St. John Land Conservancy (SJLC)
is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community organization dedicated to
the preservation of the natural, cultural and historic resources of St. John 
Our Purpose 
We share the concern that St. John is threatened with the destruction of natural habitat, historic and cultural resources,
​and the loss of public access.  
We strive to mitigate these threats by attaining land and other resources to protect from future development
so that all St. Johnians and visitors alike can continue to enjoy the splendor of this beautiful island.

Our Accomplishments
Our first accomplishment — the preservation of historic Haulover on the East End of St. John in 2011 and 2014. These 3.6 acres of unspoiled beach property, fronting both north and south bays, were to be sold to off-island concerns for condominium development. The history, culture and life that this land sustains are now saved for all to enjoy. See Projects

Our second main accomplishment was the preservation of the eastern tip of Lovango Cay. This lovely piece of land — more than an acre on the very easternmost tip of Lovango — ​has been set aside for our community for public enjoyment, both scenic and otherwise, by current and future generations.  In 2023 we extended this protection with a donation of additional waterfront property at Haulover.  The scenery and nature of this land and surrounding waters will be maintained, thanks to this generous donation and the efforts of all involved with the SJLC.

You love the warm breezes and the aroma of tropical blooms, the sounds of birds, the waves on a pebble beach that are the distinctive charms of our island, St John. We do too, and we believe in celebrating and protecting them for everybody – forever. 
​The future of preservation begins with you and you can make a difference. 

Please help us to save other endangered properties and keep St John, St John.

Our Mission

To preserve the natural, cultural and historic resources of St. John.

Meet Our Team

Larry Taft

President

Lawrence (Larry) Taft and his wife have been vacationing on St. John for nearly 30 years, first as campers at Cinnamon Bay then by renting villas in Coral Bay. After considering several places to retire, they decided it had to be their favorite place, Coral Bay on St. John, VI.

In 2007 the couple bought a small parcel of land. In 2012, they started on the construction of a small house in Calabash Boom using the best and most affordable “green building” techniques available at the time. The cottage was completed in 2014, when they began renting it to others and coming down to spend a few weeks each year to vacation.

Immediately upon Larry’s retirement from a 40-year career working in the environmental non-profit sector, the Tafts moved to St. John. His most recent position was the Executive Director of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, a position he held for 17 years. www.asri.org.

Larry brings with him extensive experience in land conservation and stewardship, not-for-profit management, fundraising and environmental advocacy.

“Even in retirement, I wanted to continue to work part-time and to be a productive and useful part of the community.

I feel very fortunate to have found this special opportunity to put my own knowledge and experience to a useful end helping to protect the natural and cultural resources of the Island that I love”.

Board Members, Officers and Staff

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Clifford David

Board Chair / Strategic Planning Committee Chair

​Cliff David first visited St. John in 1976 and stayed at the Maho campgrounds.  Ever since that first visit he has been charmed by the beauty and the unique community of caring people.   After several visits he and his wife bought a property in Kiddel Bay and spent the next 10 years restoring the house and grounds.  David’s career has included work with government, Nonprofits and the private sector.

Working for the Town of Windsor, CT he managed a 500 acre park adding additional acreage to the park, establishing an Interpretive Nature Center, creating year round educational programming, creating several revenue generating programs and establishing a nonprofit “Friends” group that raised several hundred thousand dollars. David also managed the permitting process for protection of wetlands and watercourses in the Town.

After leaving government David became President of Heritage Conservancy a regional Land Trust based in southeast PA. During his tenure at the Conservancy the organization protected seve
ral thousand acres of land, created several revenue producing programs such as a conservation planning department, real estate management and increased grant and major donor contributions. The organization grew from 5 FTE to 30 allowing the organization to expand its geographic service area from SE PA to multi state.

Following a 20 year career at Heritage Conservancy David established “Conservation Economics” a consulting firm focused on generating revenue from natural ecosystems while preserving the the natural habitat. Clients have included BNYMellon Bank, AquaAmerica, PPL utility company and Family offices.

Over the years David has served on numerous government, Nonprofit and Private Corporation Boards. 

Olasee Davis

Board Member 

Olasee is a native Virgin Islander, an environmental activist, ecologist, naturalist, ethno-botanist, agriculturalist, cultural historian, scholar and writer. A graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia, a graduated from Northwest Missouri State University, and attended graduate school at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas where he graduated as a forestry ecologist.

Olasee is an Extension Professor/ Extension Specialist Natural & Cultural Resource of the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service, School of Agriculture on the St. Croix campus. Davis has been featured locally, nationally, and internationally in over 70 magazines.
He has helped protect land, preserve historic and natural sites throughout the Virgin Islands. Many of these land protections came through his influence by published articles in national magazines and local newspapers, radio talks, television programs, testifying at court and public hearings, and testifying at the U.S. Congress.

In 2007, Professor Davis was honored by the University of the Virgin Islands as “Employee of the Year” for his outstanding contribution to the people of the Virgin Islands and beyond the shores of the territory. He was also honored as the Environmentalist of the year of the Virgin Islands, Environmental Quality Award of the year by EPA & United States Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management 25th Anniversary Distinguished Service Award & received over 300 awards.

He is an outspoken activist on the environmental issues relating to the protection and preservation of the cultural, natural, agricultural resources throughout the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean region. He is a visiting professor at times for several universities and colleges on the U. S. mainland. A Seventh-day Adventist for over 40 years, he has worked on many projects with the local, federal government, and non-profit organizations in the community.

Professor Davis is responsible at the School of Agriculture for developing and implementing educational programs with an emphasis on promoting the awareness of cultural and natural resources to include but not limited to the coastal environment and water quality education.  Close to Professor Davis’ heart is his passionate interest in teaching his students at the University of the Virgin Islands, visitors and other about the natural and cultural resources of the Virgin Islands. Over the years, many students have gone onto universities and colleges pursing degrees in the field of science and cultural history. 

Nicole Angeli

Board Member 

Nicole Angeli is the Director of the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Fish and Wildlife, working with staff across the USVI to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife stocks. Dr. Angeli works closely with staff, Territorial agencies, and federal collaborators to ensure that the preservation of the lands of the Virgin Islands are accomplished with strategic planning and environmental equity. Projects on St. John include signage for the Sea Turtle and Assistance Network, signage to delineate watersheds, long-term bird monitoring at multiple locations across St. John, collaboration on the Fish Market in Cruz Bay, and wildlife surveys on LeDuck, Flanagan, Rata, and Stevens Cays, as well as for populations of Solanum conocarpum on St. John, a small, endemic species under threat from herbivore predation. She has presented at regional and national conferences, provides scientific information for the Government of the Virgin Islands, and has co-authored over 40 journal articles and outreach publications.

Scott Hayes 

Board Member / Finance Committee Chair

Scott Hayes and his wife Lori first came to St. John in 2005. They were immediately taken by the natural beauty of St. John and the warm and welcoming community that greeted them. After several more trips to the island, they purchased a small home in Coral Bay in 2007 to gain a foothold in the place they now knew they wanted to live and retire full-time one day. Like too many others, their home was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and they began the long process of rebuilding, completing construction nearly 3 years later. They spent the next year living in Coral Bay, working to become more ingrained in the community they love and gaining a broader understanding of the sensitive environmental issues that threaten the delicate ecosystems of the Virgin Islands. When introduced to the St. John Land Conservancy, Scott realized this as opportunity to use his expertise in finance and his experience in working with non-profit agencies to help tackle these important issues and to give back to the community and the island that he loves.
​
Scott has served on a variety of not-for-profit boards ranging from his local sailing club to most recently serving as president of the American Retirement Association in Washington, D.C. He is a CFA Charterholder and he owns and operates a financial services firm based in Dallas, TX.

Stephen Hull

Board member / Nominating Committee Chair

Stephen first visited St John in 1993.  He and his wife, Maria fell in love with the island in record time; 36 hours into their week-long vacation they contacted a realtor, extended their stay a few days and went on a property hunt!  On that first trip they purchased a lot near the top of Ajax Peak where they lived in a truck camper while they built their home.  Stephen designed their home to nestle into the sub-tropical rain forest, disturbing as little of the land as possible.  Living on island, rolling up their sleeves and taking on a good deal of the work themselves gave them the opportunity to immerse themselves in island life - and they never looked back.  In 2009 Stephen and Maria sold their much-loved island home and bought a house on East End, near Haulover Bay, where they enjoy being a little further removed and within a short walk of the beach, excellent snorkeling and kayaking. Stephen has a passion for conserving scarce resources, and brings his experience in financial planning, statistics and business acumen to support the conservation efforts of SJLC.

Stephen earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering st Cornell University - which applies optimization techniques and computer tools for problem solving in a wide variety of applications. He has used these skills to build his business of over 40+ years and to assist clients by developing business models, land planning and development, analyzing the financial viability of natural resource projects, optimizing inventory management, designing the first flat panel portable Macintosh, analyzing the DNA of the Epstein-Barr Virus and researching and designing alternative energy solutions, with a special emphasis on solar energy!  While he considers himself semi-retired, he is rarely without a project or two to keep him occupied and is committed to assisting SJLC with its efforts to preserve the island we all know and love.

Anna Lawson

Board Member / Acting Secretary

A former writer and editor for Hollins College (now University) and the Kettering Foundation, Anna Lawson has served on a number of local and state boards in Virginia, chairing those of The Nature Conservancy (Virginia chapter), Hollins, TAP (a Virginia regional poverty agency), and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

She spent eight years as a trustee of the Virginia Environmental Endowment (a grant-
making organization created in 1976 with court-ordered fines levied against Allied Chemical Co. for dumping Kepone in Virginia’s James River), and was a board member of the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (appointed by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine in 2007). Until recently she was vice chair of the board of Valley Conservation

Council, the 11-county land trust in her area. She has also served on the board of Population Connection, a national education and advocacy organization committed to stabilizing world population (successor to ZPG).

Anna was a founding director, in 1994, of ValleyBank (Roanoke, VA), now part of Pinnacle Financial Partners, headquartered in Nashville, TN. Currently, she chairs the Friends Council of the NPR affiliate in her region, WVTF, based at Virginia Tech, and is a board member of Rachel’s Network, a national environmental organization of women leaders and agents of change dedicated to the stewardship of the earth.

She holds BA and MA degrees in English from Hollins College, and PhD in anthropology from the University of Virginia, with a dissertation focused on presentation of African-American history in a leading US history museum.

The Lawson family began visiting St.John in 1979. In 1992, Anna and her husband, Tom, an artist and writer, built a house in St. Quaco & Zimmerman above Johnson’s Bay, and now split their time between St. John and Virginia, living in the Blue Ridge Mountains on land watered by Tinker Creek and abutting the Appalachian Trail. They have two grown children, five grandchildren, three dogs, and a pair of (wild) great blue herons who nest annually on their (Virginia) creek. On St. John they watch birds, snorkel, paddle board, garden, walk, read, and listen to live music, especially local jazz an open mike events.

Elissa Runyon

Board Member

Elissa Runyon, a dedicated member of the St. John community since the late 1970s, is deeply committed to the preservation of the island's natural beauty.

In the home she and her husband constructed, Elissa not only resides but thrives, finding inspiration in the unparalleled beauty that St. John offers. Amidst her bustling schedule as a full-time real estate appraiser and Chair of the Virgin Islands Board of Appraisers, Elissa has seamlessly woven her passion for land conservation into the fabric of her daily life. Recognizing the significance of preserving the natural wonders that define St. John, she actively supports and champions local conservation efforts.

​Elissa's appreciation for the island's tranquility and the close-knit community motivates her to play a pivotal role in safeguarding St. John's unique landscapes through her dedicated service on the Board of Directors for the St. John Land Conservancy.

Todd Sampsell

Board Member / Natural & Cultural Resources Committee Chair​

​​After serving for a little over two years as President of Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, Todd returned to his native Pennsylvania in March of 2021 to join Natural Lands, a regional land trust, as Vice President of Conservation, overseeing the organization’s land protection, conservation easement, planning and municipal services work throughout eastern PA and southern New Jersey. Todd’s love of St. John, its people and special places has led to his interest in supporting and serving on the board of the St. John Land Conservancy.

Todd spent much of his time in St. John SCUBA diving with his wife and sons, participating on CORE’s lionfish and coral reef strike teams and getting to know Virgin Islands National Park and the many challenges facing the St. John community. He looks forward to visiting St. John and working with others to help ensure the island’s natural resources, Virgin Islands community, history and cultural heritage are protected.
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Todd’s 20-year conservation career spans the United States, Central and South America, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, his former employers include Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and Missouri’s Departments of Natural Resources and Conservation.
​
Todd earned his BS in biology from Bloomsburg University, and his MS in biology from California University of Pennsylvania.

Matt Snider

Board Vice Chair / Marketing Committee Chair​

Matt Snider and his family are the owners and operators of the Lovango Resort + Beach Club, located on Lovango Cay off of St. John. Matt has been living on Lovango since the resort began in 2019. The property is committed to a variety of sustainable practices, including solar, composting, growing the surrounding coral reef and making its own water. Guest accommodations, consisting of treehouses and glamping tents, leave a limited footprint on the islands.

Matt grew up in the Boston area as well as on the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket where Lovango’s sister properties are located. Hospitality is in his genes and moving to Lovango has been a great way to get to know and fall in love with St. John.

Matt graduated from Hamilton College with a B.A. in English and focused his concentration on nature writing and literature.

Matt's motivation for joining SJLC, in his own words: "Protecting and preserving St. John. As time marches on, ensuring the island stays true to itself and doesn’t fall victim to unnecessary and harmful change. I truly believe St. John is one of the crown jewels of the world. I want to be a part of an organization that keeps it that way. I couldn’t think of anything more successful than preserving the “magic” of St. John."

Karen Vahling

Board Member

Karen Vahling became a full-time resident of St. John some 27 years ago.  As a SCUBA Dive Master from Illinois, Vahling fell in love with the underwater world first, and soon learned the connection between healthy coral reefs and land development practices.  Passionate and determined to protect the environment above and below the water, she volunteered to collect scientific data related to the effects of erosion on coral reefs and began a quest for the education and tools to make a difference for St. John.

As a nontraditional student, Vahling graduated with honors at age 39 with a BS in Environmental Communications and Nonprofit Management from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins.  She launched into the nonprofit world with an internship at the Coral Bay Community Council, where she did environmental outreach about erosion control for the community, contractors, school groups and visitors.  Meanwhile, Vahling began building her eco-friendly home in Coral Bay from the ground up, following Green Building guidelines established by the Island Green Living Association, which she became Executive Director of for several years, launching creative recycling initiatives such as today’s Resource Depot.

In 2012, Vahling became Development Director for Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, the largest nonprofit based in the Virgin Islands.  Here, Vahling was able to bring her passion to bear on 23 programs and projects that preserve, protect and educate for Virgin Islands National Park.  In close collaboration with the President, Vahling had senior responsibility for all aspects of fundraising, membership, coordination of special events, and public relations for the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park. Known for her “outside the box” thinking, Vahling prepared development strategies and annual development plans, lead fundraising activities, cultivated private and corporate donations, wrote grants, and generally raised awareness of the organization’s accomplishments and activities.  In her tenure, Vahling increased event revenue 40 percent and secured several major donations and grants.  She also created many new fundraising and cost-reducing initiatives still in use by the organization today.

Throughout her nonprofit career on St. John, Vahling worked to complete her eco-friendly rental villa that runs on the sun and rain, and remains free of hot tubs and swimming pools, which she feels are out of place in the nature of things.  She lives in a small, rooftop cottage under 30 solar panels with her partner, Jeff, who can build or fix just about anything.  Most days, Vahling can be found tending to organic produce in her garden, or walking her 11-pound rescue dog, Taco, to far-flung places around St. John.  

March C. Storm

Administrative Support

March joined SJLC in June 2021 to assist with administrative tasks and to put new systems into place under a new Board of Directors.

​A 16 year full-time resident of the Caribbean, she brings with her a passion for preserving the unique natural resources here and experience working with non-profit organizations on three islands: St John, Puerto Rico and Bonaire.  With over 15 years of experience working in the public sector and for non-profit organizations, March brings an array of skills in marketing, development and administrative support.
 
March is bilingual (English/Spanish), holds an international business and marketing degree from The George Washington University and completed her teaching certification at Universidad del Sagrado Corazon in Puerto Rico.  She is excited for the opportunity to contribute to land conservancy on St John.

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Founders

Lauren Mercadante

Founding President

40 years ago, I began coming to St John annually with my parents, who had a condo on St. Thomas, long before there was a K Mart. When I was 15 a friend of mine and I rented a Sunfish at Red Hook for $3.00 and sailed it to Salomon Beach and back, my hands bloody and blistered. We hiked into the bush, not knowing where we were going, among bird calls and Gongolos, to the smiling faces who greeted us in a dusty and peaceful town - I was hooked. When life permitted, I continued the tradition with my own family, and now live part-time in St Quacco with my wonderful husband, George. I started working with the Friends of the National Park volunteer trail crew from its inception and was a docent at Annaberg. I am a gardener, a naturalist, a hiker and the luckiest woman on Earth. 

George Mercadante

Founding Secretary

Born, relatively happy childhood, school, more school, work, work, work, ..., work, retire. End of bio. 
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I'm on the last step and I can't think of a better place to be now than St. John! Pristine beauty and access to beaches, trails, and ruins; her undeniable "quaintness" and slow, comfortable pace. And what could be more fun than donkeys, sheep, and chickens in the road? I love everything about this delicate island. (Lion fish - not so much.)

But, as we all know, her many charms are endangered by relentless over-development. How long can St. John remain St. John against that pressure? Is her decline as inevitable as it seems? I don't know. But I can not accept this slow mutation into non-uniqueness. So I hope to add, "... and tried to protect St. John along the way", to the end of my bio.

Actually, chickens are a mixed blessing. Hens are great and baby chicks too, of course. But when you're trying to sleep, roosters can be a real pain in the ... island, let's say.. 

A special thank you to Steve Simonson for donating his great photography for this site!
See his work here.