Previous Urban & Community Forestry Grant Projects

The Urban & Community Forestry Program was established in 1978 with the passage of the Cooperative Assistance Forestry Act. The primary goal developed for the program was, and to this day is: to encourage citizen involvement in creating and supporting long-term and sustainable urban and community forestry projects throughout the US Virgin Islands.

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Below are some of the successful projects that the Urban & Community Forestry Program has funded in the past. We encourage the formation of innovative, new project ideas and collaborations! Read up on some of our previous projects to learn more.

Learning About Trees and Plants

A Project of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. John, US Virgin Islands

By Gail Karlsson with Suki Dickson Buchalter, Kevel Lindsay and Eleanor Gibney

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This book is meant to help both residents and visitors in identifying and learning about trees and plants on St. John.

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In the course of the project, we learned that many native trees are currently threatened by a combination of factors, including droughts, deer grazing, development projects and imported pests. We hope that the information in this book encourages people to pay more attention to the native trees and plants, and to assist in preserving them.

Plants of Conservation Concern:
Herbs and Plants of the United States Virgin Islands

By Kevel C. Lindsay, Eleanor Gibney, Toni Thomas, Jean-Pierre Bacle, and the Island Resources Foundation

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"The islands are home to a number of indigenous and unique plants and habitats, many of which are under severe threat, mainly as a result of habitat loss, fragmentation and ecological decline.  It is with this in mind that Island Resources Foundation (IRF) worked with its U.S. Virgin Islands partners to initiate efforts to focus on the long-term conservation of these native species and their dependent ecosystems.
 
This project focuses on conservation of native trees in the U.S. Virgin Islands, particularly rare and endangered species and their habitats, in order to help ensure sustainable populations. 
 
The purpose of the project was:
To identify and map the U.S. Virgin Islands’ most critical native tree species, understand the threats to these species, and develop long-term, on-the-ground conservation and management options.
 
The objectives were:

1. To establish an updated baseline list of the native tree species of the territory.

2. To identify the Territory’s most critical rare and endangered tree species and develop a short list of priority species for conservation.

3. To identify and GPS known locations of the critical species, including those on private lands.

4. To develop conservation options for rare and endangered species.

 
Working with Urban and Community Forestry Program, the IRF team:

• updated the list of native and naturalized species of trees of the Territory;

• identified key areas of remaining relatively pristine forests for native flora;

• provided GPS locations of critically rare and endangered species (where possible);

• produced a set of conservation options for their long-term sustainability; and

• worked with local and regional experts to devise an effective approach for determining species and habitat health/ecological status."

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Sundial Park

The Sundial Park is located on 2 acres of land owned by the Spring Gardens Homes Assoc., Inc. #3 in Tulipan Welcome. Since 1970 this land lay unmonitored. The Home Owners reported several problems with the area. It had turned into a huge dumpsite. It was a fire danger and health hazard. The garbage blocked the gut system that had once drained water from the area and the homes were dealing with increasing flood waters. Having minimal funds the Board of Directors turned to the Urban & Community Forestry Grant Program for assistance. Alma Winkfield accepted the responsibility for the project from the application of grants to the opening of the park.

The Association was awarded two grants from the Urban and Community Forestry Program. Year 1 was devoted to clearing the dump site. Five vehicles and 33 large bins of garbage were removed. Year 2 was spent building berms to resolve the water drainage issues and flood problems. Then came the creation of a Pavilion and entrance walls, bridge and Human Sundial. Volunteers and neighbors came out to paint 2 large murals in the park as well as to build pallet furniture. They gathered to plant ~150 local species trees and palms and to install an irrigation system for times of drought. A maintenance plan had been developed to ensure the site continues to be a Nature Park.

The long years of work have ended and the Park is complete. The Park is called Sundial Park in memory of Mr. Antonio Gonzales Romero, known as “Sundial”. He once owned and raised cattle on the site. The Park will impact generations to come. We would also like to motivate other groups to build their dreams and make a better place for all. Partners: Dept. of Health, Walkability Team, VI Department of Public Works, AARP of the VI, Hiking Association, Biking Federation, Department of Agriculture, Department of Sports, Parks, & Recreation.

Guide for Safer Trees in the Landscape

By Carlos Robles with the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service

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"This guide is for everyone who manages one or many trees in a yard or community setting. It can be used by homeowners, professional landscape maintenance supervisors and workers, tree care specialists, and natural resource managers. Whoever wants to manage trees properly, with an eye towards safety, can benefit from this publication."

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