St Croix - Last Day

For breakfast we had our usual cereal and bagels. We then headed to Christiansted Boardwalk where we took a boat ride to Buck Island.  We jumped off the boat into the clear water and we snorkeled through reef trails.  We saw a baby lemon shark, parrot fish, and even a sting ray!!!!!!😄😄😄. We loaded back up onto the boat for a break.  After relaxing for a few minutes, we headed to the other side of the island to swim at the beach.🌊☀️ We spent 3 hours swimming and tanning.  We also had a great lunch of yummy sandwiches and chips.  We are now back at Discovery Grove cleaning up our rooms and doing chores around the house. We are so glad that we all had a chance to go on this wonderful trip, and it's sad to have to leave this beautiful island.😢🌴.  

Katie and Jason 😊

St Croix Day 8

November 13

        

          Dear parents,

                        Today we woke up early, ate breakfast, and left to go to the east end of the island where we hiked Isaac's Bay down to a beautiful beach. We snorkeled and saw coral reefs, squid, and pufferfish. We went to a nice park and ate lunch and went souvenir shopping and bought a lot of things. The girls got the iconic Sonya hook bracelets, and the boys all got their own knives at prices you couldn't turn down! We went to the Boys and Girls club and helped out the kids with homework and played basketball and four square. Once we got back all the boys named their knives and the girls finished their art projects. It was amazing how fast the day went because we were eating the mouthwatering kabobs, made by the one and only Jake. 

~~Kate & Ajay

St Croix Day 7

This morning we had a late start to the day. We had the normal breakfast and it was still good. We had a lot of free time to make rings, instruments and play frisbee golf. We the went to a farm and learned about livestock and plants. We then had pizza from Napoleon's pizzeria. We then went to the bioluminescent bay which was amazing. We got to see the the bay light up in all its glory and we saw some flying fish.      

Hallie and Marshall

St Croix Day 6

We woke up extra early because today is scuba diving day! We started out the day by feeding the chickens and eating an early breakfast. Breakfast was the same as usual, cereal, bagels and fresh fruit. We then packed up the van, and headed "N2 the Blue." We met the diving instructors that would teach  us everything we need to know. Each of us were split into our special groups and were taught the skills of diving. We then hit the water, some of us in the boat and the rest off the pier. We all saw amazing wildlife and then ate our lunches. After lunch, we switched from pier to boat and boat to pier. After diving, many of the girls got t-shirts that they liked very much. We all were able to jump off the pier and show off our skills. Last but not least, we had a special dinner that was made for us by the one and only Jake. We had sloppy joes and fries and they were delicious! Even thought we are all tired, we always make time for circle up. 

By Reed Truxell & Caroline Cashion

St Croix Day 5

Today we woke up and Jamie and Parker were the leaders today. We headed out to fedriksted where we met Veronica Gordon who is a Bush Docter. We hiked in thick Bush and ended at a magnificent waterfall where we ate some mouth watering jerky that we had made. Soon we made our way to a beach spot where we ate our mouth watering sandwiches. After that we headed back to discovery grove to make a quick pit stop. After we made our way to the boys and girls club where we played with them for a few hours. The boys played and intense game of four square with some local boys which they lost badly. While the boys did that the local girls did the girls hair in all different hair styles. After we said our goodbyes we made our way back to Discovery Grove and Tye got us a treat on the way back, star fruit!!! Mmmmmmmm we loved them. We got back and washed up for dinner, and dinner was mouth watering lasagna ,rolls, and string beans that we quickly ate down. Then we had circle up and we did some other night activities. 

St Croix day 4

        This morning was a normal early wake up. We ate the usual cereal, fresh fruit, and bagels. We then took the kayaks to Salt River. We learned and saw many interesting things. Everyone was enjoyable through the day. After kayaking we went back to Discovery Grove. We made art and had a lot of fun. At 4:00 a group of very skilled African Drummers arrived. We danced and learned. Afterwards Jake our awesome cook cooked up some Caribbean tacos with mangos and pinnaple. This was different because neither of us had tried these flavorful fruits on tacos before. But realizing that you have to make the best of our opportunities we dove into these new flavors. Amazing!! 

- Cołin Sharp

- Lauren Matacunas

St. Croix Day 3

The sunshine we were hoping for finally came this morning. We woke up to an awesome breakfast, that fueled us for the time we were at the farmers market for. We picked out fresh fruits that we had never seen before.  No one could believe the size of the avocados Lauren picked out. After we got back, we each presented our fruits and had a taste test.  We also made coconut milk, island smoothies, and beef jerky. The smoothies were amazing! We had yummy grilled cheese for lunch and then went to the beach.  We tested out our masks and fins for snorkeling to come this week.  Although we couldn't see anything Caroline, Jared, and Kate wanted to keep going out. Ty then took a group of us out for a walk where we all learned about sea princess, and found really cool shells to use for jewelry. After a few hours relaxing in the ocean we headed back for dinner.  Tonight we had amazing Crusian food made by Jael.  Almost everyone was heading back for seconds which was a perfect way to end the night.

-Katie, Jared, Kate 

Day 3 - Farmers Market

We awoke to glorious sunshine this morning. While there are still showers likely today, we were able to take advantage of some fun in the sun and enjoyed a great morning at the Farmers Market followed by a tasting of all the fresh fruit we purchased. Delicious! As I am typing, the crew is divided into 3 groups.

Group 1 is preparing fresh coconut milk. Group 2 is preparing fresh fruit smoothies and group 3 is making fresh Caribbean jerky.  I intend to enjoy all the fruits of the student labor! We are uncertain what the afternoon has in store due to weather but I'm certain we will have smiles on our faces!

#islandlifeisgreat

A Rainy start with great spirits

Day 2 was full of rain, lots of rain - we are talking LOTS of rain. Despite the weather, the CHC crew was in high spirits throughout the day. With rain came the opportunity to see things many don't have a chance to see. The river was flowing for the first time in months and the "thunderdome" -  dry pool like area on the grounds, became a full on water park complete with a rope swing! We made some incredible jewelry using local local fruit and bamboo. Creativity was at a high for sure! We expect more rain and will continue to take advantage of all our opportunities - wet or dry!

Day 2 in St Croix

Today, it rained all day. We started are day off eating cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit and bagels. Then we did arts and crafts in the art room for the majority of the day. We also took a hike through rough terrane and wet woods to get some excercise. After we got out of the woods, Ty asked us if we wanted to go swimming in "the bowl". Us being curious, we obviously said yes! The water was all muddy and overflowed with rain water. Everybody used the rope swing and while we were swimming, Parker got stung by a wasp on his lip. No worries, he's fine! We hall had a great day and are look forward to the days ahead! 

-Caroline Cashion & Marshall Joyce 

St Croix Arrival

Hi parents we arrived in Saint Croix late this afternoon. Ty and Travis picked us up from the airport. They then brought us to Discovery grove. When we got here we took our bags to our huts. We then got to to try a coconut. Everybody really liked it. We then learned about how we have to conserve the water and electricity. We then got to go on a tour of Discovery grove. We had dinner together in a tent outside and were assigned a different job to help maintain Discovery Grove. 

          By Ajay and Hallie

St. Croix Day 8

After waking up on our last full day in paradise we headed down to eat breakfast. After breakfast we set out on our adventure to Buck Island. After a short car ride we had a thirty minute boat ride out of Cristansted to Buck Island. After arriving at the east end Buck Island we snorkeled the underwater trail there that was installed by the park service. It has signs fixed on the bottom that let you know about the many species of coral and fish that live in that particular reef. We saw many creatures during our time there including nurse and reef sharks, barracudas, and green sea turtles. After our snorkel we headed to the west side of the island to hangout at the beach. After being at the beach for about an hour half of the group took the Buck Island challenge, which was a hot and dry hike up the mountain to the look out point from a deck. After arriving back from the hike we hung around at the beach for another hour and then headed back to the marina. After we got off the boat we piled in the the van to head back to the DG. On our way back we stopped to get some shaved ice from a local favorite spot called Fraco's. After getting back to DG we started gathering fire wood for a bonfire to pass time around on our last night. Now it's time to light the fire and kick back. See you tomorrow!

Alex and Ethan

Day 7 in St. Croix

Day 7 in St. Croix: It was yet another beautiful day. We started off the day with a nutritious breakfast, followed by a hike. We hiked the East End Marine Park. We hiked down to the beach and from there we snorkeled. We saw many incredible things such as a stingray, gorgeous coral, conch, sand dollars, and many species of fish. After hiking and snorkeling, we made our way into town hungry and wet. From there we ate our packed lunches and proceeded to souvenir shop. All the girls got matching silver hook bracelets.  After our shopping spree, we went back to the girls and boys club for the second time. This time we bought hula hoops, pencils, playdo, and many other arts and crafts things snd presented them with the items. The kids really appreciated what we brought them. We stayed for about two hours working on homework and playing games and then we went down to the Fredricksted pier where we scuba dived. It was an amazing way to cool off after a long day. After that we came back to Discovery Grove to shish kabobs, which were very tasty. It was a very jampacked exciting day just like the rest. 

-Elena & Olivia 🌴

Day 6 in St. Croix

It was another exciting day at St. Croix. After a great pancake and bacon breakfast, we headed out to Sejah Farm to learn about Cruzian farming. Dell showed us his crops and we got to try tarragon, lemongrass, gerkins, okra and passion fruit. He also showed us the animals that they raise.  They have chickens, geese, goats, sheep and a horse. It was very interesting to see the difference in the way they farm onisland compared to the way we farm at home. We returned to DG for lunch and then loaded up the van for a beach trip to do some snorkeling. We swam out pretty far until we got to the drop off, where we couldn't see the bottom any longer.  We hung out for a bit and then prepared ourselves for the next adventure. Tonight we were treated with pizza for dinner at the kayak launch site. Once it got dark we paddled out to the middle of a bioluminescent bay.  Brett describes it as the most astonishing thing she has ever seen. The bioluminescent bay is filled with dinoflagellates that glow as a result of a chemical reaction that occurs when the water is agitated. It was absolutely beautiful!! We got to swim in the water and then did some star gazing.  We all saw shooting stars. It was a magical night. 

Day 5 in St. Croix

Day 5 on STX: Today in St. Croix we started the day off with going to feed the chickens but, sadly, there were no eggs to be found. After all that fun we went to the dive shop. When we got there, we got fitted, watched a movie on how to dive, and tested out equipment. When we all were ready, we went on two open water dives. We saw eels, jellyfish, sea horses, a barracuda, and many more fascinating things. One of the groups' boat drivers gave everyone a local favorite: passion fruit lollipops, which were incredibly tasty. They were so good that we ended up going to Kmart to buy more and to get supplies for the boys and girls club. The dives took up most of the day so we didn't have much time before dinner but we did use that time wisely. During our small amount of free time, we made progress on our arts and crafts projects. Ty also brought a drum set for Aidan to play so that eye could all watch in amazement as he played it. At dinner we ate chicken tenders and sweet potato fries. For the most part, the day went by fast and we all had great experiences. 

- Aidan & Olivia 

Day 4 in St Croix

Day 4 on the island: This morning we woke up to another beautiful day in St Croix. It was day four, and we were ready for the day. After a delicious breakfast we planted a Chia and Breadfruit tree as our legacy. The purpose of planting the young trees is to help DG in its efforts to be incresingly sustainable. Ty shared with us that within a few years DG would like to be self-sustaining so that they are no longer reliant on store runs. After we finished digging and planting Veronica Gordon, a seventh generation Bush doctor, led us around DG and through the woods teaching us all about the different indigenous plants and their practical uses, from cooking to healing. One of the plants that we learned about was the Aloe bush. Aloe can be used for many things such as healing cuts, scrapes, and burns.  We also were introduced to the love leaf, a plant that you are supposed to write your significNt other's name on, put it in a book, and if it is still growing after a year and not dead then the couple is meant to be. After lunch most of us did arts and crafts. We made mugs, rings, and necklaces. The rest of us played games and swam in the pool. A little while later we went to the boys and girls club. The boys and girls club is a non- profit organization that provides a place for kids to go after school. When we first got there only a few kids were there. We played volleyball, basketball, and four square. Once the other kids started to arrive, we had something they called assembly. Our whole group got to go on stage and introduce ourselfs to the kids. After the introduction we split up to go help kids with their homework. For the rest of our time there, we hung out with the kids and played games. Today was really fun but it's time to head to circle up, our favorite time of the day, and reflect. Scuba diving tomorrow!

- Elena and Alex