VI Clean Coasts

It is !! We're excited to spotlight our exceptional programs and the dedicated efforts they've made to advance sustainability in the Virgin Islands.

Please consider celebrating with us by donating today; your support helps keep these impactful programs running! https://give-usa.keela.co/VICS-giving-tuesday-donation-form

Eco Schools USVI sparks environmental passion in VI students! Active in 10 USVI public schools, Eco-Schools enhances STEAM curriculum, cultivates youth leadership, and heightens community resilience. We are proud to report a total of 1644 students reached territory-wide in the 2022-2023 school year, and we are increasing the number of students and schools reached this year!

is only a few days away! We are so proud of our outstanding programs and want to share the great work they have been doing to promote sustainability in the VI.

VI Clean Coasts helps USVI businesses, schools, residents, and marinas reduce their impact on the environment. We take a proactive approach to sustainability by offering Eco-Certification and seed grants to businesses, leading to the elimination of styrofoam and the removal of single-use plastic. The VI Clean Coasts program has prevented 25,000+ plastic water bottles from entering VI landfills by installing water bottle filling stations!

Interested in joining the program? Apply here for Eco-Certification! https://form.jotform.com/VICleanCoasts/eco-certification-application

Your support helps keep these impactful programs running; please consider donating today. https://give-usa.keela.co/VICS-giving-tuesday-donation-form

Giving Tuesday Donation Form Giving Tuesday Donation Form for the Virgin Islands Conservation Society

We are hiring! Come and join our team as the Residential Erosion Control Program Coordinator. Scan the QR code or visit this website to apply:

https://viconservationsociety.org/residential-erosion-control-program-coordinator/

“Working together for a sustainable and resilient future in the US Virgin Islands.”

We're thrilled to announce our latest grant from the EPA, enabling us to support businesses in phasing out styrofoam and single-use plastics, reducing landfill waste. Our mission is to create a sustainable, eco-friendly Virgin Islands for future generations.

“The proposed project reduces people’s exposure to harmful chemicals and waste, especially in historically marginalized, underserved, and overburdened communities across the Virgin Islands.”

U.S. Virgin Islands Government to Receive Almost $700K to Help Reduce Food Service Industry Waste | US EPA EPA News Release: U.S. Virgin Islands Government to Receive Almost $700K to Help Reduce Food Service Industry Waste

We are so proud to be a part of this! Enjoy some delicious food at Pangea. Dine in or take-out waste free 😊

♻️Waste-free take out! 🌎

Introducing our brand new re-usable to-go containers! Simply ask to go waste-free when ordering take-out or taking your food home when dining in. Then bring it back next time you're in! It's that simple.

Huge shoutout to VI Clean Coasts for providing the containers and helping us to be the first restaurant on STT with a waste-free take out option!

Did you know that Feather Leaf Inn is a VICC Certified Business? This is a wonderful establishment to patronize and support sustainability using your dollar bills!

On Earth Day, some local St. Thomians enjoying a cold drink at the new water filling station in the lobby of the new restrooms next to Vendors Plaza. Thank you to our partners: Rotary Club of St. Thomas East ECO and Custom Builders for partnering with VICC on this project. So great to have this right in town for everyone to enjoy! Happy Earth Day! 💙🌎

Easter weekend is just around the corner! Although it is a great time of year to go camping with family and friends, let's remember to work together to ensure that we are protecting our coastlines! Here are a few ways that you can help make a difference:

Very excited to for this😊

VI Clean Coasts Expands Program to Support the Reduction of Environmental Footprints The Virgin Islands Conservation Society, in partnership with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, is expanding the VI Clean Coasts program to include assistance for coastal businesses and organizations.

Are you ready for another year of Great Mangrove Cleanups! Our first cleanup this year is on St. Croix at Altona Lagoon on Sunday, March 26th. Register now, bring a group, and help us get all of the derbis out of the trees at Altona Lagoon! https://viepscor.org/2023-marine-debris-cleanups

Excited to welcome Saint John Boat Charters to our VICC Certified Eco Business family 😍

Certified Eco-Business! VI Clean Coasts -- thank you for everything you do for ecological preservation of the Virgin Islands!

A great opportunity for a local organization to get some work done 😊

The Virgin Islands Conservation Society is coordinating a giveback day for 200 volunteers on Thursday, April 20, 2023 from 1:00PM-5:00PM. Groups of 30ppl minimum at a time.

If you have a community project that could use some physical assistance - please sign up by Wednesday, February 22, 2023.

You organize the activity - we will organize the transportation.

For more information or to sign up your organization, please contact Valerie Peters - [email protected]

Did you know that Styrofoam is toxic to humans?

Polystyrene Foam: WHY WE MUST SAY "NO" TO FOAM!

*Styrene, the main ingredient in polystyrene foam, is classified as a likely carcinogen in humans.

*Americans use 25 billion styrofoam cups per year; less than 9% of which will be recycled.

*Styrofoam cups and containers readily leach toxins into the food and drinks they contain and the process is accelerated by heat as well as contact with fatty and acidic foods.

*Polystyrene does not biodegrade and may persist in the environment for more than one million years.

*As styrene leaches from landfills into our drinking water, it causes liver, kidney, or circulatory system problems.

*15+ million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year.

*Polystyrene is lightweight and floats. As litter, it easily travels from streets and through storm drains out to the ocean.

*Experts predict that there will be 1 pound of plastic in the ocean for every 3 pounds of fish by 2025.

Beyond Plastics

We are so excited to have Pangea terra table restaurant as a newly certified VICC Eco-Business!

🚨🚨🚨NEW GRANT FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE NEXT MONTH🚨🚨🚨
Dear VI Business Owners, join the movement and go green! VI Clean Coasts is a FREE local eco-certification program, the only requirement to become certified is that you do not use any expanded polystyrene (styrofoam) at your place of business. We help businesses create a custom eco-journey and also provide seed grants to those who qualify. Simply complete these two short online forms to become certified and you will recieve a certificate and sticker which can be displayed at your place of business to let your customers know you care about preserving the Virgin Islands for generations to come. Each individual can make a difference when we work together!
Complete these two short forms:
https://form.jotform.co/KristinaEdwards/VICC-registration
https://form.jotform.com/KristinaEdwards/VICC-selfaudit
Photo of the Phillip family enjoying a drink at the Virgin Islands Children's Museum from the Hydration Station that was funded by VI Clean Coasts.

Quench Your Thirst at The Virgin Islands Children’s Museum The average person uses 156 plastic bottles per year, and each one of those bottles can take 450 years or longer to decompose! Many organizations and individuals are trying to reduce single-use plastics in the territory.

Join us at Hull Bay on Sunday, October 2nd, from 9-11am for a beach clean-up!!! Hope to see you there!!!

Registration form: https://forms.gle/ziq3FakEx1ieceJXA

Website: https://www.uvi.edu/community/virgin-islands-marine-advisory-service/st-thomas/coast-weeks.aspx

Calling all VI restaurants and bars that want to SAVE MONEY!!! Did you know that by eliminating or reducing your single use plastics you can save anywhere from $3000-$22,000 a year? Interested in learning how? Attend this free webinar on October 3rd to find out! Register using the link below:

https://www.beyondplastics.org/events/restaurants-10-3-22

Hold the Plastic, Please! A Web Briefing For Restaurant Owners Who Want To Reduce Single-Use Plastic — Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution Please join us on Tuesday, October 3, 2022 at 2 PM ET to learn more about how your restaurant, cafe, or bar can reduce the volume of expensive, polluting, and wasteful single-use plastics you use in your daily operations.

Together we can make a difference!
Dear VI Business Owners, join the movement and go green! VI Clean Coasts is a FREE local eco-certification program, the only requirement to become certified is that you do not use any expanded polystyrene (styrofoam) at your place of business. We help businesses create a custom eco-journey and also provide seed grants to those who qualify. Be first in line for our grant funding when we receive our next disbursment. Simply complete these two short online forms to become certified and you will recieve a certificate and sticker which can be displayed at your place of business to let your customers know you care about preserving the Virgin Islands for generations to come. Each individual can make a difference when we work together!
Complete these two short forms:
https://form.jotform.co/KristinaEdwards/VICC-registration
https://form.jotform.com/KristinaEdwards/VICC-selfaudit

Photo of Hydration Station at The Virgin Islands Children's Museum that was funded by VI Clean Coasts.

We were so happy to be able to assist on this project!

We are very grateful for our new Hydration Station! 💧 Thank you to VI Clean Coasts and Virgin Islands Conservation Society for helping businesses in the VI keep plastic and other waste out of our oceans.

Food & Drink are still NOT allowed in the museum, however if you visit with your refillable bottle, we have the water for you! 😀 Continue to consider our environment and support the businesses that do. ❤️

Calling all anti-plastic pollution advocates! Join us next Tuesday, September 13th at 7 PM ET for a free webinar to help learn how you can help restaurants in your area kick the single-use plastic habit.

We’ll walk you through our new guide, Hold The Plastic: A Restaurant’s Guide to Reducing Plastic and hear from experts Grace Lee at ReThink Disposable and Sarah Shelley at Plastic Free QAC to make sure you have all the information and materials you need to reach out to restaurant owners and managers in your community and help them skip single-use plastic!

Please register now for this webinar on September 13, 2022 at 7:00 PM ET US at: https://bit.ly/9-13-22

Protecting Our Coastal Resources Brochure.

Come join us Saturday, September 24th from 9am-11am for a Coastweeks Clean-Up! Meet at the Coral World parking lot. Free Coral World day pass for the first 20 participants. Hope to see you there!

The Virgin Islands Conservation Society promotes the conservation and restoration of island ecosystems, sustainable development of islands, and awareness of conservation issues.

VI Clean Coasts is a collaboration between Virgin Islands Department of Planning & Natural Resources Division of Coastal Zone Management and the Virgin Islands Conservation Society. It's goal is to help the Virgin Islands become more eco-friendly through seed grants and educational programs customized for each participant.

https://viconservationsociety.org/programs/vi-clean-coasts/

Protecting our Coastal Resources:

Why should we protect our coasts?
Our coastlines in the Virgin Islands provide a vital role in protecting residents from high winds and storm surges during hurricane events. Our economy depends on beautiful beaches and clean swimming water for residents and visitors alike. The coastlines also provide vital habitat for plants and animals. Protecting these spaces from overuse/misuse, erosion, and nutrient run-off are vital in preserving our environment.

https://viconservationsociety.org/programs/vi-clean-coasts/

Beach Code of Conduct:

- Properly dispose of your trash.
- Do not cut trees or bushes.
- Park vehicles in designated parking areas.
- Drive on the road, not the beach.
- Avoid disturbing or touching wild animals,
plants, corals, and other marine life.

https://viconservationsociety.org/programs/vi-clean-coasts/

How can you help our coastlines?

*Refuse. Reduce. Reuse. Eliminate your use of single-use plastics. Use reusable cups instead of single use plastic bottles. Remember that every choice you make has an effect on our planet.

*Rethink how you build your home, use green infrastructure techniques and permeable surfaces for your driveway. For landscaping, choose native plant species that retain water and prevent erosion.

*Replant native species on exposed soil surfaces and only use environmentally friendly fertilizers or none at all .

https://viconservationsociety.org/programs/vi-clean-coasts/

Coastal Mitigation Problem
Nutrient Run-Off: Heavy rains can cause naturally occurring and man-made nutrients to wash into the ocean. Excess nutrients in the ocean produce low light levels which harm ocean flora and fauna. Fertilizers such as those used in farming and yards lead to an overgrowth of algae, which is harmful to both humans and wildlife.

https://viconservationsociety.org/programs/vi-clean-coasts/

Coastal Mitigation Problem and Solution:
Stormwater Run-Off: Paving of surfaces makes the ground impermeable and leads to massive amounts of water with nowhere to go besides down to the ocean in heavy rain events. Using permeable pavement is a solution for this problem.

https://viconservationsociety.org/programs/vi-clean-coasts/

Coastal Mitigation Problem and Solution:
Erosion - Clearing land of trees and bush exposes soil which is washed into the oceans during heavy rain events. A solution to this problem is replanting native plants and trees to prevent erosion.

https://viconservationsociety.org/programs/vi-clean-coasts/

Coastal mitigation:
Human activity has greatly impacted our coastlines and led to problems such as erosion and nutrient run-off into our waters. Impervious ground cover, gut alterations, wetland loss, and inadequate drainage infrastructure are major factors in negatively impacting our coastlines.

https://viconservationsociety.org/programs/vi-clean-coasts/

VI Clean Coasts is a collaboration between Virgin Islands Department of Planning & Natural Resources Division of Coastal Zone Management and the Virgin Islands Conservation Society. It's goal is to help the Virgin Islands become more eco-friendly through seed grants and educational programs customized for each participant. For more information please visit:
https://viconservationsociety.org/programs/vi-clean-coasts/

V.I. Clean Coasts Announces Residential Erosion Control Program Aimed At Improving Drainage, Runoff And Erosion Issues V.I. Clean Coasts Announces Residential Erosion Control Program Aimed at Improving Drainage, Runoff and Erosion Issues

Together we can make a difference!

Dear VI Business Owners, join the movement and go green! VI Clean Coasts is a FREE local eco-certification program, the only requirement to become certified is that you do not use any expanded polystyrene (styrofoam) at your place of business. We help businesses create a custom eco-journey and also provide seed grants to those who qualify. Be first in line for our grant funding when we receive our next disbursment. Simply complete these two short online forms to become certified and you will recieve a certificate and sticker which can be displayed at your place of business to let your customers know you care about preserving the Virgin Islands for generations to come. Each individual can make a difference when we work together!

Complete these two short forms:
https://form.jotform.co/KristinaEdwards/VICC-registration

https://form.jotform.com/KristinaEdwards/VICC-selfaudit

Photo of Water Filling Station at St. Thomas Swimming Association that was funded by VI Clean Coasts.

We are so excited to have been a part of getting fresh cold water to the St. Thomas Swimming Association. Together we can eliminate single use plastics from the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can read the full article here:

https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/island_life/st-thomas-swimming-association-receives-donation-of-free-water-bottle-fill-station/article_e1657b94-167f-5fe8-b5c6-3c75c501d8d0.html

Thank you to V.I. Clean Coasts and Rotary Club St. Thomas East ECO for installing a free bottle fill station at our pool. Our swimmers thank you for keeping them hydrated!