Jan 26, 2024 | Island News
We were excited to read Travel + Leisure‘s February 2024 Water Issue and seeing St. Croix and local businesses in the spotlight! In the online article (a version of this story first appeared in the mentioned issue of Travel + Leisure) “The Largest U.S. Virgin Island Is Largely Unspoiled — Thanks to Its Eco-friendly Ethos” Travel + Leisure highlighted St Croix as a bright, eco-friendly, low-impact choice for tourism in the Caribbean.
St. Croix, the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is not overdeveloped and much of its natural beauty remains unspoiled. There are limited nonstop flights from major cities, relatively few cruise ships, and no mega-resorts — just a smattering of boutique hotels.
Travel + Leisure
Bush Cook, a three-day community fair at Sejah Farm, Jack & Isaac Bay Preserve, Feather Leaf Inn, Coral Innovation Hub, and more were featured. Read the e-version of the article here.
Nov 20, 2023 | Island News
Congratulations to St. Croix for being selected for a major national award that will boost St. Croix’s natural ecosystems! The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced this month that 74 new grants totaling $141.3 million through the 2023 America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC). St. Croix received a $2.1 million grant for the project, titled “Human and Nature Connections: U.S. Virgin Islands Territorial Parks, Waters, Trails, and Work Program,” which is a collaborative effort involving The Nature Conservancy, Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism, and the Virgin Islands Trail Alliance according to an article from the VI Consortium. It also said the initiative aims to employ a youth conservation corps to restore over a quarter of the wetlands on the island. This will establish habitat corridors spanning between Altona Lagoon and Great Pond, stretching from the north to the south shores of the island. This will include new hiking trails too. An article from St. Croix Source said that the initiative, managed by the new Territorial Parks System, is slated to increase public land protection from 5 to 12%, increasing opportunities for the public to connect with nature through activities such as hiking, biking, birding, fishing and other wildlife experiences.
NFWF‘s Description of the Grant Awarded Project
Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships to Connect Conserved Lands of the U.S. Virgin Islands Grantee: Government of the Virgin Islands
Grant Amount: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,109,600
Matching Funds: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .N/A**
Total Project Amount: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,109,600
Create the first conservation corridor that spans the length of St. Croix by partnering with local organizations and employing a youth green skills corps. Project will expand public access while stemming erosion along 2.11 miles of beach and will use environmental engineering interventions and reforestation to restore a total of 260 acres or 27 percent of wetlands on St. Croix.
(for a complete list of awardees and their projects, click here)
Photo by GoToStCroix.com
