2008 Summer
Eco-Camp Information: just click here.
You
can now make payments with credit cards, just click here.
VOLUNTEERS
WANTED: Select
here to find out about volunteering at VIERS
RATES: Select
here to find out about VIERS Rates for Groups, Researchers and Individuals
You
can now download a copy of the VIERS Eco-Tourist Rates and Reservation Form and
VIERS Guest Form by selecting the following:
VIERS Eco-Tourist and
Reservation Form(Word.doc
File)
VIERS Guest Form(Word.doc File)
WIDER CARIBBEAN
ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH PROGRAM INFORMATION
VIERS' remote
location provides many opportunities for visitors of all ages and interests to
easily discover the local environment. At VIERS, you are "in nature",
you are part of the eco-system. You are just minutes from being able to hike to
a mountain top or swim in the Caribbean sea.
VIERS offers unique
learning opportunities for individuals and groups as day visitors or as
overnight guests. The area around VIERS has an ecological diversity that has
drawn visitors with an interest in just about every aspect of its surrounding
environment. Visitors have included (but are not limited to) children and
adults, hikers and snorkelers, researchers and students, teachers and youth
groups, historians and geologists, star gazers and bird watchers. We have even
hosted NASA scientists and environmentally themed family reunions. VIERS offers
organized programs or you can follow your own agenda. 
CENTER FOR
LEARNING: VIERS is a place for learning. VIERS is an eco-camp. VIERS is a
science camp. VIERS is not a hotel or a resort. VIERS is suitable for
educational activities and/or scientific research. VIERS is suitable for
learning about marine and terrestrial natural resources and ecosystems, as well
as the cultural resources of the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean. VIERS is
suitable for promoting the conservation of resources and our daily operations
reflect our commitment to conservation, reuse, recycling and being
"green". VIERS is suitable for personal development activities,
professional development programs, retreats, workshops, seminars and other learning
experiences provided that the environment is an integral focus in the learning
experience. 
BRIEF HISTORY:
VIERS was established by the College of the Virgin Islands (now the University
of the Virgin Islands) in November 1966 as the Virgin Islands Ecological
Research Station. The laboratory and researchers residence were originally
housed in the Bay Rum Mill Ruins on Little Lameshur Bay until moving to the
present site. 
The cabins were
built in October and November 1968 by the U.S. Navy Seabees for Project
Tektite, an underwater habitat and research project which was conducted in 1969
and 1970. The experiment not only provided opportunities for marine research,
particularly on the behavior and ecology of reef fauna and reef sedimentology,
but also provided data on a variety of behavioral, biomedical, and engineering
studies. The project was sponsored jointly by the U. S. Department of the
Interior, the U. S. Navy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
and the General Electric Company.
At the end of the
research project in 1970, the camp was turned over to the College of the Virgin
Islands, (now the University of the Virgin Islands). As the field station of
the University of the Virgin Islands, VIERS has offered unique learning
experiences for students and scientists interested in environmental education,
training and research of terrestrial, coastal and marine communities of small
tropical islands. 
In 1992, the
camp's name was changed to Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station to
reflect the center's commitment to providing environmental education.
FACILITIES: VIERS
is a remote and rustic (yet charming) camp that can accommodate up to 64
overnight guests. [Select here for VIERS
SITE DRAWING] The station offers 14 sleeping rooms for guests, several include
efficiency kitchens. Additional buildings include a classroom, office/library,
restrooms, hot showers, staff rooms and a dining hall with kitchen. Our kitchen
staff can provide three meals a day in the dining hall for overnight guests.
(All visitors share in dishwashing and lgiht housekeeping responsibilities.)
Two buildings provide a waterside lab with dock on Great Lameshur Bay.
[Select here to see a
larger view of the sky photo for a detailed view of Lameshur Bay area.]
LOCATION: VIERS
is situated at the base of Bordeaux Mountain on the remote southeast shore of
St. John at Lameshur Bay within the boundaries of the Virgin Islands National
Park and United Nations (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve, which offer protection for the
various pristine habitats. Directly to the south of the main campsite are Great
Lameshur Bay and Little Lameshur Bay which are divided by Yawzi Point.
Cruz Bay, the main community of St. John, is a 45
minute drive from VIERS. St. John, the smallest of the three U.S. Virgin
Islands, is accessible by ferry to Cruz Bay from St. Thomas (STT) which has an
airport. The British Virgin Islands are accessible by ferry from Cruz Bay.
Direct ferry transportation for groups travelling from St. Thomas to VIERS may
be prearranged through VIERS staff. However, most groups take the ferry from
Red Hook and get a safari taxi in Cruz Bay.[Select here
for transportation information.]
![[Select here for VIERS SITE DRAWING]](http://www.islands.org/virgin/viers/VIERS%20site%20map%20drawing%20web.jpg){kind=link}
ENVIRONMENT: St.
John is about 20 square miles in size, 90% of it consisting of tropical forest.
The Virgin Islands National Park occupies almost three quarters of the island
and maintains hiking trails which retrace old plantation roads or wind their
way from seaside beaches to the mountain tops of the interior.
VIERS is located in a lowland
Antillean tropical dry forest at the base of Bordeaux Mountain. Semi-deciduous
forests give way at higher elevations to tropical moist forests dominated by
taller evergreen species. The native flora still predominates with a few
introduced trees more abundant in disturbed areas. Adjacent to the tree
sheltered camp site are two sheltered bays with coral reefs and seagrass beds,
bordered by stands of mangroves. VIERS cabin's rooftops can be seen in the
photo on the right.
RESEARCH: VIERS
has hosted or worked cooperatively with marine biology and/or ecology programs
from numerous institutions and organizations. Research programs in marine
biology and tropical ecology are conducted by visiting researchers, faculty and
students from universities and research institutions throughout the world. To
protect the environment and resources of the Virgin Islands National Park, all
research and scientific study activities require approved permits from the
Virgin Islands National Park Service.
EDUCATION: VIERS
serves the local community and visiting groups through on-site, year-round
environmental education programs and activities. VIERS staff conduct guided trail hikes,
seashore explorations, mangrove walks, plant and wildlife identification
excursions, and snorkeling outings to identify marine life to visitors of all
ages to discover the local environment. 
To supplement the
natural marine and terrestrial research and education, the station also
includes a marine science laboratory building on the water's edge which
includes two circulating sea water tables and a seaside classroom.
ACTIVITIES:
Training sessions and hands-on activities that take advantage of the diversity
of ecosystems and isolation of the facility, are held for teachers and others
involved in environmental education. The facility maintains videos, slide
presentations and teaching guides on various ecological topics. A series of
trails maintained by the Virgin Islands National Park can be easily accessed
from the station and include historic sugar estates and bay rum distilleries,
as well as petroglyphs, geologically significant rock formations and pristine
sandy beaches. Land and water based tours can be arranged. Additional programs
include informal discussions and illustrated presentations on cultural
activities, island history and a variety of ecological topics.
Links to groups
who have enjoyed an educational experience at VIERS or to research programs
being conducted from VIERS:
University of Massachesetts
Amherst Tropical Field Biology Class, March 2002 (a great site full of
photos with links to their 2001, 2000 and 1999 trips to VIERS)
For more
information on activities, staying at VIERS, rates for use of
VIERS, or to inquire about availability of dates, please contact:
Randy Brown, VIERS Administrator(click
for e-mail)
Tel: 410-647-2500
Toll-free Tel: 888-647-2501
Stateside Office Address: 8219 Elvaton Drive, Pasadena, Maryland 21122.
MANAGEMENT: VIERS is operated by Clean
Islands International, a U.S. IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental educational
organization, through an agreement established with the University of the
Virgin Islands in November 1997. VIERS is a facility of the University of the Virgin Islands and is situated
in the Virgin Islands National Park.
SUPPORT:As a
self-sufficient center of learning, the principal means of support for VIERS is
through user fees, donations, and sponsorships. VIERS does not receive
financial support from the University of the Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands
National Park, or the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Donations of
money, equipment, and time are greatly appreciated.
Click here to return to the home page of Clean
Islands International, Inc.