21
Location: West End, Tortola
Wow! After an incredible 21 days, we are back on the dock in West End saying goodbye to another group of amazing shipmates. We completed some incredible work this session. We did everything from tagging sea turtles to learning about the endangered Anegada Rock Iguana and its restoration project. We painted schools and cleared fencing to help the next generation of young students. We monitored mangroves for the National Parks service by collecting valuable data on mangrove growth and distribution. We worked with scientists in the field collecting information on distribution and various species of seagrass in multiple areas around the BVI.
Our shipmates were awesome and completed projects with passion. Jonathan got interested in the nurse shark mating grounds and eagerly watched this rare behavior with staff member Will Smart. It was nice of Jonathan to let will talk his head off about this cool creature. Ryan found it rewarding clearing brush and building a stone wall leaving one project far better than it was before. Darius was a joy to have on board and was always happy to help and inquisitive about every project we were doing. Bella was so kind and treated everyone with a warm heart. She was a joy to have around. Will is a natural leader, and everyone gravitated towards this skill when completing tasks. Phoebe’s humor and positive attitude was awesome to have and made even the hardest times fun and enjoyable. Dan’s attention to detail was much welcomed on project days when collecting the most exact measurements or making sure project sites looked awesome. Josie was always willing to step up and help wherever it was needed. She was encouraging and kind to her shipmates. Sully was always there to have a good laugh and brought the whole boat closer together with his humor. Megan was a pleasure to be around and was super easy to get along with. She worked hard even through the toughest projects, without complaint. Sasha could get along with everyone and was always doing work without ever asking for recognition. Projects could be hard, but she would get down to work and was so easy to have on board. Sophie was everyone’s friend and always had such a positive attitude making every day not only easier, but better.
It was an awesome trip, and we’ll be sad to see these shipmates leave. We’ve learned a lot from them and wish them the best!!
–Will, Alissa, Anna