Environment l lw,.4.u..*NwmwAi



Forest field trip shows-kids


stark environmental facts


Lesig abo our smo mdling
can be exciting. That's what a
famorh.ade ca from Claude 0.
Maroe Elementary School found
Srecentlydaringa field trip lo bhe
Caledonia Iin Famae
Before hildnginto the rain for-
est, we discussed the differences
between frshwatar and saltwater
aquaic communes. The cbhdmea
were surprised to lear that the
ocean covers about three-quarter
of our planet. They also learned
about the impomance of water co-
servaon ande venibg polluio
Ibe mldeiate most sexidld
to iply their leaning while hiking


Olasee
Davis

haMMU M


thuh the Calednia Rain Fores.
DOng the hike, the sdents foad
feshwaser fis crabs, ad lobsters.
Few children in the Virgin
Islands have ever experienced nig
fishing in seam as as our gandpar-
ams did n ei 1900s. As early
a in le 196ki.nmy ofStCroi's


scams lest their fish and freshwa-
ter lobsters. The Caledoni Rain
Fost on thenorthwest side of S.
Croix is one of the few areas left
where freshwater fish and lobsters
stilcn be fond.
As the children hikei o the rain
forest, you could se e hexciiement
on their little faces. They found
examples of medicinal plants,
moss, lichens, nd liverwots.
As we walked along, we were
shockedto se a large West Indi
almond ebumbed o.thegroehd.
VSeeOlalaftmpe


01ASEE CIDFRMMpiEst
'We &soh albs st a mboy assy other a .eUtha make up
nes caugaab b A and fn ba esades The Tiem Us
eflaispead h ar.anp traimed tldt ts remet destruction
l.f otree in the nl forest weld
However, as we iked deeper have a lasting effect on the rn-
io me ain fest, we discovered ing dreams. fAhes, and other
mmolaprgne dle oyuedbyt i. crganimathe nte foe their
.It became appte ha som he.
boadyruas demoyfgh ige ~ b i So a~n aofajusadonot ander-
Calein al fo Belive me, stid thecompl syvem of a lv.-
evybody wa ad. t flso mb foT givM li mfeo s
The children were very disap- and contribute o these Islands'
po~ed a hey col u t go any ecosytmi.
urthebecas ofth smoke of Today.wuli veiMslatnsdstb
bminiatieinspa dying dyiomIadeniratioefman's
We stalked abots hda eb an ta aeant.
the West hIdin hel (Criam. As yr drive acrs St. Croix.
Il -apl a I sandbox urEn a p you can almmo comn the aemt on
tsus), san a (Pitbecoloblam yo.ar d. WiThini t pt6 yea ,
mant), klpk (Ceba panmdia), two lianiccs Ihve daeimad he
mae (Ma ain), nd the oes in e Virin Islands. To bum


ose la Cah des ai s an
inustl trlocmnabulhltm tourist,
and our economy. To ave oar
famis, thipeopi of tese iseandis
mut become wch dos and po-
lect.S,
The first of( oix was ce
dem wi~ h ia ig s ial Mouo ad
leafyviades.
Today's forest on the island
ame beco se smow io ps of ftes.
Believe me, brnin the forest
down wll only bom or economy.
tf we wa toMs e SLt. rix's eco-
mygrow owemungowmortcu
OB es DaS, ewo holds a we-.
sref crience drtreei s eeat-
aeyeat adflorsl y McoSl, Is a
St. Croix ecologst. activist and
writer.