Keeping The Island Virgin At Maho Bay

Waking up with the world - your natural surroundings just beyond the screens, is a soothing, therapeutic ritual you'll be treated to in four different types of accommodations; all which have been constructed and furnished from recycled materials.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE HOTEL? - "In all the world, Maho Bay Camps on a hillside in St. John in the Virgin Islands. It's a glorious place with an interesting, unpretentious cleintele who enjoy the tented bungalows. The setting is etheral. It's one of the great views in the world." Arthur Frommer - USA Today 4/26/02.

Whether you're looking to relax in your secluded natural setting or explore the many natural and historical treasures of the island, Maho Bay is a great location for launching excursions arranged with group tours or independent explorations.

The entire 14-acre facility is linked by a series of elevated wooden walkways and stairs which traverse the steep hillside. Ambling around is a work-out for both body and mind with the many markers which identify and detail the various botanical specimen you're shrouded within.

Fellow campers are friendly neighbors while the Maho Bay staff goes out of there way to enhance an active yet peaceful setting that compliments the environment.

Quick Tips:

The U.S. Virgin Islands operate under two different seasons. December 15th through April 30th is the winter; May 1st through December 14th is the summer when rates are lowered across the board.

If you're looking for the general experience, you'll want Maho Bay's Tent-Cottages and Harmony Studios on the main compound which have more activities/facilities. If it's seclusion you're seeking, consider their newest development on the southeastern, more arid tip of the island in their Concordia Studios or Eco-Tents.

Facilities run about 95% occupancy during Winter Season, though reservations are highly recommended year-round and are held with a 50% deposit. Rates posted in Accommodation entries don't include the 8% USVI tax.

Accommodations are furnished with basic camping gear, but it's still imperative to bring flashlights and bug repellent.

For more information and placing reservations, call or check out their web site at or e-mail at reservations.

Soon to come - Ecotouring St. Croix, and Plate & Pillow Shuffling on a Press Trip country journal.

Best Way To Get Around:

Fly into St. Thomas and take the ferry from downtown or Red Hook to reach St. John. Maho Bay is a picturesque coastal drive about 20-minutes away from Cruz Bay. The Concordia compound is approximately 45-minutes.

The 20-minute ferry ride from Red Hook costs one way and the 45-minute ride from downtown is one-way. For up-to-date schedules, as well as set taxi service rates, preobtain a copy of the St. Thomas/St. John THIS WEEK publication from or e-mail. Mailing cost is .

Driving is on the opposite/British side of the road. International/Local Car Rental agencies are numerous. Pay extra for an SUV. While main roads were well maintained, driving was often treacherous from many steep inclines with hairpin curves; harder to navigate when wet. Unless you're expert at driving a stick, get an automatic. Be aware animals are often found on/along roadways.

Recommended drivers: On St. Thomas, JOEY BRADSHAW at . On St. John, LEVI LIBURD at . Most taxis are open-air truck/mini-vans and can take 12 or more passengers. Rates are per person.

When Maho Bay Camps opened in 1976 with 18 Tent-Cottages, there was no doubt in Founder & President Stanley Selengut's mind that his Ecotourism vision of bringing travelers closer to nature would be a success. Popularity and growth has since mushroomed for what the Caribbean Travel & Life magazine's, 'Best of the Caribbean' reader's poll, has again voted the BEST ECO LODGE. And with the U.S. Virgin Islands receiving their 2002 BEST CARIBBEAN DESTINATION, frequent island hoppers would be short-changed not to have these on their travel resume.

Today, there are 114 tent cottage units peppered across the 14-acre compound. They've been constructed on 16-foot platforms which includes an outdoor patio/sitting area, and the entry way which connects to the extensive elevated wooden walkways which link everything at Maho Bay. Inside, there's a combined kitchen area and small sitting area which comes with cooler and basic kitchen utensils, a propane stove, dining room table, and futon couch which has an extra single sleeper mattress stored behind it. A sleeping area, with two other single beds, is off to the side and can be sectioned off with fabric privacy dividers. Tent cottages are stocked with bedding and linens and wired for electricity.

Four very large bathroom/shower facilities are shared by campers, and house and pay phone stations are also readily available. Potable and non potable water faucets and charcoal grills are regionally located for general usage.

When checking in, guests are given a color-coded map of the extensive facility. I would suggest you familiarize yourself with your entire surroundings while there's still daylight. Part of the magic of Maho Bay comes from the labyrinth of wooden walkways which are engulfed within the lush vegetation creating the "privacy factor" with nearby neighbors. Small signs with directive arrows are placed along the railings, but it would be easy to get turned around. It is also why flashlights are needed at night.

During the winter season, tent cottages run $110 a night double occupancy with the price going to $115 during February and for Holiday weeks. Additional guests are $15 per person each night. During the May 1st-December 14th summer season, the double occupancy cost drops to $75 with additional guests 16-over paying $12 a night and 15-under paying $10.

For those looking to commune with nature, but with more creature comforts from home, Maho Bay's newest property development brings the best of both worlds into the concepts of Ecotourism. Twelve units of Harmony Studios are perched at the top of the hill and have completely been labor-intensive constructed with methods and materials detailed in my "WASTE NOT - WANT NOT" entry. The complexes are double-stacked apartment style, and where our group was privileged with staying.

There are two sizes of studios - Bedroom, which can comfortably sleep four, and Living Room, which can house six. Patio-type furniture is limited to the 6' x 18' decks while the interiors are elegantly decorated with revamped/recycled furnishings. In addition to the utensil and flatware stocked kitchen, guests also have the luxury of microwave and refrigerator usage along with a private bath.

Studios come with a ceiling fan and window unit, though they weren't really necessary of an evening as the building design maximizes the trade wind breezes...and also made the "questionable" blankets welcomed while sleeping.

With screened windows and the double patio doors left open, sights and sounds net the same back-to-nature experience as those staying in tent-cottages. Sea views from the decks are somewhat limited thanks to the natural vegetation which was purposefully left uninterrupted during construction. If there was any downside to the studios, it is their location at the top of the hill and guests with physical limitations would likely struggle coming to/from the rest of Maho's facilities. For those in good condition, I highly recommend the exhilarating sunrise and after dark jaunts around the compound.

Take note - room keys are coupled with a smaller key which activates electricity from a meter just inside the studio door. This ensures guests conserve energy by having to take the key when leaving. Also, doors automatically lock behind you.

During the winter season, bedroom studios run $185-$200 double occupancy, and living room studios are $195-$210. Summer rates are the biggest savings of all accommodation types with $110-$135 for bedroom studios, and $130-$145 for living room studios. Additional guests are $25 per night either season.

For the most ecologically minded, and those simply looking for a unique travel experience, you'll want to consider completely self-sustaining eco-tents. Located at Concordia Estate on the southeastern Caribbean coast of St. John, these newer models are similar yet so different than their sister tent cottages at Maho Bay; a 25-minute drive away.

Their basic lay-out design is the same with a combined kitchen/sitting room with futon, ground floor bedroom and deck. Where they differ is these eco-tents include a small loft that can sleep two additional people, and each unit comes with its own bathroom facilities including a composting toilet and hand-pump shower using stored rain water. Electricity is wind and solar driven.

An added twist - guests are encouraged to throw food scraps and biodegradable waste off the decks for the volunteer maintenance crew; a variety of crabs who faithfully patrol the hillside.

With such success and interest of these fully self-sustaining lodgings, it presents endless possibilities for future development of the 90-some cays (pranced keys) which make up the Virgin Islands since they're basically uninhabitable from the lack of water and utilities. Take time to have one of the staff fully explain the ecological features and show you what's working hard below while you're relaxing above.

Concordia Estate's terrain is much more arid. And with the lack of dense vegetation, guests will have clear views along the coast leading up to Ram Head point and overlooking Salt Pond Bay; one of the best snorkeling sites on the island. Strangely enough, the entire area had a "Cape Cod" feel to it, but there was no denying "Caribbean", or that this was ideal for a romantic, uninterrupted get-away.

Guests have access to the main but limited facilities at adjoining Concordia Studios including swimming pool, laundry, pay phones and a small general store. There are no rentals of snorkel gear and other water sports equipment, or organized activities which enhance the private, secluded feeling. Concordia guests will also need to have their own rental transportation for navigating about the island.

There are currently 12 eco-tents with plans to build more thanks to popularity. They rent for $110-$120 a night double occupancy during the winter season with prices rising by $10 for the month of February. Rates are $85 during the summer season. Additional guests are $25 for winter and $15 for summer.

Playing the "what if" game has undoubtedly floated through the minds of many Caribbean travelers when looking at island publications advertising the tempting rentals of luxurious villas and properties. "What if I could only afford it..." Now, you can!

Estate Concordia Studios capture the magic and vistas of the area while providing all the creature comforts from home at an upscale, affordable level. There are eight units which come with fully equipped kitchens, furnishings and decorations, private bathrooms, and ceiling fans. They're somewhat larger than Maho's Harmony models and the expansive windows and french doors leading onto elevated deck patios create an uncontainable feeling of wide-open space from within.

The studios are perched hillside and centrally located around the registration/administration center which also contains a small general store. The swimming pool, laundry and pay phones are also in this area. Just as at Maho Bay, everything is connected by a wooden walkway and stairs system with directive markers placed along the railings. These also lead to the eco-tents and guests would be foolish not to amble around the bend as yes, the views can and do get even better than what's seen from decks!

As with the eco-tents, guests must have access to their own rental transportation for navigating about the island - including the 45-minute drive to/from Cruz Bay where you can easily pick-up all the necessary groceries and supplies. If you're looking to get out of an evening, the nearby settlement of Coral Bay is about a 10-minute drive away. However, the coastal road is dotted with restaurants and eateries.

There are two models of studios. Loft duplexes come with additional beds, a second bathroom and can sleep up to six people. Their decks are wrap-around and all have ocean views. They're priced at $190 per night double occupancy during the winter season with additional guests paying $25, or $150 during the summer season with additional guests pay $15. If splitting the cost 6 ways during the off-season, that's $35 a night; too good to pass up!

Studios can accommodate three people and are $135/$150 double occupancy with a partial or full ocean view during the winter. Rates drop to $95/$125 during the summer season. Additional guests also each pay $25/$15 per night.

Waste Not - Want Not: The "How" of Ecotourism Preserving earth is the "everything" of ecology, but with what has been accomplished at Maho Bay and Concordia Estates, one quickly learns this goes farther than just the lands they're located upon. Even more amazing than how they've unobtrusively combined tourism without disturbing the local environment, they've achieved this with a recycled/refurbished method that has spared the world!

Both facilities have been constructed using labor intensive methods which prevents the need for heavy machinery. This promotes minimal defoliation which helps to retain ground water and natural shade. The elevated walkways avoid ground contact and conceal pipes and cables negating need for trenching. Perhaps the biggest fete and showcase example is the swimming pool at Concordia Estates. The descending depth scale, from 3' to 8' feet is width-wise rather than typically length-wise, taking advantage of the hill's natural slope without needing bulldozers.

Within Harmony and Concordia studios, materials include floor tiles made from recycled clay scraps; counter and table tops from recycled glass; nails of remelted steel; wallboards of paper and gypsum; decks of recycled newspaper; roof insulation from milk jugs and roof tiles of cardboard and cement.

Some of the specialized design features are cisterns for collecting/storing rain water and composting toilets which contribute to a rich top soil. Recycled gray water run-off from sinks/showers provide a natural irrigation system. Wind scoop roof-designs help pull heat from within the building. Window and patio doors are coated with a solar cool glazing with placement to maximize cross ventilation. Solar and wind generated energy provides electrical needs including for ice makers, outdoor ovens, and high efficiency 24-volt refrigerators which use 60-90% less electricity than standard models.

Most of the furnishings have been "recreated" left-overs from other sources of the tourism industry, while carpets have been made from recycled plastic, and linens made from unbleached genetically colored cotton. Decorations are hand-crafted from natural substances and have been collected from many countries.

Exposure to such practices only fuels the consciousness and self-awareness possibilities for how we all can be involved with ecological issues regardless of where we come from. And in doing so, the theme of these photos is, "Save the Picture Frames"!

When all accommodations come with kitchens, I initially wondered what percentage of guests bother with a restaurant in lieu of preparing their own meals. It appeared the majority, but perhaps it was about more than just the food. The Pavilion Restaurant; an-open air dining room perched on the side of a hill with unobstructed vistas of the bay, serves up the best view from within the entire Maho compound.

We arrived just in time for dinner and a sunset that set the magical ambiance for the remaining of our stay. While we didn't see the illusive momentary green flash; when the setting sun eclipses the distant horizon, I could just as easily have sat there night after night - with or without eating!

Dinners are served nightly from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. with a rotating daily menu that features at least five different entree selections including a pasta and a vegetarian dish. Prices range from $9 - $18 dollars, and all meals include salad bar and beverage. While I sampled the salmon at our table, I'd opted for the chicken fajitas prepared with a Caribbean flare. Everything came in large serving portions and weekend selections, when we were there, were more upscale in selection/price than from earlier in the week when sandwiches and liter entrees are served.

In addition to soft drinks, tea and coffee, there's a bar serving beer and wine. It was pointed out that liquor is not sold at the bar or in the general store, but guests are not prohibited from purchasing and bringing their own in. After dinner, there's a nightly activity or movie shown on the big screen television off to the side.

Breakfasts are served from 7:30 - 9:00 a.m., but the coffee is brewing by 7:00 a.m. for those $1 bottomless cups. For early risers, I highly recommend getting a jump on the day to enjoy the views and tranquillity before everyone else wakes up. Selections for breakfasts ranged from fresh fruits, cereals, muffins and dairy goods, to a full-fare of hot-off-the-grill items that ranged from $3.50 - $7. Again, the servings were large and the crepes, french toast and stacks of pancakes looked excellent.

Keeping with the natural surroundings, small finch-like birds were hovering around the syrup bottles, a female peacock calmly visited tables waiting to be hand-fed, and a pair of rapidly, Unidentified Flying Objects swooshed through our table conversation face level leaving only breeze and flutter-hum.

The Pavilion doesn't serve lunch, but guests can get snacks and liter foods at the Beach Shack which is located in the water sports equipment rental area and open from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Enveloped by the Atlantic and Caribbean, St. John's is a water sportsman's paradise with numerous activities and opportunities available. Maho Bay Camps runs a full-service of equipment rentals and instructors from their Beach Shack which is open 9:00 - 4:00 daily.

Snorkeling is by far the most popular activity. Full sets of equipment can be rented for $7.00 per day or $35 a week. Wet suits are the same price for day/week. Organized night snorkeling trips, which include gear, wet suit, dive light, and certified dive master, present a whole new adventure with the nocturnal reef life. Sea turtles are best seen at dawn/dusk around the shallow seagrass beds of Maho Bay. Otherwise, there isn't much of a reef and snorkelers will find the most marine life along rocks just left of where you enter the beach.

There are several levels of Scuba excursions offered around island reefs and shipwrecks. For first-timers, there's a package of basic scuba lesson, equipment and instructor, and reef dive for $70. If you're looking to become fully P.A.D.I. certified, a four-dive series of lessons runs $350 with the Referral Check-out dives costing $235. If you're already certified, tank dives run $50, or $75 for two different locations. There's a 10% discount for divers using their own equipment.

Windsurfing boards/sails are $20 per hour, $30 for three hours and $45 for six hours. Basic sailboat rentals are $25 per hour, $45 for three hours and $75 for a six-hour day. Lessons for either of these water craft run $50 for 90-minutes. Kayaking, with sit-on-top ocean models, provide mobility to reach nearby, off-island cays for snorkeling. A one-person kayak rents for $15/$30/$45 for 1/3/6-hour trips, and a two-man kayak goes for $20/$40/$65.

If you're a fisherman, you might speak with some of the Maho staff. While they don't offer any organized fishing expeditions from the Beach Shack, they were speaking about fishing in their spare time, and you might get one of them to take you along.

*An article from the National Park newspaper on, Where is the best snorkeling, was informative describing the island's 15 major bays. While it never committed to naming the best, I was quite surprised with opinions on Trunk Bay - one of the Caribbean's most famous featuring an "overrated" underwater trail. It was recommended as great for beginners and children, but immense popularity generates overcrowding and disturbance of the natural underwater environment; especially with uneducated snorkelers damaging the reef/coral by standing on it.

With two-thirds the island of St. John designated a National Park, you can't help but drive through it. For taking a closer look, there's many brochures published by the Park System to give guidance/information.

There are 22 hiking trails which meander around the island ranging in distances from 0.1 - 2.2 miles with various levels of difficulty determined from the steep terrains. We took the Leinster Bay Coastal Trail which is conveniently located near Maho Bay. This 0.8-mile easy walk showcased the island's waters, historical ruins of nearby sugar mills, and scrub-type vegetation which are still coming into their own since the island was cleared for sugar cane grown until the late 1800's

With little indigenous plant-life remaining, take a good look at the flowering plant pictured below while it's still there. The Century Plant, also known as the islander's Christmas Tree, is threatened by infestation of the Mexican Boll Weevil. Plants blossom every seven years, or right before dying. Needless to say, there was sadness in their abundant blooming beauty which covered the island.

There are 162-known species of birds on the island. An informative National Park checklist details best times of year/places for spotting them. Shut screened doors/windows where you're staying or birds will come in to sample fruits, and other foods.

The mongoose is looked upon as the equivalent to mainland rats with their destructive behaviors and carnivoristic diets which include bird and sea turtle hatchlings. Their random, ferret-like appearance was anything but amusing to locals. There's believed to be around a dozen illusive deer roaming the island which were released some years back, but you're more likely to see formerly domesticated animals which at one time wandered off and have evolved/repopulated in the wild.

Goats, large pigs and donkeys could be heard and seen roaming free; also being potentially destructive AND dangerous to inattentive motorists. Donkeys, somewhat tame, have caused the most brazen problems foraging off tourists. At Cinnamon Bay Campgrounds, they've had to re-fortify entries of studios and tent-cabins to keep hungry critters from just barging in to help themselves. However, the funniest story came from nearby Caneel Bay which is a maximum security resort for U.S. Presidents and other visiting dignitaries. While they might be able to trace the comings/goings of humans, they couldn't stop a pack of donkeys which gained access to the facility's kitchen and made quite the mess...including eating all the corn flakes!

Summer travelers will also have a full-schedule of holiday activities as St. John hosts a three-week festival leading up to the 4th of July. Intermingled with island cultural traditions and American independence, events include a food fair, amusement carnival, amateur boxing, bike race, crowning of the queen, and a nightly entertainment schedule of variety shows and concerts featuring some of the hottest Calypso and Reggae groups from the Caribbean. They're held at the Winston Wells Ball Field in Cruz Bay. The town's beautiful bay area serves as backdrop for the fireworks extravaganza. If you'd like detailed schedules of activities, call the St. John Festival & Cultural Organization at 340/693-8036 or preobtain a copy of the St. Thomas - St. John THIS WEEK magazine from contact info in this journal's Overview tips.

Coinciding with the festival was the first ever Wagapalooza to raise money for the St. John Animal Care Center. Held at Skinny Legs Bar and Grill across the island in Coral Bay, we happened to pass through just as the judging had finished and full attention could revert back to the party spilling out around the area. Most of the 70-some dogs which competed were now panting in the shade, but something told us it was more their owners "on parade" with their outlandish, attention-grabbing costumes.

It was here, at this 99% Caucasian attended event, that I posed the question to our guide, "so are these all tourists or locals?" I was assured THEY WERE locals, but I couldn't help wondering if this percentage ratio had far surpassed the melting pot concept that kept being referred to. With the Virgin Islands being under six different flags before becoming a U.S. territory, and with the effortlessness for other Caribbean islanders to permanently relocate, I continually found myself looking for those of former slave and West Indian decent. Aside from in/around Cruz Bay, there just weren't many to be found.

The Virgin Islands have became the perfect haven for U.S. residents looking to permanently indulge their island lifestyle fantasies; especially on St. John. And what better place, without the language barrier of Puerto Rico, while still being under America's currency, government and flag...IF you can afford it even with the tax breaks. Still, I was desperately needing my ethnic multi-cultural fix! While our group was browsing the upscale shops of Mongoose Junction, it's no surprise I found Caps - a small roadside bar in Cruz Bay with ice cold El Presidentes, bachata and merengue, and the Dominican flag and people.

The one-week minimum stay requirement has recently been lifted which allows guests more flexibility in their visits. However, I agree with staff in suggesting a long weekend is needed to at least acclimate/melt into the soothing environment!

SCHEDULES & SERVICES OFFERED
Registration Desk - Open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., guests can also pick-up incoming mail;, phone/fax messages; first aid, light bulbs and other basic needs as well as retrieve additional maps and info.

General Store - Open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with a variety of foods, beverages, ice, medical supplies and pharmaceutics, film/disposable cameras, and souvenirs, clothes, and beach goods. Located just to the side is the Help Yourself Shelf where campers can leave food, books/magazines, supplies, and any other items they don't want to take with them so others can use.

Internet/Computer Service - There are currently two units for patron usage with a small fee. Their accessibility hours are same as the Registration Desk. Due to popularity, the Coin-operated laundromat will be relocated so more computers can be installed. The laundromat is open 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Activities Desk - Open 8:00 - 10:30 a.m., and 4:00 - 6:30 p.m., guests can make arrangements for car and boat rentals as well as booking excursions for around both U.S. and nearby British Virgin Islands. Each week, a schedule is posted with availabilities too numerous to mention. Costs range from $35 - $85 per person.

Spa - There was only brief mention of a newly opened spa where guests can get massages. Staff also spoke of the nearby salt pond where locals and some guests go to bathe/scrub in the mineral-rich basin. A similar salt pond is also located at the Concordia Estate.

Glass Blowing - Next to the maintenance area is a kiln pavilion where glass blowing demonstrations are given by staff members at least two nights a week. It was very interesting to see how quickly and skilled they can turn recycled glass into works of art which are then locally sold.
*Maho Bay is looking for "legitimate" craftsmen, who use natural or recycled materials, to come and give demonstrations and teach classes for 1-3 month periods in exchange for room and board.

Using the long flight to familiarize myself with Stanley Selengut, the founder and President of Maho Bay Camps, I wasn't sure what to expect from spending my next 36-hours with this man. His press-release biography included such accomplishments, dating back to the 1950's, as:

• Creating a large-volume importing company specializing in South American native crafts that entire Andean villages existed on revenues from.
• Consultant to the Kennedy Administration and working for the State Department, and as a staff consultant in Industrial Development for the Office of Economic Opportunity.
• Design and manufacturing of childhood learning products including an innovative award winning furniture and accessory system which allows a child to control their room environment; a complete model system in the permanent collection of The Smithsonian Institute,

...and the list went on. Unfortunately, our limited time with this intriguing gentleman didn't.

Stanley Selengut is not what you'd expect from someone who's achieved so much. The unassuming character - never without his signature white cap, is as real as the natural environments and people he's dedicated his life to protecting and sustaining.

Based on a consulting assignment for the Rockefeller Brothers involving low-income housing, Selengut came to the Virgin Islands National Park in the mid-70's with the task of developing an economically viable resort which also complied with National Park regulations. And as they say, the rest is history. Interesting enough, it wasn't his passed accomplishments which filled conversations, but speaking of all the ideas and visions which have yet to transpire.

Through development and programming of Maho Bay Campground and Harmony, as well as the Estate Concordia Studio and Eco-tents which he outright owns on property he's purchased, his self-sustaining specialties on St. John have the potential to affect the entire Caribbean and poorer countries of the world where outside non-renewable resources are limited.

WHERE THERE'S A WILL, HE'LL FIND A WAY
Aside from future expansions at Maho Bay and Concordia, Selengut has set his sites on a bigger picture issue which involves employment opportunities and income for islanders, conservation through recycling, and image improvement for the cruise ship industry...and how they "supposedly" have been disposing of all that garbage and waste.

With connections to the top brass of international tourism and cruise lines, initial concepts and proposals are being discussed for having ships "officially" throw away all their recyclable garbage and waste every time they dock at a port of call. Once the glass, plastics and metals are melted back into their natural forms, native islanders would use these resources for hand-crafting Caribbean-fashioned metal key-chains, hand-blown glass, plastic-woven rugs, and any number of other momentos that have already been tested. Our table was more than impressed with the sample products displayed and those which were used in decorating the Harmony and Concordia studios.

Perhaps the most ingenious of the concepts would be to make and sell these items in small stores amid the tourists' traps that await where cruise ships dock. Not only would the continual stream of business help the locals who are making/selling the goods and running the stores, but passengers would be educated on ecological issues while potentially taking home decorative souvenirs made from things they, and their comrades, had thrown away.

Selengut has a way of making things happen; turning long-range goals into short-term accomplishments. He'll likely need all of this and more when undertaking what could be his biggest endeavor. The lease on the National Park property Maho Bay is located upon will be up in 10-years. And with all that's been successfully accomplished, there's an urgent underlying fear that the property could be signed over to another management company where profit gains take precedent over ecological focus.

A lot could happen between now and the year 2012, but the seriousness of potentials eluded to would lead one to believe the lease was expiring this year. Selengut might have pulled-off some unbelievable feats throughout his career, but Maho Bay is obviously his heart and soul. And at 73-years old, he's no more ready to sit-back and coast than an idealistic graduate fresh out of college.

CHARACTER OF A CHARACTER
With all the prestige of Long Island, NY's Hampton neighborhoods, it's hard to imagine Selengut calling this area home now and not St. John. Splitting time between the City and Kennedy Airport, he's made the ultimate sacrifice asked of most visionists and developers - to leave the daily hands-on stages of their projects behind for handling all the top-level muck.

Serving on a number of Boards and Advisory Committees, including as a Founding Board Member of The International Ecotourism Society, Selengut also devotes much of his time educatively speaking at worldwide conferences, and to school children. These passions for sharing what's closest to one's heart also revealed why he wasn't content just to give us his spiel and property tour during the 48-hours he'd flown to be with us.

Selengut wouldn't hear of letting the trip organizers hire a local-driver to show us around the island for a day. Piling into the back of a pick-up truck, we set out for more adventure than just his aggressive NYC-accustomed driving challenging the back-roads of the island.

Whether walking the trails, stopping at roadside overlooks, or table side chat, Selengut's vast wealth of knowledge was comparable listening to a Marlin Perkins, Jacques Cousteu, and Euell Gibbons rolled up into one as an ideal spokesperson for either the Discovery or History channels. Yet it was his simplistic depths of passions and enjoyments of the good life which were captivating only leaving one wanting more.

Reputation far proceeded this developer of "Stanley Cloth" - what the staff calls the fabric used on Concordia's Ecotents which Selengut developed while working on a project with NASA. As we trailed him around the facilities of both compounds, it was an honor to be seen with this man which guests immediately recognized in singing their praises for marveling at his creations while adding a chorus of how many times they'd made the trip to St. John because of them.

In town, this island icon caught the attention of anyone who'd been around for more than a couple of weeks; many which had been one-time Maho Bay employees. But the biggest indicator of our host's prestige and status came when stopping roadside to pick-up a pair of 20-something hitchhikers.

As they began to reveal their stories of coming to the islands...and basically never leaving, it was then our time to share about visiting on behalf of the U.S. Virgin Islands tourism bureau and staying at Maho Bay. The young man immediately proudly quipped about his passed employment there indicating he remembered Stanley Selengut. He was quite surprised to learn this legend was the unsuspecting shuttle driver who'd graciously stopped to pick them up. I'm not sure about the others, but I felt my chest swell a little with pride that I was in the company of this ecotourism pioneer as his guest...and passenger.

Those of us making the trip all received invitations for returning to Maho Bay any time as his special guests. Offers like these are too good for me to pass up; especially when it involves "anywhere" Caribbean and with these soothing natural environments. But something tells me I'd have to...unless, I could lure Stanley back to join me.