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 

St. Croix Day 4

Today, we went kayaking in Salt River Bay, and learned about many items native to the island. One item  we learned about were mangroves, and their different types. During the kayaking trip, we stopped at the beach and had time to play around in the water. When we got back to discovery grove, we had two hour free time where we cleaned our cabins, and had time to play in the art room. We also had an African dance and drumming class with a family that lives on the island. We learned many new aspects of the African culture, and even had a boys and girls dance off! Jamison made us an amazing dinner with Mahi soup, and banana and sweet potato french fries. We are now doing our chores and circle up, and will go to bed soon. Once again, we have had an amazing day in St. Croix! 

Caroline Dixon and Byron Richards 

October St. Croix trip day one

We safely got to Miami airport, explored the stores, played cards, and ate lunch.  We waited for 3 hours in the airport and eventually took off to St. Croix.  When we landed, Ty and the rest of the staff were waiting for us and even brought some star fruit and coconut! We all got into their truck and drove to Discovery Grove where we had goat and breadfruit for dinner. Everyone has a chore that they have to complete. Some chores are scrapers, dish washers, fridge master, and sweeper. We also learned a little ryhme for water conservation. "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down." GROSS! Everyone is enjoying their time together and look forward to our activities tomorrow. Can't wait to get some sleep!-Byron and Rachel (The Bloggers)

June St. Croix Day 9

An incredible Day 9 began with an 8:00 a.m. wake up and a satisfying breakfast. After loading up our snorkel gear, lathering on sunscreen, and filling our water bottles, we headed to the Christiansted dock to board the Jolly Roger. Once aboard the sailboat, we began our journey to Buck Island. The wind carried us swiftly across the turquoise waters as we approached the island. On the trip, we saw sea turtles and floating sargassum. We set anchor near the island's surrounding reef to begin our snorkeling adventure. Upon entering the water, both groups followed the underwater trails which led them through a collection of grottos. The depths of the grottos were sprinkled with a plethora of life. Within the grottos we saw barracuda, nurse and lemon sharks, parrot fish, trumpet fish, and schools of blue tang. After completing the trail, we ventured beyond the reef to the island shore. The Jolly Roger provided us with both a vessel and a playground as students spent the afternoon diving off the bow of the boat and swam underneath the catarmaran. Once our fun filled day came to a close, we sailed peacefully to the mainland of St. Croix. After eagerly awaiting our final dinner on the island, we were served a delicious assortment of caribbean kabobs, mashed potatoes, and watermelon. Our final circle up time was bittersweet as we celebrated Ethan's birthday and the highlights of the trip. While we are sad to leave this beautiful island behind, we look forward to sharing our many stories and experiences with friends and family. 

Mr. Snead and Mrs. Lyle

June St. Croix Day 7 & 8

Yesterday everyone woke up later than normal and began the day off with arts and crafts. First everyone finished up their calabash jewelry/pottery making. Then we made sea glass and seed necklaces. Once we were drenched in sweat we made our way to Cane Bay to cool off. After everyone make it back to DG Ty showed us how to make wooden rings out of red mangrove trees. We were eagerly waiting to see the end results of our rings. Then we headed to the bio bay to see the glowing bioluminescents. Before we paddled out on our kayaks we had some delicious pizza. When we made it to the bio bay we were able to jump in and see the jelly fish and dinoflagellates. Everyone splashed around for a while and when we got tired we went back to DG. -Kai and MaryGrace

Today we awoke at 7:30 to the sound of birds chirping. We quickly finished breakfast and hopped into the van for a hike and snorkel trip. We hiked a mile at East End Marine Park and learned about the dry arid ecosystem. After the hike we reached the beach. While snorkeling at Issacs Bay we were able to

discover the different reefs... algae building reefs but mainly patch reefs. Next we traveled a whopping 500 ft. to the eastern most point of the United States called, Udall. We ate our lunch at Cramer's park then later made our way to the town named Christiansted. This is where we spent our afternoon shopping and feeding tarpons. Then we drove over to the boys and girls club and played nonstop in the heat.  When we arrived back at discoverygrove we had dinner. Finally we circled up and went to bed. 

 - Konrad and Ethan