Environment

St. George Village Botanical Garden and V.I. Trail Alliance Secure $2.5M Each for Reforestation

The St. George Village Botanical Garden and the Virgin Islands Trail Alliance have received grants of $2.5 million each from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program.  The money is part of nearly $1 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act being spent by the Forest Service to increase tree cover across the United States, specifically in disadvantaged communities. The reforestation exercise comes following studies which indicate that communities with access to trees and green spaces are associated with a host of positive benefits, including improved health outcomes, reduced crime, and lower average temperatures, according to the USDA.  The Botanical Garden will use its grant to plant trees in the Garden – 1100 altogether – as well as on as-yet-unspecified school properties in the territory. According to a statement from the organization, the St. George Village Botanical Garden will serve as an “accessible, shaded, and safe public spa...