
"Our intent is to have the organization run not by scientists or professors but by the people," Watlington said.
The first workshop will be held on St. Croix on June 12 at the Florence Williams Library in Christiansted. The second is on St. John on June 14 at the Nazareth Lutheran Church Parish Hall. The workshops wrap up on St. Thomas on June 16 at the Department of Planning and Natural Resources Conference Room, second floor, Cyril E. King Airport. All workshops take place from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
For more information about the Caribbean Regional Association or the upcoming stakeholder workshops, please contact UVI's Elizabeth Ban at 642-4290 or eban@uvi.edu, or Professor Roy Watlington at 693-1391or rwatlin@uvi.edu.
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