2025 a Great Year
The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPTVI) says 2025 brought significant progress in conservation, research and park improvements through international partnerships and local engagement. Major works ranged from habitat restoration and soil seedbank recovery to infrastructure upgrades at key sites such as The Baths, Devil’s Bay and Spring Bay.
According to a Facebook post from the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPTVI), 2025 was a year of measurable gains for conservation, research and community engagement across the Territory. The trust said international partnerships, including projects funded through Darwin PLUS, supported critical work in biodiversity metrics, habitat restoration and soil seedbank recovery.
Priority sites for scientific work included Sage Mountain National Park and Great and Little Tobago, with the trust noting these efforts strengthen science-based conservation and build resilience for the future. Infrastructure and visitor-experience upgrades were also highlighted.
Major improvements at The Baths National Park and Devil’s Bay National Park included trail stabilisation, new signage and enhanced welcome areas designed to improve safety and visitor flow. Spring Bay National Park received essential walkway repairs after storm-runoff damage, increasing accessibility and reducing future erosion risks.
Upgrades were also completed at Queen Elizabeth II National Park and the JR O’Neal Botanic Gardens. The trust framed each repair and restored habitat as a step toward a more resilient parks system — an outcome that matters to residents and businesses alike. Well-maintained parks support local biodiversity, reduce storm damage, and help sustain the tourism product that is vital to the BVI economy.
Education, training and youth engagement remained central to NPTVI’s work. Activities in 2025 included a Photogrammetry Workshop in partnership with H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC), school visits, career days and regional exchanges such as participation in MPA Connect’s visit to Belize.
The trust also organised and participated in community events including VI Wreck Week, Iguana Fest and Arbor Day preparations, bringing conservation messages directly to residents and visitors. The NPTVI celebrated its 64th anniversary with community-aligned activities and said it continued to engage key stakeholders — from the cruise industry and government ministries to visiting delegations — to ensure conservation remains a priority in policy and practice.
The trust expressed gratitude to local and international partners, volunteers, sponsors, researchers and the wider community for their contributions in 2025 and said it looks forward to continuing collaborative work to protect the Virgin Islands’ natural heritage. For residents, the NPTVI’s combined focus on science, infrastructure and education signals ongoing investment in safe, accessible parks that support biodiversity, community wellbeing and the Territory’s tourism recovery.
Primary source: VINO