Thriving Islands

13/10/2026

Did you know you can garden underwater? 🪸🌊🪮

Off the coast of St. Croix at Butler Bay, our Youth Ocean Explorers University of the Virgin Islands & Thriving Islands interns took on the role of coral gardeners!

As ocean temperatures rise during the summer months, endangered Elkhorn coral dangling on nursery trees faces intense UV and heat stress. To protect these growing fragments, our young scientists fabricated custom shade structures on land, swam them out, and installed them directly onto the nursery trees, all while scrubbing away algae to keep the corals healthy and clean.

Local youth are taking real, hands-on action for coastal resilience in the Virgin Islands! To learn more about this internship program, click the link for the full YouTube video!

https://youtu.be/pNse_XFWR34

📍 Butler Bay Coral Restoration Area, St. Croix

Partners:
Coral Restoration Foundation
Ceiba Strategies LLC
Blue Salt Divers

14/09/2026

Proud of these ladies!

When young people are given room to lead, they can rise to the occasion. 🔥

This summer, a seven-member delegation of Fayetteville girls traveled to St. Croix for the inaugural Girl, Ignite Your Fire! Teen Summit & Cultural Exchange. Through leadership development, mentorship, wellness activities, community service and cultural exchange, they formed lasting connections while discovering more about their own strengths and potential.

Learn how the Zenaida Cranford Mentor Mentee Mentorship Program is helping girls ages 12–17 build confidence, broaden their horizons and turn leadership into action: upandcomingweekly.com/local-news-briefs/12537-girl-ignite-your-fire-gives-fayetteville-teens-room-to-lead

25/08/2026

✨🔥Beach Cleanup Recap 🔥✨

We are so proud of this incredible group from Horizon Mission Haus! These young women showed up bright and early on a Saturday morning to help clean the beach at the Frederiksted Pool—and they made a real difference.

Thriving Islands partnered with the Zenaida Cranford Mentor Mentee Mentorship Program and Virgin Islands Good Food to host this community cleanup with these inspiring queens. 👑

Using the from Ocean Conservancy , we recorded the trash we collected and turned the cleanup into a learning experience. Together, we discussed the impacts of litter on our environment and brainstormed ways to inspire our community to keep our beaches clean and beautiful.

Moments like these remind us why investing in young leaders matters. We love being part of a movement that empowers the next generation to care for their community, protect the environment, and lead with purpose.

These young women are already making waves in their community, and it was an honor to spend the morning alongside them. 🌴🌊💙

Keep shining, keep growing, and keep thriving. ✨💙

16/08/2026

A coral nursery at Butler Bay is expanding efforts to restore endangered elkhorn coral on St. Croix’s west end through a partnership between the Coral Restoration Foundation and Thriving Islands LLC. Click the link for more.

Link: https://stcroixsource.com/2026/08/15/coral-restoration-organizations-join-forces-at-butler-bay-coral-nursery-on-st-croix/

11/08/2026

We love our Elkhorn coral! 🪸🫶

08/08/2026

🌊🇻🇮 Exciting news for Butler Bay! New coral trees have arrived! 🪸

Thriving Islands is thrilled to partner with the Coral Restoration Foundation to expand the coral nursery in Butler Bay, St. Croix, with 8 new coral trees!

These underwater nurseries will be home to Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata)—one of the Caribbean’s most important reef-building corals.

While hanging on these trees, the corals can grow quickly before being fragmented and outplanted back onto the reef, helping restore Butler Bay with greater genetic diversity and resilience.

Healthy reefs mean healthier fish populations, stronger coastlines, and more vibrant marine ecosystems for all of us. 🐠🐢💙

If you’re snorkeling or diving in Butler Bay, be sure to stop by and say hello to our newest underwater residents! 👋🪸

⚠️ A friendly reminder to all boaters: please help protect this restoration site by avoiding anchoring near the nursery or on the reef. Your awareness helps ensure these corals have the chance to grow and thrive for years to come.

Spread the word, bring a friend, and keep an eye out for the new coral trees on your next ocean adventure! 🌊 Feather Leaf Inn Ceiba Strategies LLC

19/06/2026

🌿 New Field Trip Opportunity on St. Croix! 🌊

Bring your students outside for a day of exploration, discovery, and hands-on learning at Feather Leaf Inn.

Students will:
🍈 Explore heritage and fruit trees
🌳 Learn about giant baobobs
🌱 Get hands-on in our mangrove nursery
🦀 Discover amazing creatures in nearby tide pools
🔍 Complete a nature scavenger hunt

These experiences are part of the Roots for Reefs program, a free curriculum available to educators and educational facilitators throughout the US Virgin Islands.

DM us (or email: [email protected]) to learn more or schedule a field trip! ☀️

Ceiba Strategies LLC Feather Leaf Inn

Send a message to learn more

08/06/2026

🌊🐠 Meet Your St Croix Neighbors! 🪸👋

June 8th is World Oceans Day, and we’re celebrating the incredible underwater community living right beneath the iconic Frederiksted Pier in St. Croix!

Join us for a quick virtual dive and get to know some of the amazing (and rare) corals that call these waters home. From tiny reef builders to massive coral colonies, each one plays an important role in keeping our ocean healthy. 💙

👀 Your challenge: Can you spot all 7 featured coral species?

The next time you’re diving or snorkeling under the pier, keep your eyes peeled and let us know how many you find! Bonus points if you share your photos in the comments. 📸🐟

19/05/2026

16/05/2026

Check out our coral spawning internship recap! ✨🪸