Here's the complete schedule of 2003 spring seminars being offered by the Friends of the V.I. National Park. The earlier you register, the better your chances of space still being available.
Most programs are half-day presentations on Wednesday or Saturday. To sign up, call the Friends at 779-4940 or visit the organization's office at Mongoose Junction between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Friends members get a discount of $5 or $10 per seminar, depending on the fee.
March 15 (Saturday) — Coastal Ecology Tour, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., aboard the Sadie Sea. Rafe Boulon, park chief of resource management, is the guide. Participants will snorkel, wade and float in the mangrove lagoons, coral reefs, seagrass beds and beaches. Meet at the park Visitor Center dock with wading shoes, snorkel gear, drinking water and lunch. $70.
March 17 (Monday) — Day 1 of a two-day "Taino Pottery Pit Firing Workshop," 9 a.m. to noon, Cinnamon Bay archaeology laboratory. Archeologist Ken Wild and artists Gail Van de Bogurt and Kat Sowa are the leaders. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty; bring drinking water and a snack. $70 for the two days.
March 21 (Friday) — Day 2 of a two-day "Taino Pottery Pit Firing Workshop," 1 to 4 p.m. See March 17.
March 22 (Saturday) – "St. John Architecture, Then and Now," 9 a.m. to noon. Architect Glen Speer will conduct a tour of old and new buildings around the island. Meet at Sun Dog Café in Mongoose Junction and be prepared to car pool. $30. This seminar will be repeated on April 16.
March 26 (Wednesday) — "Bats! Bats! Everywhere!" 7 to 8:30 p.m., Cinnamon Bay amphitheater. With park biologist Jim Peterson, participants will hunt for bats with an ultrasound detector and learn about the eight species that call St. John home. $30.
March 29 (Saturday) — "Conditions of Coral Reefs in the Virgin Islands and How to Help Them Survive," 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., aboard the 50-foot catamaran Allura. Nick Drayton of The Ocean Conservancy and Caroline Rogers, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, will conduct this all-day seminar at sea. Meet at the park Visitor Center with sunscreen, lunch and drinking water. $70 fee includes snorkel gear.
April 5 (Saturday) — "Marine-Life Enthusiasts' Snorkel Trip," 9 a.m. to noon, with marine naturalist Kathy Packo aboard her boat Sea Gypsy. She will take participants to visit three offshore spots. Meet at the Caneel Bay Resort dock with snorkel gear, underwater camera if you have one, a snack and drinking water. $70.
April 9 (Wednesday) — "From Moravia to Bohemia to St. John," 9 to 11 a.m., a history tour of the Moravian Church on St. John led by Janet Burton. Meet at the park Visitor Center. $35 fee includes transportation.
April 12 (Saturday) — "Sun and Recycled Art at Maho Bay," 9 a.m. to noon, Maho Bay Camps Pavilion restaurant. Resident glassblower Eric Burton will demonstrate how to turn trash bottles into art and how to make paper. Bring drinking water and a snack. $30.
April 16 (Wednesday) – A second seminar on "St. John Architecture: Then and Now," 9 a.m. to noon. Architect Glen Speer will conduct a tour of old and new buildings around the island. Meet at Sun Dog Café in Mongoose Junction and be prepared to car pool. $30. This is a repeat of the March 22 seminar.
April 23 (Wednesday) — A second seminar on "The Wonders of Archeology," 9 a.m. to noon, Cinnamon Bay archaeology laboratory. Park archeologist Ken Wild will talk about maritime, prehistoric and historic archeology. $30. This is a repeat of the Feb. 15 seminar.
April 27 (Sunday) — "Snorkel Identification Adventure," 9 a.m. to noon, aboard the boat of seminar leader Lucy Portlock, who will provide snorkeling instruction. Meet at the Caneel Bay Resort dock with snorkel gear, underwater camera if you have one, a snack and plenty of drinking water. $70.

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