Association Of Reef Keepers Ark

 Tortola     British Virgin Islands

http://www.arkbvi.org     << Visit Website

Coverage:  International

Categories:  Environment, [ View All ]

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Association of Reef Keepers ARK Charity Profile

In the mid-1990's a small group of concerned men and women began looking for ways to proactively protect the BVI's marine environment. Charter yacht captain Trish Baily suggested a poster outlining steps snorkelers, divers, and boaters could take to reduce damage to reefs, and the loose-knit group of friends and colleagues began to brainstorm. In addition to Trish, this group included Alan and Eva Baskin, dive company owners who helped initiate the BVI National Parks Trust Mooring Buoy system; Clive Petrovic, lecturer in Environmental Sciences at the H. Lavity Stout Community College in Tortola; Randy Keil, respected dive instructor with years of experience in BVI waters, Chris and Kapua Gregory, Jane Bakewell, and Clem Hill. The esteemed artist Roger Ellis of Trellis Bay agreed to design the flyer artwork gratis. Initially the group sought funding for the flyers under the auspices of the Natural History Society. It took nine months to raise the $7,500 needed, most of which came from trust companies and local businesses in the BVI. The Tortola Ladies Club and TICO Wines and Spirits were major contributors. Volunteers distributed the flyers to bareboat charter yacht companies, tourist organizations, and local businesses, and they were soon posted throughout the BVI. Shortly after the success of the posters, this group of friends and colleagues decided to form a reef protection organization. Kapua Gregory, now living in Hawaii, came up with the logo, and the Association of Reef Keepers was born.