Imagine boating to paradise and then—without meaning to—causing it harm. Thanks to more than a decade of work in the Virgin Islands, a national park visit by boat is now gentler on the marine environment.

The spectacular coastal scenery, crystal clear waters, reliable winds, and beautiful bays of Virgin Islands National Park and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument have made them popular destinations for boaters. In the past, these visitors had to use anchors to secure their vessels, causing considerable, albeit unintentional, damage to sea grass beds, coral reefs, and other  benthic (seabed or seafloor) resources. To combat this problem, the park embarked on a mooring program to provide a safe and reliable alternative to anchoring with the long-term goal of creating an anchorless park.

Moorings are permanent installations that allow boats to stay in one place without using anchors. In our case we drive heavy-duty augur-like devices about 15 feet into the seabed and then connect a line to a buoy on the surface (see a diagram of how this works). Boats attach to the buoy and are secure. Anchors are a more temporary solution, disturbing the seabed every time they are dropped and then retrieved. Just imagine the damage that could be done by 50 boats dropping anchors and then pulling them up day after day.

Park leadership and the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park finally achieved our long-held goal of an anchorless park in February 2013. Since the beginning of the program, the Friends group has installed 340 moorings and invested more than $663,000 in this program.

Starting back in 1999, the Friends installed 180 moorings for overnight use in ten bays around St. John. These white mooring balls along the north and south shores of St. John have played a significant role in protecting coral reefs, allowing the recovery of sea grass and protecting other benthic resources. The sea grass beds had been seriously depleted due to anchoring, but now if you snorkel in the mooring fields you will see a rich carpet of sea grass–much to the delight (and survival) of the myriad of marine creatures that make the sea grass their home.

In 2004, the Friends embarked on a program to install moorings in the recently designated Coral Reef National Monument. As a marine protected area, anchoring was prohibited within the monument. But, while we supported the conservation policies of the monument, we felt that the prohibition on anchoring precluded many of the traditional uses of the monument’s waters.  Installing moorings was the perfect answer and a “win-win” for both the users and the environment: allowing users to continue to enjoy this unique marine environment while providing needed protection to the natural resources. In this case, the Friends installed two dive moorings at popular dive sites in the monument, six moorings for blue runner fishing, and 125 storm-mooring berths and 11 day-use moorings in Hurricane Hole, a traditional refuge here for vessels during tropical storms. These moorings were installed in four phases between 2004 and 2008.

All of the moorings mentioned above were for boats up to a maximum of 60 feet in length. Vessels larger than that still had to anchor. Earlier this year, we installed 14 moorings for boats between 60 and 100 feet in six bays, finally making the park anchorless.

The protection of the park’s marine resources was obviously the principal objective of the mooring installations. However, the moorings also have a significant impact on the visiting boaters’ experience by providing a safe and convenient means of securing their boats while enjoying Virgin Islands National Park and the Coral Reef National Monument.

Each month, NPCA puts together a slideshow exploring one of the 398 amazing places in our National Park System. To get the featured park delivered to your inbox each month, sign up for Park Lines, NPCA’s newsletter, at www.npca.org/join.

-Jennifer Errick, Editor, Online Communications

Chesapeake Explorer App

This free app was released in October 2012 by the National Park Service to guide your exploration of the national parks, and the Captain John Smith, Star-Spangled Banner, and Potomac Heritage National Trails. By tracking your location, it can help you experience historic and natural sites nearby offering activities such as bicycling, birding, hiking, and fishing. It provides information for each park about its hours, activities, and fees. Perfect for a tour of a treasured historic site, such as Fort Monroe, or for exploring hidden Chesapeake wonders.

For download information, visit http://www.chesapeakeexplorerapp.com/.

National Wildlife Refuges: Chesapeake Bay App

Also released in October 2012, this free field guide allows you to share your wildlife encounters at 11 iconic National Wildlife Refuges within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Powered by Project Noah, National Geographic and the Chesapeake Conservancy developed this app. Identify thousands of species of plants and animals while connecting with a community of outdoor enthusiasts to promote conservation. Download this for iPhone and iPad in the AppStore. I’m still trying to earn the squirrel badge.

Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System App

This free app is a must-have for boaters or anyone tracking weather and water conditions in the Chesapeake. Created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Chesapeake Conservancy, ten yellow “smart buoys” strategically placed on the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail track weather and water conditions. You can access the data from these buoys to monitor wave height, water quality, and air and water temperatures in the bay, as well as the James, Patapsco, Potomac, and Susquehanna Rivers. Recently, Meteorologists used the buoys to track conditions during Hurricane Sandy. Learn more about the “smart buoys” and download the app for iPhone or Android at http://buoybay.noaa.gov/.

Take action

Unfortunately, the future of the buoys is uncertain due to lack of funding. Tell Congress to keep these buoys afloat.

Learn more about NPCA’s efforts to protect the landscapes of the national parks in the Chesapeake.

-Edward Stierli, Steve & Roberta Denning Land Conservation Fellow

“Shhh … He’s sleeping!”

“I think I saw him blink!”

Over the course of the week, nearly 1,000 urban youth in Washington, DC, explored the landscape of the Anacostia River, a part of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, with the Urban Canoe Wilderness Adventure, a partnership project organized by NPCA, Wilderness Inquiry, the National Park Service, National Park Trust, and others. NPCA is partnering with a variety of groups throughout the Chesapeake watershed to bring awareness to landscape conservation efforts and promote outreach to advocates of all ages, including our youngest future stewards.

With 80 percent of America’s youth living in urban areas, it has never been more important to connect children with the great outdoors and our national parks. With our new National Parks in the Chesapeake campaign, NPCA has been engaging youth by restoring wetlands and planting grasses at Fort McHenry and along the water trails of the Chesapeake. Other projects have involved partner groups, NPCA members, and community youth in building new educational areas and birdhouses.

The kids involved understand that the national parks in their community make their backyard a whole lot bigger, and just like the other things they own at home, it’s important to protect and take care of them. With our parks increasingly at risk, we think it’s important to take time to explore them with our kids, classrooms, or the youth in our communities. They are the future generations we protect the parks for, and the growing stewards that must advocate for the generations to come.

Planning your Chesapeake adventure has never been easier. Download the Park Service’s free new smartphone app at www.chesapeakeexplorerapp.com.

Visit our website to learn more about the National Parks in the Chesapeake campaign.

-Edward Stierli, Steve & Roberta Denning Land Conservation Fellow

Outside judged towns by their cost of living, cultural vibrancy, job prospects, environmental stewardship, and access to the outdoors. Richmond’s top ranking marks both the James River’s comeback and an introduction to the region’s new water trail.

A Comeback Story

Flowing through the heart of Richmond, the James River boasts a community of boaters, fishermen, bikers, and runners who all seem to know someone who commutes by kayak. For decades, the James had a reputation as one of the most polluted rivers in the country—where raw sewage ate the paint off new boats. However, Outside credits the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, which “paved the way for the James’ 13-year shutdown and the city-funded reconstruction that followed.”

This year, we mark the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act and Bill Street, Executive Director of the James River Association, believes “the James is arguably the most improved river in the country.” Outside magazine details its comeback, which has made the water clean enough for the return of carp, American shad, and Atlantic sturgeon.

America’s Founding River

The James River is part of the nation’s first national water trail, the 3,000-mile-long Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which follows the historic routes of the English explorer’s voyages on the Chesapeake Bay. Originally designated by Congress in 2006, it was expanded in 2012 to include the Upper James River Component Connecting Trail, which crosses nine counties and connects at the Falls of the James in Richmond. Both the Captain John Smith Chesapeake and Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trails allow outdoor enthusiasts to visit the 54 national park sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. To learn more about how this new water trail protects the natural landscape and preserves cultural and historic sites visit www.smithtrail.net. 

Learn More and Take Action

NPCA is a founding member of the Choose Clean Water Coalition dedicated to protecting and restoring water quality throughout the Chesapeake. Learn more about how NPCA is protecting national park landscapes in the Chesapeake. You can also take action to help protect the Chesapeake Bay from pollution by telling the Environmental Protection Agency you support strong federal clean-up measures.

-Edward Stierli, Steve & Roberta Denning Land Conservation Fellow

Staff from the National Park Service and two of its partner organizations just wrapped up the first year of an innovative new program aimed at getting youth interested in the national parks. The National Park Teen Ambassadors program engaged 18 young adults from the Twin Cities and International Falls areas of Minnesota in an outdoor learning expedition in Voyageurs National Park while also getting valuable feedback from these teenagers on how the parks market themselves to younger generations.

Before the trip, the 18 Ambassadors spent their summer researching creative ways national parks could better reach out to their age group. They came up with several suggestions, including a National Park Service website just for teens, adventure trips, classroom visits, videos, and wildlife webcams, as well as college prep and teen advocacy activities.

The teens then participated in two camping trips over the summer. The trips were designed to give them an unforgettable and educational outdoor experience. The program was free for all participants so that financial resources were not a limitation for applying.

Staff from Wilderness Inquiry, Voyageurs National Park Association, and the National Park Service guided the group on the wilderness excursions. Most of the youth had never visited the park before. The teens paddled canoes, camped for three nights, spotted a gray wolf in Namakan Narrows, stargazed, hiked, and swam in the park’s remote interior lakes. The group also toured historical and geological sites, learned about bald eagle and invasive species research, toured the Kettle Falls Dam, and met with representatives from the International Joint Commission. The trip was designed to give the Ambassadors a wide variety of national park experiences that they could share with their peers. See photos from their trip.

This fall, the Ambassadors will wrap up the program by giving presentations to middle school classrooms, encouraging the next generation of Ambassadors to get involved.

“Giving youth the opportunity to spend quality time outdoors has never been more important,” said Park Superintendent Mike Ward. “We are so pleased that we had the partners who could make this happen and that there were 18 brave teens to try it out.”

The National Park Teen Ambassador program was funded by the National Park Foundation’s America’s Best Idea Grant. Voyageurs National Park designed the program with collaborators and financial sponsors Wilderness Inquiry, Voyageurs National Park Association, and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Voyageurs National Park was selected as one of 49 national parks participating in the 2012 America’s Best Idea program sponsored by the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. Inspired by the critically acclaimed Ken Burns documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, the America’s Best Idea grant program funds park projects designed to connect diverse, under-engaged populations throughout the United States with their national parks in innovative and meaningful ways.

What the Ambassadors had to say about their experience

• “This program is important so that generations to come will also understand how important and special our national parks are.”
• “It was really cool to see the stars without light pollution and to see a wolf!”
• “I enjoyed everything. The outdoor experience was incredible. We got to see a beautiful natural environment that I never saw before and I’m so thankful for this great opportunity. I learned so much, but I can say my favorite part was swimming to an island on Kabetogama [Lake]. I was afraid but the group motivated me and the staff kept me safe.”
• “I think it’s important for our national parks to have Teen Ambassadors because we can go out and experience the park and tell other young people about it to get them interested too. Considering that young people are the future caretakers of every aspect of the country, you want to get them to care more about our national parks so they will always be around.”
• “My favorite part about the program was meeting new people and experiencing something I thought I would never experience.”

Voyageurs National Park spans more than 218,000 acres on the northern Minnesota border and is one of the nation’s premier water-based parks. The park is rich in natural, cultural, and geological history. With water making up over 30 percent of the landscape, visiting this park means stepping out of your car and embarking on a water-bound adventure. Voyageurs National Park Association (VNPA) is a nonprofit conservation, advocacy, and program partner of the park, helping each new generation discover and steward Voyageurs. VNPA relies on membership and grant support to continue programs like the Teen Ambassadors. This story originally appeared on VNPA’s website.

 If you liked this story, you might also like NPCA’s recent slideshow with photos and fun facts on this park.