The Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service (VIMAS) has just implemented its Mangrove Planting Project at two schools on St. Thomas: Lockhart Elementary School and Addelita Cancryn Junior High School. The project recruits K-12 students to help rebuild red mangrove forests on St. Thomas, 50-75 percent of which have been lost to development over the last century. It was initiated at the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies (CMES) by Howard Forbes Jr., VIMAS St. Thomas Coordinator, and Jarvon Stout, a VIMAS research assistant.
The design is really simple,” said Stout. “We are using reclaimed 16 oz. water bottles, pushpins, binder clips and red mangrove seedlings. But the goal is big. By asking young kids to take responsibility for the growth of the seedlings, we are hoping to instill a lasting sense of duty within the next generation of environmental stewards.”
More information is available in a news release on the UVI website – http://www.uvi.edu/ - and from this direct link.