Friends of Virgin Islands National Park

Friends of Virgin Islands National Park John.

Founded in 1988, Friends of Virgin Islands National Park is a non-profit dedicated to the protection and preservation of the natural and cultural resources of VI National Park and VI Coral Reef National Monument on St. Friends of Virgin Islands National Park protects and preserves the natural and cultural resources of Virgin Islands National Park while connecting visitors to the park and the park to the community.

Summer camps are in full swing! ☀️😎🌊Friends of Virgin Islands National Park is supporting the summer camps of Department...
18/06/2026

Summer camps are in full swing! ☀️😎🌊

Friends of Virgin Islands National Park is supporting the summer camps of Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation, The Boys and Girls Club STJ and STT, Dr. Peets Music Suite, Dynamic Summer Program, John's Folly Learning Institute, Julius E. Sprauve School, and Gifft Hill School with a combination Learn to Swim Program and onshore educational presentations though our School Kids in the Park (SKIP).

A huge thank you to Cinnamon Bay Beach & Campground for hosting our programs and lessons onsite!
Learn more about Friends programs here - https://friendsvinp.org

Caneel Bay 🌊🪸🦆🐢There are significant natural and cultural resources on the Caneel Bay property that are wholly unique an...
18/06/2026

Caneel Bay 🌊🪸🦆🐢

There are significant natural and cultural resources on the Caneel Bay property that are wholly unique and not found anywhere else. We believe they should be protected and preserved so that future generations will come to know and love them as we do today.

Explore community views and check out the "Caneel for the People" panel discussion from 2022 - https://friendsvinp.org/caneel-bay/

You're invited! 🪸🤿🔭🌕Join us on July 20, 2026, from 9-11am at the SPACE220 Centauri Station in EPCOT, Florida. On Nation...
16/06/2026

You're invited! 🪸🤿🔭🌕

Join us on July 20, 2026, from 9-11am at the SPACE220 Centauri Station in EPCOT, Florida.

On National Space Exploration Day, July 20, 2026, Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, in partnership with Causeway Impact, Blue Community Consortium, National Space Society, and World Innovation Network invites you to a special gathering at SPACE220 Centauri Station.

​At the center is Project Tektite, the 1969 and 1970 underwater mission that took place in Virgin Islands National Park and helped NASA understand how humans survive in extreme environments, shaping space exploration ever since.

​Through film and conversation — including a message from world-renowned American marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle — we’ll explore how ocean and space innovation intersect, and what it will take to keep the spirit of Project Tektite alive for future generations.

​This is more than a story. It’s a chance to be part of what comes next.

Register for free to attend here - https://friendsvinp.org/tektite/
*Attendees will need to purchase EPCOT passes to get into the park.

It's World Sea Turtle Day! 🐢Here at Friends, sea turtle protection is near and dear to our hearts as one of our major pr...
16/06/2026

It's World Sea Turtle Day! 🐢

Here at Friends, sea turtle protection is near and dear to our hearts as one of our major programs. Symbolically adopt a sea turtle to support St. John Sea Turtle Protection here: https://donate.friendsvinp.org/giving/AdoptATurtle

Can you tell the difference between two of St. John's most commonly seen sea turtles?
Hawksbills:
🌊Sharp, pointy beak
☀Overlapping scutes on the shell
✨four prefrontal scales

Greens:
🌊short, unhooked beak
☀scutes on shell that lay against each other
✨two prefrontal scales

Remember to stay 6-10 feet away when you see a turtle snorkeling so as not to disrupt their foraging and keep them protected.

Friends is happy to congratulate our new scholarship recipients: Dax Chouiniere and Zia Zucker from St. John. 🎓🎓🎓🎓Dax, a...
15/06/2026

Friends is happy to congratulate our new scholarship recipients: Dax Chouiniere and Zia Zucker from St. John. 🎓🎓🎓

🎓Dax, a senior at Gifft Hill School, has been awarded the Noble Samuel Scholarship and Internship to study sustainable innovation at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands.

🎓 Zia, a senior at Virgin Islands Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy, has been awarded the Jeffrey Matheny Scholarship and heads to Harvard University to study environmental science and public policy.

Five other scholarship recipients are Virgin Islands youth studying at the undergraduate level - the awards totaling $35,000 under both the Jeffrey
Matheny Scholarship and the Noble Samuel Scholarship and Internship.

“Friends of the Park is committed to building a pipeline of opportunities from our School Kids In The Park, Learn To Swim and Summer Trail Crew programs, to internships and scholarships like these.” Read the press release here - https://friendsvinp.org/seven-scholarships-awarded-by-friends/

Donate to support our youth programs, cultural programs, marine conservation, trail work, beach cleanups, tree replanting and more here: https://donate.friendsvinp.org/giving

Spotlight on our Summer Trail Crew!Summer Trail Crew just completed their first week! 🍃🌱🍃Monday: Safety orientation to k...
15/06/2026

Spotlight on our Summer Trail Crew!
Summer Trail Crew just completed their first week! 🍃🌱🍃

Monday: Safety orientation to kick off the season, worked on native plant identification, and did some initial clearing at Peach Hill.

Tuesday: Worked on the Caneel Hill Trail, had lunch at the Cruz Bay Overlook, and learned trail clearing methods.

Wednesday: Removed a tree that had fallen into the path on the Brown Bay Trail and learned about the Solanum conocarpum (endangered endemic species in the VI!).

Thursday: Worked with USDA and then went to Annaberg to learn about the mangroves and restoration.

Friday: Saw some pretty birds at Catherineberg and did some bush clearing around the ruins.

Summer Trail Crew is an eight-week summer job opportunity for Virgin Island high school students ages 15 to 18! Learn more about our youth programs here - https://friendsvinp.org/youth-programs/

Do you want to join the sea turtle team to help protect sea turtle nests? 🐢🥚Now is your chance! RSVP to join the trainin...
11/06/2026

Do you want to join the sea turtle team to help protect sea turtle nests? 🐢🥚

Now is your chance! RSVP to join the training session on June 20th.

Volunteers must:
Live on St. John
Have personal transportation
Attend the training session

Learn more about the program here https://friendsvinp.org/

Looking for ways to keep your young ones entertained through the summer? ☀🦆Check out our online resources! Both the bird...
11/06/2026

Looking for ways to keep your young ones entertained through the summer? ☀🦆

Check out our online resources! Both the bird and sea turtle activity books are available for free to print on our website: https://friendsvinp.org/skip-resources/

For bird enthusiasts of any age, the Friday Bird Walk at Francis Bay will continue through June! Meet at the factory ruins at 7:30am every Friday.

Have you seen a blue coral on St. John?The Blue Crust Coral is an uncommon coral that can be seen in Caneel Bay! Check o...
10/06/2026

Have you seen a blue coral on St. John?

The Blue Crust Coral is an uncommon coral that can be seen in Caneel Bay! Check out our "Fauna of the Caneel Bay Subwatershed" to learn more about this coral from retired fisheries biologist, Jeff Miller.

Watch it here - https://vimeo.com/1186361276

Friends of Virgin Islands National Park is thrilled to share that we are working with Steve Simonsen and William Stelzer...
09/06/2026

Friends of Virgin Islands National Park is thrilled to share that we are working with Steve Simonsen and William Stelzer to produce a documentary about the Tektite program!

The Tektite program took place in Virgin Islands National Park in 1969 and 1970 was a private public partnership between the likes of GE, NASA, US Navy, Department of the Interior and others, and the first scientists-in-the-sea program sponsored nationally. This documentary is part of an effort to capture this exciting element of St. John history and inspire our youth to become the next generation of explorers and marine scientists.

Learn more about the project here: https://friendsvinp.org/tektite/
Want to support this documentary? Donate here! https://donate.friendsvinp.org/product/TEKTITE/support-the-tektite-documentary-program

Address

NPS Visitor Center
St John
00830

Opening Hours

Monday 08:15 - 16:00
Tuesday 08:15 - 16:00
Wednesday 08:15 - 16:00
Thursday 08:15 - 16:00
Friday 08:15 - 13:30

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