Several dozen children were gathered on Saturday at the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum (VICM) on St. Thomas to view the first episode of what is expected to be a seven or eight-part documentary series called Expedition Eden.
The YouTube trailer, which went live about a month ago, provides a visually enticing example of what is to come.
James Powell and Jarvon Stout, the founders of Expedition Eden and producers of the first 17-minute installment titled “Invasion,” were on hand to make the introduction and explain why they had taken on what has been and will be no small feat.
“I was in a rut, Stout said.” He wanted to do more for the community, particularly relative to the imperative of educating locals and especially young people about the natural riches that abound in the Virgin Islands while addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.
“Why don’t we do a documentary,” Powell said.
And they were off and videoing. They probably did not anticipate that for each minute of footage in the first episode, which tells the story of invasive species in the U.S. Virgin Islands, they would spend 2500 person-hours filming, editing, and producing a score, script, and voiceover.
Nevertheless, it was clear on Saturday the pair were driven in their mission by the children who sat wiggling on the floor in front of the large screen, waiting for the show to start.
“We did it for you,“ Stout told the assembled youngsters, who appeared to be between one and 12 years old.
It would be hard to imagine two more enthusiastic, energetic young men than Powell and Stout, who formed the partnership and the Expedition Eden production company whose mission is to “engage, inform, and inspire environmental literacy and stewardship globally.”
As the modern environmental movement began gaining ground in the 1960s, the phrase “think globally, act locally” became the rallying cry for grassroots environmental activists to come together to protect habitats and the creatures and organisms that live within them in their own local communities.
What better way, the pair agreed, than with film.
“Nat Geo and Nature and other environmental organizations have done a fantastic job,” Stout said in a conversation before the event. “But nobody has done it here in the Virgin Islands.”
It’s important to note that both of these men have full-time commitments that don’t include the thousands of hours that this endeavor has demanded.
Powell is a graduate student in the Masters in Marine Environmental Science program at UVI. Stout serves as the community engagement specialist for St. Thomas and St. John for VI EPSCoR.
Amber McCammon, executive director of the Children’s Museum, was on hand Saturday, corralling children and providing direction for the dozen or so other scientists, exhibitors, and teachers who also provided brain fodder and a variety of activities for the youngsters during the three-hour event which culminated with the premiere screening of “Invasion.”
The goals of Expedition Eden are very much in line with those of VICM, which aims to create an environment that “fosters explorative learning and a life-long passion for seeking knowledge,” according to the organization’s mission statement.
Also on hand were Mathew Sims from CORE (Caribbean Oceanic Restoration and Education), who discussed hobbyist activism to curb invasive lionfish populations in V.I. waters; Howard Forbes Jr. from VIMAS (Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service), offering games and prizes to those interested in learning more about marine plastics and environmental stewardship of our islands, and Dr. Sennai Habtes, Ph.D. fisheries bureau chief for Department of Planning and Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife. Habtes gave away coloring books, school supplies and information about what Fish and Wildlife is doing to manage healthy V.I. marine fisheries. Euell Dixon offered lessons on how to crochet sea creature dolls.
Approximately 100 people showed up Saturday for the event. “We could have handled a lot more,” McCammon said.
Advanced notice of the event, which began at 2 p.m. and ended around 5 p.m. after the film screening, however, was deliberately kept low-key as the museum is still under a COVID occupancy limit of no more than 100 people at a time. That was also the reason, McCammon said, that it was not a “free day.”
“Jarvon was concerned about not exceeding the occupancy limit.”
While the regular admission fee is $10 per person, the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum is part of Museums for All, “a signature access program of the Association of Children’s Museums and the Institute of Museum and Library Services to encourage families of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits,” the website says. What that means is for families that present a SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) card at the door, the admission is $2.
Family engagement is a priority, McCammon said. “We want parents to be able to afford to bring their children here.”
It works; most of the families on Saturday were “regulars.”
McCammon is hoping the COVID restriction will be lifted before the next screening on April 6, which will be free. It is to be part of an event dubbed “Kid’s Play Expo, to be held at the University of the Virgin Islands from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sports and Fitness Center.
Meanwhile, the full episode, “Invasion,” which went live at 7 p.m. Tuesday, can also be viewed for free here and now.
