Congratulations to St. George Village Botanical Garden and the V. I. Trail Alliance for each receiving a $2.5M 4-year grant from the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program! The botanical garden and the trail alliance were 2 of 385 grant proposals selected from thousands of entries nationwide.
The St. Croix Source reported that the grant, “Strength of Our R.O.O.T.S.: The Community’s Reclamation of Our Trees & Soil in the St. George Village Botanical Garden, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands,” is a conservation project that will plant trees in the St. George Village Botanical Garden and on school properties. The garden specifically hopes to increase the number and diversity of garden trees by 220% percent by planting 1,100 new tropical trees with associated labeling and signage. Read the full article here.
According the the VI Consortium, The Virgin Islands Trail Alliance Inc. plans to harness volunteer efforts to remove invasive species on St. Croix and replace them with native species and fruit trees, in an effort to “heal” the Big Island’s forests. “Healthier forests will provide tools for resilience to face daily and future environmental stresses,” according to the Trail Alliance. Read the full article here.
More about the Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program: