Good Morning, Good Morning. And a very happy Earth Day to you all! We certainly have cause to celebrate nature’s beauty on this lovely little island in the gorgeous Caribbean Sea. Whether you live on island, or just love to visit, we can all agree that the natural eminence of St. John and our sister islands is cause to raise a glass. But today we have even more reason to celebrate than just the natural beauty that surrounds us. Because we have organizations on island that are committed to creating more sustainable living solutions on St. John in order to preserve the health of our gorgeous surroundings so that we can continue to soak them in for generations to come…
There are many organizations based on St. John that deserve a little round of applause for their ongoing efforts to preserve the natural beauty of this place and/or protect the natural resources and the flora and fauna that we all adore.
- Island Green Living
- Friends of Virgin Islands National Park
- Get Trashed St. John
- St. John Wildlife & Donkey Rescue
- Carolina Corral
- St. John Land Conservancy
And I’m sure I’m missing a few here! Additionally, the list of individuals who dedicate themselves to sustainability and conservation efforts on this tiny little island is far too lengthy to even begin. But I want you all to know, we see you. And we appreciate you. Thank you!
But today, on Earth Day, I draw my focus to Island Green Living. For starters, because they are currently in the midst of their Annual Earth Day Fundraising Raffle that could land you and up to five of your favorite travel buddies on St. John for a week! Secondly, and most importantly, because they educate about, promote and operate programs on St. John that YOU can use in order to be a more responsible traveler and help US keep Love City beautiful!
It really isn’t that difficult to make a small impact on sustainability while you are visiting us. However, it is much easier to make a negative impact, and we rely on the kindness and compassion of each of our visitors to dedicate a bit of their vacation planning time to help keep this place clean. We hope that you will practice the same efforts that many of our environmentally conscious community members also do. Many of which are in place or readily accessible because of Island Green Living!
Let’s start simple…With a packing list! There are a few items you can bring along with you that will help create a teeny tiny footprint instead of a Sasquatch sized one 🙂
- Reusable insulated cups and water bottles– If you like your drinks to remain cold in this Caribbean heat, this one has a double bonus! If you aren’t able to bring one along with you, pop by the Little Things across from the ferry dock to pick up a very unique souvenir cup or bottle…Or both!
- Shopping Bags- YES, plastic shopping bags are actually illegal in the territory, much part in thanks to Island Green and their partners’ efforts! Always bring a few grocery bags along on your travels in order to avoid a disorganized end to your provisioning run. I very much enjoy the insulated cooler bags which can double as a beach cooler AND a carry on!
- Reef Safe Sunscreen- You know what’s also illegal in the USVI that Island Green also helped to create the legislation for? Sunscreen containing ANY of the Toxic Three O’s (oxybenzone, octinoxate, and octocrylene). If any of these are in your sunscreen, they aren’t good for you and they certainly are not good for our under the sea friends. A good rule of thumb when selecting your sunscreen is to check the active ingredients. If there is anything other than Zinc or Titanium Dioxide, DON’T bring it along! (Here is a good buying guide for USVI safe sunscreens!)
Up next, how you can help contribute to a sustainable St. John while you are visiting:
- RECYCLE- Yes, we have a recycling program on St. John. Also yes, it is run entirely by Island Green Living and their partners and is fully funded by non-profit dollars. So, simply by entering the raffle, you are helping push this along. But while you are visiting, you can help reduce the amount of plastic and aluminum trash in our landfills (and oceans!). Plastic numbers 1, 2 and 5 and all aluminum cans are accepted by Island Green’s Recycling Program and you can drop them at the separate bins at the dumpsters located across from EC Gas Station and Love City Mini-Mart or on Gifft Hill. You can also drop them on site at the ReSource Depot located behind the VITEMA building. Which leads me to my next mention….
- Utilize the ReSource Depot- As visitors, there are a few ways you can support sustainability on St. John with a quick visit to our island’s only secondhand store.
- Drop your gear at the end of your trip- Any floats, coolers, snorkel gear, beach chairs, etc., that are still in good shape can find a new home that isn’t in our landfills if you drop it by the ReSource Depot!
- Shop at the beginning of your trip- You never know what unique treasures you might find to memorialize your trip at our lil thrift store. Unique, St. John centric shirts, sun shirts (UV protection), rain jackets, umbrellas, beach chairs, locally made jewelry are all things that I have personally seen on hand at the ReSource Depot. Make this your first shopping excursion of the trip and you never know what you might find! I KNOW how much money you’ll save though 🙂
Now, how can you support sustainability on St. John today? Buy your raffle tickets of course! As the winner of this AMAZING prize package, you’ll be sitting in the lap of luxury at this incredible beach front villa with up to five of your bestest travel buddies for an entire week!
Artistic Villas’ Beach Villa, generously donated by Donald and Deborah Schnell, is a spacious, five-bedroom oceanfront sanctuary with a private masonry pool and hot tub…Right on the beach in Great Cruz Bay! Here, you’ll experience absolute serenity amidst the orchids, tropical greenery and sculpture garden with a tropical fish pond.
Inside this incredible villa that YOU could call home for a week, you’ll find Donald Schnell’s artful touches, from lighting to ceramic detailing, thoughtfully placed throughout the property. The great room is open on three sides, welcoming in sea breezes and the sound of the waves on the nearby beach. Each of the guest suites have their own private entrance and private balcony to take in the colors of the sunset and the boats moving in and out of Great Cruz Bay Harbor.
On the first morning, you’ll wake up to the smell of a delicious breakfast wafting through the main living area as Chef Vincent Alterio (STJ Speakeasy) and his team create an incredible welcome meal for you and your group of up to six guests. Afterwards, they’ll clean the kitchen while you hop into your four-door rental Jeep, courtesy of Bougainvillea Leasing, to take a quick 10-15 minute drive to your favorite St. John beach.
Oh, and how did you get to this tropical paradise? With $2K in flight vouchers courtesy of the USVI Department of Tourism! Another huge upgrade to this year’s Island Green Living Earth Day Raffle that includes up to SIX guests instead of the trip for two from previous years.
In addition to a seven-night luxury stay, a Jeep rental, $2K in flight vouchers and a gourmet welcome breakfast in your villa, the winner of this prize package will also enjoy on-island dining via gift certificates to some truly amazing and unique restaurants!
- $150 at La Tapa Plage – Renowned Mediterranean cuisine on the Cruz Bay Waterfront in Wharfside Village.
- $150 at Ocean 362 – “Island to Table” dining with sunset views at Gallows Point Resort.
- $100 at Sam & Jack’s – Gourmet deli for grab and go (or dine-in) breakfast and lunch and take & bake dinners at the Marketplace.
- $100 at Paulie’s Luncheonette – Casual lunch with amazing sandwiches and water views in the Cruz Bay Lumberyard.
- $100 at Cruz Bay Landing – First stop, last stop! Drinks, breakfast, lunch and dinner across from the ferry dock in Cruz Bay.
- $200 at Lime Out – The iconic floating taco boat in Coral Bay.
Oh, and how will you get to Lime Out you ask? Well, the lucky winner will also get a few fun activity packages…Including a two-hour Lime Out Taco Run:
- Two-hour private TACO Run for up to 12 guests aboard Salt Deck with Salty Daze Charters USVI.
- $250 to be used toward any available sail on Kekoa, recipient of Trip Advisor’s 2020 Travelers Choice Award.
And for those in your party who would rather shop til they drop than sail or float the day away…
- $100 gift card to Jolly Dog at Isola Shops in Coral Bay
- $100 gift card to Bamboula at Mongoose Junction in Cruz Bay
- $200 gift card to Caravan Gallery at Mongoose Junction in Cruz Bay
And last, but certainly not least, you and your travel friends will get a voluntourism opportunity and private tour of Island Green Living’s ReSource Depot. And this is certainly what this raffle is all about. YES, you could win a vacation package filled with priceless memories and valued at over $13K. But the valuable dollars spent on each and every one of the tickets during this annual fundraiser keeps the essential sustainability programs going on St. John. Keeping Love City cleaner, greener and a generally better place to live…and vacation!
So, head on over to Island Green Living’s website to purchase your tickets today. Tickets are one for $50, six for $250 and 25 for $1000. But if that seems steep to you, I want to remind each and every one of you that all but one of the past winners won this vacation package with the purchase of ONE $50 ticket. The drawing will take place via live stream from the ReSource Depot on Island Green Living’s Facebook page in early May.
Go ahead, buy your tickets! Good luck to you all and THANK YOU for supporting this incredible organization.