On September 3, 1964 the Wilderness Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. This act created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States and protected 9.1 million acres of federal land. This reaffirms the dedicated commitment to protect America’s wilderness areas. 

In 2013, President Obama proclaimed September as the month to celebrate the anniversary of The Wilderness Act. This act ultimately changed America’s public land conservation laws to allow for more national and state parks to arise throughout the United States. 

As President Obama mentioned in his proclamation, North America has been filled with wilderness since the earliest days and even today people continue to use this land for fun and adventure. Protecting these spaces is imperative to present and future generations.

What better way to celebrate wilderness month than exploring the island of St. John? An island greatly known for the history and wilderness that is preserved there.

You will notice that St. John is tranquil and has a lot less “hustle and bustle” than the sister island, St. Thomas. There aren’t even any traffic lights! This is because more than 60% of the 20 square mile island is a national park. This includes beaches, vistas, underwater coral gardens and peaceful hiking trails that are unspoiled. 

There are prehistoric sites present on almost every beach you will visit on the island and in every bay within the park. These archeological sites date back to as early as 840 BC to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493. There are a lot of burial grounds on island that give us great information of the region's prehistory, along with religious and social development skills developed by the Taino people. 

The agriculture on St. John provides great habitats for many animals and plants. Most of the species that are protected within the parks are endangered or threatened. The U.S. Virgin Islands have been inhabited for 3,000 years. Research is still continuing to provide information on the history of the people who lived here in the past. If you visit the Virgin Islands National Park and Friends of the Park, you can see the studies they have going on in surrounding areas and gather more information. Here are some current research projects that are taking place: Seagrass monitoring, sea turtle nest monitoring, fish counts, marine habitat studies, coral disease and archaeological studies. 

For the outdoor enthusiasts, there is no better place to explore a tropical wilderness than St. John! The island may be small but its bays, hills and reefs hold an infinite array of sights to see. Everywhere you turn there is an adventure waiting for you. Be sure to pack some reef safe sunscreen and water when visiting Vibe’s top ten wilderness places on the island!

Take a journey through the island and see the beauty it has to offer. Swim with sea turtles, explore ancient jungle ruins, relax on the white sand beaches and soak in the island beauty. Mingle with the friendly St. Johnians who affectionately refer to their island as Love City St. John. During your visit, you will see how Vibe gets inspired with our handcrafted jewelry. Stop in store after and see the last wonder of the island and #gethooked on St. John!

You don’t have to live on St. John to celebrate National Wilderness Month and to appreciate what mother nature has to offer. Celebrate the month by getting out and visiting some of the State Parks and National Parks in your area. 

If State and National Parks are too far from you, here are a few local suggestions on how you can actively appreciate and enjoy our beautiful wilderness: 

The wilderness and outdoors are there for us to enjoy responsibly. There are many unique ways you can have fun outside, even if it means camping in your backyard and making s'mores! Enjoy nature by yourself or with friends and family.

Vibe Jewelry strongly believes in preserving and protecting the wilderness and natural resources on St. John and across the United States and the entire world. That’s why we are making it super easy for our customers to join us in supporting this cause! 

For the month of September, we will donate 10% of every purchase you make on vibecollection.com to Friends of Virgin Islands National Park and Island Green Living. We’ve also made it easy for you to add an additional donation amount with your online order during the checkout process. Just navigate to any product page on the website and you will see the option to add an additional donation amount. For customers who donate an additional amount, we’ll enter you into a giveaway for a chance to win a $250 gift card for a future purchase! 

Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park is the official philanthropic partner of Virgin Islands National Park and the only non-profit on St. John and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands that is solely focused on the protection of the Park’s natural and cultural resources.

Island Green Living Association is a nonprofit that has been initiating meaningful change on St. John and throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands since its inception in 2004. The organization is dedicated to expanding sustainability and resiliency while inspiring people to “Rethink, Reduce, Recycle.” 

Celebrate National Wilderness Month by simply spending a certain amount of time a day outside, or just taking a moment to appreciate the scenery on your commute to work. Vibe is here to help you figure out where to start your quest to enjoy the great outdoors!

We at Vibe hope this guide was helpful in learning about National Wilderness Month! If you are interested in shopping some of our best selling styles, check them out below. Or better yet, come and visit our stores on St. John during your next stay!