Cultivating resilience: Urban, community forestry initiatives in US Virgin Islands

Photo: USDA Forest Service photo by Diana Martínez. Retrieved from fs.usda.gov

In the face of escalating climate challenges, the U.S. Virgin Islands is implementing transformative solutions that blend environmental stewardship, education and cultural heritage. Through three highly collaborative projects funded by Urban and Community Forestry Program grants  made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, V.I. Trail Alliance, St. George Village Botanical Garden, and other partners are leading the charge toward a greener, more sustainable future for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Leaders of these initiatives are deeply rooted in the communities they serve. They find in these grants the support needed to broaden the work they have been conducting in the islands for many years.

One such leader is Dr. Olasee Davis, board member of the V.I. Trail Alliance and agriculture professor at the University of Virgin Islands. “Trees are our friends,” said Davis as he listed the numerous ways in which trees serve the community—offering economic value, protecting property during hurricanes, retaining water and cooling the temperature. The V.I. Trail Alliance’s project includes planting food trees along the island’s streambeds. “Traditionally here, over 200 years [ago], our ancestors planted trees along guts or streams,” added Davis.