The Virgin Islands Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. (V.I. RC&D) is pleased to congratulate the St. Croix International Year of the Reef Committee for their recent selection to receive a 2009 U.S. EPA Environmental Quality Award! This annual award is the highest recognition presented to the public by the U.S. EPA Region 2 office, which includes New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The honor recognizes individuals and organizations in the region who have contributed significantly to improving the environment during the prior year. The St. Croix International Year of the Reef (IYOR) Committee formed under the umbrella of V.I. RC&D as a small, grass-roots group of environmental and marine professionals dedicated to bringing IYOR to the community at large. Committee members consisted of Karlyn Langjahr (Committee Coordinator; DPNR-CZM-St. Croix East End Marine Park), Emily Tyner (UVI-Marine Advisory Service), Melanie Feltmate (environmental educator), and Kim Ishida (marine scientist).

The goal of the St. Croix IYOR Committee was to raise community awareness about the various benefits of coral reefs to US Virgin Islanders and to expose underserved youth and adults to the marine environment. The St. Croix IYOR Committee provided community members with hands-on experiences in the marine environment to celebrate coral reefs for their human-associated values to the island community, in order to foster stewardship to generate public action and advocacy for these fragile resources.

Mobilizing with no start-up funding, the St. Croix IYOR Committee relied completely upon volunteer time and local donations and sponsorships to hold over 17 events during the year, including free snorkel clinics, educational movie nights, beach and underwater cleanups, and SCUBA certification for high school students, along with a St. Croix Reef Jam fundraiser and media outreach campaigns through radio public service announcements. They partnered with DPNR’s Division of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and St. Croix East End Marine Park (STXEEMP), The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), the St. Croix Environmental Association (SEA), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Virgin Islands Network of Environmental Educators (VINE) and other community groups.

St. Croix IYOR Committee members are still active in promoting coral reef education and conservation campaigns on St. Croix. 2009 activities include hosting of the 2nd annual St. Croix Reef Jam, a music festival and educational activities to be held on Sunday, May 24th at Rhythm’s at Rainbow Beach from 1:00-10:00 pm. Committee members have joined Reef Jam founders, Kurt & Janelle Schindler, to pursue the establishment of a 501(c)3 nonprofit to raise funds annually to support local coral reef education and conservation projects on St. Croix.

The Council has been recognized in the category of Non-Profit Organization, Environmental or Community Group. The Environmental Quality Award is the highest recognition presented to the public by the U.S. EPA Region 2 office. This award recognizes individuals & organizations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to protecting and enhancing environmental quality in Region 2. To be selected, nominees must have:

Congratulations & thank you to all the 2008 International Year of the Reef Planning Committee members & volunteers for all your hard work to garner this prestigious award!