Disaster Response Virgin Islands Project #34164

Building Forward - Hurricane Recovery in USVI

by Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI)

Project Report | Apr 16, 2019
Interm Report - April 2019

By Anna Scarbriel | CFVI Director of Grants and Programs

A family picks up trees to plant at their farm

We are pleased to share updates with you regarding the environmental hurricane recovery and resiliency projects funded through your support!

Native Tree Planting

The St. Croix Environmental Association (SEA) has nearly completed its project, which had the primary purpose of increasing the number of native tress on St. Croix through planting and community tree giveaways. Planting native trees is an important aspect in the recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria and restoring the natural ecosystem that can better withstand future storms. Native trees are adapted to withstand the impacts of and recover from hurricanes. The root systems of native trees are well adapted to holding soil in place, keeping it on land rather than washing into the ocean and choking important coastal ecosystems. Finally, native trees are adapted to host native pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds, and bats, all of which are essential to forest recovery and the production of fruits that are an important food source for humans and wildlife alike.

The specific goal of this project was to plant 100 trees at the Southgate Coastal Reserve and to give away at least 150 trees to community members. Thanks to the generosity of the St. George Village Botanical Gardens and ARTfarm in providing discounted price on trees, SEA were able to purchase a total of 310 trees. Of these, 170 were given away at community giveaways and 140 were planted at the Southgate Coastal Reserve or the Barren Spot Bat Tower. Two community tree giveaways were held - one on the west end of the island at UCAs (a popular vegetarian restaurant and community gathering location) and the other on the east end of the island at ARTfarm (a family owned organic farm). Both were well attended and gave us an opportunity to talk-on-one about individual tree species with the recipients. SEA held a number of volunteer tree planting days and totaled participation by nearly 50 volunteers of all ages. Volunteers included individuals, families, and community organizations. Volunteers that were interested were also encouraged to take trees as part of the giveaway.

Project challenges were minimal and primarily logistical in nature. Moving such a large number of trees and keeping them alive until the dates of planting or tree giveaways took more effort than we expected. The other challenge was that many people that attended the tree giveaways wanted fruit trees, rather than native species that are hurricane adapted. SEA was able to use the opportunity to talk about the value of native trees and how they are especially important in hurricane recovery and resilience. They also had some additional outreach help from several University of the Virgin Islands students that researched the value of native trees in hurricane recovery and also a radio DJ on an agriculturally themed radio show that informed listeners of the value of native trees.

Recycling

We are pleased to report that the grant from the Island Spirit Fund through CFVI enabled the University of the Virgin Islands to secure additional funding to expand their recycling pilot project to St. Croix, so the initiative will now be rolled out concurrently on St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses. Several soft launch activities are taking place leading up to receipt of the bins/materials, including March at UVI's Afternoon on the Green and end of April at St. Thomas ReefFest. Based on initial community engagement, the project leaders note that a lot of education will be needed in order to make sure that the community is aware of the need for recycling and how to do so properly.

SEA staff providing education during tree giveaway

Tree Planting at the Southgate Coastal Reserve

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Jan 7, 2019
Interim Report - December 2018

By Anna Scarbriel | CFVI Director of Grants & Programs

Native tree planting at Southgate Coastal Reserve

We're always pleased when our funding allows grantees to access additional support - whether via funding, publicity, or volunteers. This has certainly been the case with respect to each of the 3 projects funded to date.

1. The funds provided to the University of the Virgin Islands' Caribbean Green Technology Center have allowed UVI to expand the scope of their effort! Because of the support provided through the Island Spirit Fund, a corporate foundation is now on board to contribute to the project.The company will be taking all cans/bottles donated on campus and transporting them to Puerto Rico for recycling. According to the grantee, these funds "helped open doors and get people really excited!" The recycling initiative is set to formally launch on the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses later this month.

2. The St. Croix Environmental Association held its first community tree planting day on December 29th (previously, they had held the first community tree distribution event in November). They have also hosted special group planting opportunities, such as a recent one with the Caribbean Centers for Boys & Girls on January 3rd.

(see photos)

3. Our most recent grant to the University of the Virgin Islands' Center for Marine & Environmental Studies centers around helping higher education students understand how integral marine and coastal science is towards promoting environmental health, sustainability and the economic viability of the islands. The SEAS (Supporting Emerging Aquatic Scientists) Your Tomorrow Program engages students from underrepresented and underserved groups in the marine sciences. This career pathway program is ultimately designed to increase knowledge about environmental and conservation issues and provide the skills needed to make informed decisions and be wise stewards of the environment. Such a program is important in the U.S. Virgin Islands because it is the only program like it in the territory and because it fills a critical gap in providing training for a new generation of scientists who will serve as stewards for the kinds of initiatives need to protect and enhance our naturl environment, including making it more resilient to natural disasters.

Native tree planting at Southgate Coastal Reserve

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Oct 2, 2018
Initial Progress Report_September 2018

By Anna Scarbriel | Director of Grants and Programs

Hello! We're writing to share updates on our environmental/marine recovery projects. To date, CFVI has made 2 subgrants with the funds received under this project. We will continue to keep you upadted as additional grants are made!

1. Indoo/Outdoor Recycling Pilot Project

The state of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) waste management is dire. This is due in part to a lack of recycling and composting options. To help remedy this problem, the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) willconduct a recycling pilot program on its St. Thomas campus. The goal is to first educate the population about recycling practices (e.g., following recycling directions, sorting waste, etc.), and second to start a recycling program at the University.

This project will support the installation of approximately 50 bins both inside and outside University buildings on the St. Thomas campus. Signage and special programs will serve to foster a culture of recycling at UVI, and also reach out a larger audience in the USVI about the merits, but also the mechanics of recycling.

2. Native Tree Restoration Project

The hurricanes of 2017 emphasized the importance of in-tact native ecosystems in hurricane resilience and recovery. Over the decades, the island of St. Croix has been heavily deforested and many of the native species of trees have been replaced with invasive species or with pasture grasslands. Native trees are adapted to withstand the impacts of and recover from hurricanes. The root systems of native trees are well adapted to holding soil in place, keeping it on land rather than washing into the ocean and choking important coastal ecosystems. Finally, native trees are adapted to host native pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds, and bats, all of which are essential to forest recovery and the production of fruits that are an important food source for humans and wildlife alike. The St. Croix Environmental Association was provided a grant to plant native trees on St. Croix to assist in the recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria and to restore the natural ecosystem that can better withstand future storms.

Specifically, the SEA will (1) purchase 100 appropriate native trees for the SCR habitat, plant the trees, and maintain trees until they are well established, usually about three months; and (2) distribute 150 native trees to the St. Croix community to increase the recovery of the native tree population island-wide.

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