Friends of Virgin Islands National Park

12/10/2026

VOLUNTEER IN THE PARK! 🌱🌱
This week’s walkup trail crew volunteer locations!

🌱Tuesday: Margaret Hill. Meet at NPS Maintenance lot at 8:30am. *No parking

🌱Thursday: Caneel Hill Trail. Meet at RMS Center (NPS Lind Point building) at 8:30am.

Volunteer on the walkup trail crew on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Help us maintain trails, clear ruins, plant trees, and remove trash! This is hot, sweaty work. Please wear closed toe shoes - no sandals. Bring at least 3 bottles of water and snacks. Work is typically done by 2pm.

For additional info on our trails program, visit our website at https://friendsvinp.org

09/10/2026

Ready for the weekend ☀️🌊

08/10/2026

Learn to Swim is back starting October 17th! 🏊🏻🏊🏿🏊🏽

FREE swim lessons every Saturday beginning October 17th from 9:30-11:00am to the left of the ruins at Cinnamon Bay. Lessons taught by American Red Cross Lifeguards and Water Safety Instructors.

Free shuttle from Cruz Bay leaves the ferry dock at 9am.

Anyone of ALL AGES is welcome.

See you all soon.

Learn more about Learn to Swim here - https://friendsvinp.org/learn-to-swim/

07/10/2026

Call for 6th grade art students in St. Thomas and St. John!!

Friends is hosting an Art Contest in honor of our Ocean Week (Oct 19-23). Art pieces related to ocean elements in a wide range of mediums will be accepted from 6th grades on St. Thomas and St. John (homeschoolers welcome too!).

First place winner will win a spot on our sea turtle boat trip in May, with the runner up receiving a goody bag from the Friends store.

Please email [email protected] to provide notice of your participation, get more information, and to receive ecosystem and species information and inspiration decks.

Teachers may enroll entire 6th grade art classes, or individuals can submit their work.

Artwork submissions are due November 1!

06/10/2026

Save the Dates!!

We are looking ahead to an exciting and productive season and invite you to join us! Save the date for these special occasions:

Annual Meeting
Saturday, January 23, 2027

Annual Gala
Saturday, February 6, 2027

Keep an eye on socials and our website for more details: https://friendsvinp.org/

05/10/2026

Trunk Bay is now cashless at the National Park fee booth.

As of October 1, 2026, cash is no longer accepted at this National Park location.

For a faster, safer, and more convenient visitor experience, Trunk Bay accepts card and mobile payments only.

Please be prepared to pay using a credit card, debit card, or contactless/mobile payment method. Thank you for helping us reduce wait times and improve the visitor experience. Please plan ahead and enjoy your visit!

Photo: Trunk Bay from Trunk Bay Overlook
Photo Credit: Ben Whitney

05/10/2026

VOLUNTEER IN THE PARK! 🌱🌱
First week of walk up trail crew this season! This week’s walkup trail crew volunteer locations:

🌱Tuesday: Lower Lind Point Trail. Meet at the Cruz Bay Visitor Center at 8:30am. *Parking not available.

🌱Thursday: Upper Lind Point Trail. Meet at NPS Maintenance Lot at 8:30am. *Parking not available.

Volunteer on the walkup trail crew on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Help us maintain trails, clear ruins, plant trees, and remove trash! This is hot, sweaty work. Please wear closed toe shoes - no sandals. Bring at least 3 bottles of water and snacks. Work is typically done by 2pm.

For additional info on our trails program, visit our website at https://friendsvinp.org

05/10/2026

Tektite 💚

St. John played a pivotal role in both outer-space and undersea exploration starting in the 1960s. Those were the years that NASA, the U.S. Interior Department, and the U.S. Navy collaborated with companies like General Electric to operate projects Tektite I and II, research programs conducted from 1969-1970 at an underwater habitat at remote Lameshur Bay. Click the link for more.

Link: https://stcroixsource.com/2026/10/04/friendsvinp-produces-project-tektite-americas-undersea-space-program/

02/10/2026

Did you miss the bird walk?

The Friday morning Francis Bay Bird Walk with retired ranger and bird lover, Laurel Brannick starts nextweek (Oct 9).

Meet at 7:30am at the George Francis factory ruins and learn about all things feathered on St. John.

Explore the Park! Learn more about Friends seminars, boat trips, events and more on our website — www.friendsvinp.org

01/10/2026

Volunteer Trail Crew starts next Tuesday and Thursday! 🌱🥾

Help us maintain our trails! Join us for walk-up trail crew on Tuesdays and Thursdays going forward, with locations and meeting times posted on our social media and website home page every Monday.

Tune in on Monday, October 5 for next week's locations.

Learn more about our trails program here - https://friendsvinp.org/trails/