Virgin Islands National Park?s
November 19th, 2008
Virgin IslandsNational (Islas Virgenes) Park’s hills, valleys and beaches are breath-taking. However, within its 7,000 plus acres on the island of St. John is the complex history of civilizations - both free and enslaved - dating back more than a thousand years, all who utilized the land and the sea for survival.
Civilizations lived on St. John long before the Europeans arrived to the region, as evidenced by the petroglyphs, or rock carvings left by the Taino people. These carvings are found especially on the Reef Bay hiking trail. These people were all but driven into extinction by Europeans in the 17th century seeking new territories as colonial properties.
Much of the vegetation on the Island is second generation growth (webcam Islas Virgenes). Almost the entire Island was clear-cut to make way for sugar cane production during the colonial era. Some native species like the tyre palm remain, but much growth today are introduced species.
In 1962, Congress expanded the boundary of National Park to include 5,650 acres of submerged lands to protect and preserve the beautiful coral gardens and seascapes. Today, the Park conducts research, and has developed policies and practices aimed at protecting the fragile coral reef systems.
The need to protect reefs from further degradation led to a Presidential Proclamation establishing the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument in January 2001. Hurricane Hole (pictured) is the only area of the Monument accessible by land.
Climate is temperate year-round ranging from low eighties during the winter months to the low - mid nineties in the summer.
Did You Know?
The mangrove forests found along the coastline in some bays serve as nursery habitats for juvenile fish. These beautiful trees with aerial roots provide filtration of the runoff and reduce the amount of sediment reaching the ocean. The Red Mangrove is one of several species found in the Park.