Day 9 October St. Croix

Today was our last day on St. Croix. We started the morning with breakfast and a trip to Christianstead to get on a sailboat called Wave Dancer. We all piled on one boat and within 20 minutes we realized we were just a few feet away from a pod of dolphins. We watched the dolphins play and then went on to park the boat at Buck Island where we snorkeled. We did some snorkeling around the boat and even saw a shark! Along with the shark and dolphins,we saw stingrays, squid, an abundance of coral, and many amazing fish. Then, we sailed over to the beach and ate lunch. We then had free time where we swam and did flips off the boat into the crystal clear water. We then headed back over to St. Croix and after a long day of fun in the sun; everyone was a bit tired. We headed back to Discovery Grove for our last delicious dinner. It's now time for chores and our last circle up. We will be heading home tomorrow, and have had an unforgettable experience on this beautiful island. 

- Rachel, Olivia, and Caroline 

October St. Croix day 8

Today, we started our day with a great breakfast consisting of eggs, bagels, and yogurt. We then packed our lunches and headed to the East End of the island for a hike and snorkel. We hiked on an open trail with a great view of the mountains and beaches. We then snorkeled over patch reefs, which were full of colorful fish, and have an abundance of coral. After that, we hiked back to the van and drove to a sundial and a wall, which marked the easternmost part of the US. We then ate lunch and headed to Christianstead. In Chrisitianstead, we did some souvenir shopping and headed to the Boys and Girls Club. We had an amazing time at the Boys and Girls Club where some of us left close to tears. We then headed back to Discovery Grove where Heather had an amazing taco bar set up for us.  We are now cleaning up the dishes and getting ready for circle up. We can't wait for Buck Island tomorrow and will cherish our last days on the island. 

PS - We have managed to avoid many sunburns by putting on lots and lots of sunscreen.

- Rachel and Olivia

October St. Croix Day 7

The seventh day of our trip has proven to be the brightest day yet. We had a late wake up at 9:00 a.m. and split into two groups of seven. One group made conch jewelry in the art room and had a tassel with two rats while the other group went out snorkeling in Cane Bay. After lunch, the second group went out swimming and playing on the beach in a different spot than the first due to strong currents and rip tides. When all of the groups got back to DG, we had a class tought by Ty all about bioluminescent plankton and other microscopic organisms that could be seen in the bay. We ate local pizza at the beach for dinner where we launched our kayaks. After we chose our partners, we set off on our journey to the bay riding a few waves on the way. After it got dark, and the moon hid behind a few clouds, we swam in the bay while being surrounded by glowing plankton. When we got back to the beach and put away our kayaks, we piled into the van to go home to Discovery Grove. Tomorrow is going to be another fun filled day with more snorkeling adventures and hiking. 

- Sam Stanton

October St. Croix day 6

Once again, St. Croix has proven to be a day to remember. We started with a early breakfast and after that was straight to N2 the Blue, a local scuba diving shop. For many it was their first time scuba diving and everyone took this challenge head on and had a lot of fun doing it. After training and practice, it was time to take our newfound knowledge to the water. We saw everything from scorpion fish to sea horses. It was a breathtaking experience. And it ended with more pier jumping. We came back to Discovery Grove with sun burns and found how the aloe plant can be a great remedy. Soon after Heather and Travis cooked us amazing home cooked kabobs and rice, which consisted of steak, chicken, and veggies. We are getting ready for circle up and are looking forward to everything that comes our way next.

Till next time from,

Luke Short and Scooter Haddad

October St. Croix Day 5

We started our day with an early breakfast, and quickly jumped into our day. The St. Croix crew conquered a hike to an abandoned lighthouse with a beautiful overlook. The students were able to climb to the top of the lighthouse and take in the wonderful scenery. After the hike, we traveled to a pier where we took turns jumping off into the water below. Next, after a quick stop at Discovery Grove, we went to the Boys and Girls Club. We were able to play, socialize and help the kids with their homework. We ended our day with a bonfire at the top of a hill and roasted hotdogs and s'mores. -Halle S. 

October St. Croix - Day 3

Today we had an extremely extraordinary adventure.  We started off the day with a hefty breakfast.  After that, the group went to the farmers market to acquire some new fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  Interacting with the natives at the farmers market was interesting and challenging.  They spoke with a strong Croatian dialect.  Some of the foods we tasted were goose berries, sugar cane, and golden apples.  A class on coconuts soon followed the tasting.  Tasting, learning, and defleshing the coconuts was awesome.  Later on, we went to the beach.  Half of us went snorkeling, while the other half waited on the beach.  Seeing the varieties of sea creatures was engaging. Our dinner consisted of bbq chicken sandwiches, Mac n' cheese, and a tasty green bean salad. Time for circle up where we share our day's successes! 

-Jacob Copeland & Luke Short

October St.Croix trip- Day 2

Today we woke up and had our first breakfast in St.Croix. We started off the day by doing team bonding games. We learned that we worked better as a team than indivuals by taking each other's ideas and using them. We then had lunch and headed to the beach! We also found a sea urchin whose name is Frankie! We then headed back to Discovery Grove where we went rock climbing up the 

sugar mill. We suffered a couple scrapes and bruises, but overall it was fun! Jameson then cooked a delicious Mahi and rice dinner for us after a long day of fun!

- Olivia and Barrett