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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