Rain Garden Demonstration Project

V.I. RC&D, in partnership with the V.I. Department of Agriculture, V.I. Waste Management Authority (VIWMA), V.I. Department of Planning & Natural Resources, and Rutgers Cooperative Extension, installed the territory’s first rain garden to provide education and outreach to the VI community on how to alleviate storm water flooding and pollution problems. The rain garden was built at the VIWMA Green House Program in St. Croix on November 29-30, 2007 as part of a hands-on training open to the community. Thirty-four V.I. RC&D members, volunteers and partner agency staff donated over 180 hours of their time to install the rain garden. Volunteer efforts combined with $4,884 in funding from a DPNR-DEP §319 grant and over $500 in donated materials from VIWMA, VIDOA, the St. George Village Botanical Garden, and a local farmer to make this rain garden happen! VIWMA staff also led 4 tours of the rain garden for 3 developers and over 30 students. Total project contributions were $15,106. For more information about rain gardens, contact the V.I. RC&D office at 340-692-9632 x. 5 or vircd@usvircd.org.

V.I. RC&D, in partnership with HOVENSA and the UVI Cooperative Extension Service, hosted a successful week-long workshop April 14-18, 2008 to provide intensive, advanced-level training on grant proposal writing to 29 representatives from local government agencies, community groups, and NGOs. The goal of the training was to increase participants’ organizational capabilities and leadership skills. Total project contributions were $18,501. For more information, contact the V.I. RC&D office at 340-692-9632 x. 5 or vircd@usvircd.org.

2008 Natural Resources Conservation Workshop

V.I. RC&D provided scholarships to 8 Virgin Islands high school students and 2 chaperones to attend a weeklong environmental camp held June 8-12, 2008, at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia. The students and their chaperones learned about different careers in agriculture and natural resources, and the students received an introduction to college life. The project was funded by a $14,275 grant from the V.I. Urban & Community Forestry Assistance Program (UCFAP). The Council has also secured funding from UCFAP for the 2009 Natural Resources Conservation Workshop. Total project contributions were $26,139. For more information, contact the V.I. RC&D office at 340-692-9632 x. 5 or vircd@usvircd.org.

Manure Composting Training

V.I. RC&D sponsored a Manure Composting Training conducted by USDA-NRCS National Technical Center Trainer, Bill Reck, on August 28 & 29, 2008 in St. Croix and St. Thomas, respectively. The training focused on methods of managing manure that are beneficial to the farmer as well as the surrounding community in which the farm is located. Ten farmers on St. Croix and 15 farmers and residents on St. Thomas participated in the morning classroom sessions, with 6 more farmers joining in the afternoon hands-on sessions to build an actual compost pile. Total project contributions were $7,947. For more information about the Composting training or other V.I. RC&D projects, contact the V.I. RC&D office at 340-692-9632 x. 5 or vircd@usvircd.org.

St. Croix Manure Composting Training participants pose with compost pile (front) & USDA-NRCS Trainer, Bill Reck (4th from left).	St. Thomas Manure Composting Training participants pose with compost pile (front) & USDA-NRCS Trainer, Bill Reck.