St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, April 24, 2023 – Liberty Foundation partnered once again with Friends of Virgin Islands National Park (FOVINP) to help promote environmental protection and education efforts in the territory by providing volunteers for one of the activities during the organization’s 14th annual Earth Day celebration. The event took place on Friday, April 21, 2023 at Powell Park in St. John.
Liberty Foundation established the partnership with FOVINP in April 2022 with a donation of $15,000 to support the organization’s programs, which are aligned with the foundation’s pillar to support environmental protection. More recently, the organization also received a $10,000 grant to fund conservation efforts for the VI National Park.
“Our natural resources are increasingly in danger and we must take concrete actions to protect them,” said Bala Balakrishnan, general manager of Liberty USVI. “We partnered with FOVINP because we believe in the work they are doing to protect, preserve and educate about the importance of our environmental resources.”
Liberty VI employees were also present as volunteers during the celebration’s Earth Day Fair and Litter Stomp Parade to help raise awareness about the importance of protecting the territory’s natural resources among students and the community.
The Earth Day Celebration is an annual environmental fair organized by Friends of Virgin Islands National Park for school-age children in St. John to teach them about environment protection and sustainability in the USVI. The activity’s theme this year called for marine and reef preservation with the slogan “Save our oceans! Save our reefs!”
In addition to the Earth Day Fair and Litter Stomp Parade, the celebration presented other events that included beach cleanups across the island, marine debris staging and the Annual Tree Giveaway. The latter event welcomes students from St. John schools and includes the Litter Stomp Crew Competition, Junior Ranger Awards and Waste Management Recognition. Guests were able to visit booths on coral reef protection, Cruz Bay history, recycling, and mangrove protection.
Friends of Virgin Islands National Park is the official philanthropic partner of Virgin Islands National Park in St. John. The nonprofit entity supports the National Park Service’s efforts to protect the park’s natural resources and preserve the territory’s cultural treasures housed in the park. The organization also conducts volunteer and education programs to connect visitors and community members to the park.