The Virgin Islands Blog

A few years ago while visiting Estate Whim Plantation on St. Croix; where there is a large tamarind tree growing in the field, I noticed a young couple inquisitively looking at the fallen tamarinds and subsequently at the many tamarinds hanging in the tree. I could hear them talking. They thought perhaps the tamarinds were […]

If you have visited the U.S. Virgin Islands you may have heard or seen the word calabash. There are vacation rentals with calabash in the name, as well as a real estate agency. There is a neighborhood on St. John called Calabash Boom. There is reggae musician that grew up on St. Thomas that goes […]

When visiting different parks and nature reserves there is often a trademark regulation that sticks in a visitors mind. In caves it is don’t touch the stalagmites, stalactites and other formations. In deserts it’s don’t crush the soil crust, stay on trails. In parks with bears, it’s don’t leave food out. In the U.S. Virgin […]

In part one of What’s Growing in the Backyard (included in last month’s newsletter) we talked about some great local fruit that were in season during the summer months. One of the fruit mentioned was mango, and while my mango tree is done fruiting for this season, a few other trees have just gotten started. […]

Have you ever cleaned your house with a hand-made broom made from native USVI Teyer Palm? Do you know what a ‘goose’ is, the type you iron with? How about a coal pot, ever use one of those to cook? These three items conjure up lots of memories for many Virgin Islanders; and today we […]

When visitors think of water in the Virgin Islands the brackish water of wetlands isn’t likely anywhere in the lineup of mental images. More than likely those that come to mind include crystal clear beaches and the beautiful blue ocean.  Wetlands however play an important role in keeping beaches clear and clean. In the Virgin […]

The Virgin Islands consists of two groups of islands, the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Between them there are 8 major islands and over 90 smaller islands and cays. You likely can name the major islands: St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island in the USVI; and […]

There is a weekend in late March when St. Thomas becomes the place to be for sailors and sailor-wannabes alike; and the reason is the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). Leading up to the three day event, a steady stream of sailboats – big and small – make their way into American Yacht Harbor and […]

In the U.S. Virgin Islands when home owners are selecting trees and bushes for their gardens a popular choice is tropical fruit bearing trees. These might include a wild array of fruit such as; coconuts, mangos, soursop, sugar apples, guava, papaya – just to name a few. Some of these produce fruit year round while […]

If you have ever visited the USVI during the summer, you would have undoubtedly noticed bold, striking splashes of orange-red standing out from the otherwise green hills. These glorious bursts of color are the mark of the Royal Poinciana. In the USVI it is called Flamboyant, and if you have ever seen this tree in […]