The Nature Conservancy hosted its first-ever Coral Conservation Festival on Sunday at the Coral Innovation Hub at Estate Little Princess on St. Croix, opening its doors to the community in an effort to raise awareness about coral reef restoration and the critical role reefs play in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“This is actually the first year for the Coral Conservation Festival,” said Semoya Phillips, educational outreach coordinator for the organization’s coral program. “One of the biggest pushes for this program is that we have this lovely facility … and lots of Virgin Islanders do not know it is here.”
Held at Estate Little Princess, the event brought together government agencies, private partners, researchers, and families for a day of education, activities, and hands-on learning. Booths featured everything from coral restoration efforts to wastewater management systems and marine conservation initiatives.
“We have activity partners from both our governmental partners as well as private agencies,” Phillips explained. “It’s a really nice amalgamation of regional and territorial partners … everybody has their own piece.”
A major goal of the festival was to make coral science more accessible to the public.
“One of the amazing things about this facility is that you can see the coral close up,” Phillips said. “You don’t have to swim … you can learn and understand what’s happening without any barriers.”
Organizers hope the event sparks curiosity, especially among young people, and encourages deeper community involvement in conservation efforts.
“I want this to be a nucleus of knowledge about the reefs,” Phillips added, “and for it to flow into the community.”
For Jessica Craft Ward, Virgin Islands program director for The Nature Conservancy, the festival represents a long-awaited step toward stronger community engagement.
“We are one of the best kept secrets on St. Croix,” Ward said. “The more people we talk to, the more we understand how much people don’t know about us.”
Ward emphasized that outreach is now a key pillar of the organization’s work, alongside land management and coral restoration.
“Without engaging the community — especially the youth — our work isn’t as effective,” she said. “We need the next generation to become champions for the environment.”
The urgency behind the work was a central theme throughout the festival, as coral reefs across the region continue to face significant threats.
“Coral reefs have been in decline for decades,” Ward said. “But the last couple of years brought severe bleaching.”
Rising ocean temperatures have caused widespread coral bleaching across the Caribbean, with devastating consequences. According to Ward, more than 90% of remaining elk horn coral — a key reef-building species — was lost following recent bleaching events.
“That’s a really devastating story,” she said. “We’re not just restoring reefs — we’re trying to save species from going extinct.”
The work being done in St. Croix is part of a much larger regional and global effort led by The Nature Conservancy, which has been active in the Caribbean for decades.
“The reefs of St. Croix are connected to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Bahamas — even Florida,” said Rob Brumbaugh, executive director for The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean. “You can’t just fix one place. These ecosystems are interconnected.”
The organization is currently working across multiple Caribbean countries, focusing on large-scale coral restoration and resilience-building to help reefs withstand warming ocean temperatures.
The facility itself is also evolving to reflect environmental goals. Recently, 164 solar panels were installed as part of a broader shift toward renewable energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels while supporting the energy-intensive demands of coral restoration work.
“These facilities are energy intensive,” said Ward. “We’re trying to transition from fossil fuels to green energy — because we don’t want to contribute to the problem we’re trying to solve.”
Beyond the science, organizers say the festival was about connection — bringing together generations of Virgin Islanders to learn, engage, and take pride in protecting their natural resources.
“What gives me hope is seeing generations here,” Brumbaugh said. “Little kids learning about coral, families engaging together — this is how conservation becomes something we live.”
With interactive exhibits, educational booths, and a festive atmosphere, the event blended learning with celebration, reinforcing a central message: coral conservation is not just the responsibility of scientists, but of the entire community.
“We labeled it a festival for a reason,” Brumbaugh added. “This isn’t just about problems – it’s about joy, learning, and connection.”
