In 1956, Laurance Rockefeller purchased 5,000 acres of land with the help of a nonprofit organization, canned Jackson Hole Preserve Corporation, which is founded with his family and friends. He donated it to the Federal Government for a national park. This later created the twenty-fifth national park in the nation. Fred Seaton took over the property from the government and every since then many donations have been made and was named the Virgin Islands National Park. This national park is now about 15,135 acres. It is located in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. “Today, the Virgin Islands National Park is famous for its immaculate Caribbean beaches, world-class scuba diving and snorkeling and miles of rainforest hiking trails dotted with sugar plantations …show more content…
John is considered one of the best places to snorkel in the Caribbean, and is marked with underwater signs. All levels of swimmers are able to snorkel here making it perfect for the entire family.” (usvipressroom). Many people come to this national park to engage in the environment to do scientific test and gather information. “In 1976, Virgin Islands National Park was one of the first protected areas to receive designation as an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is one of only 30 containing both marine and terrestrial ecosystems.” They house many artifacts such as museum’s collections, historical structures, shipwrecks and etc. This national park covers about three-fourths of the island of St. Johns and nearly all of Hassel Island in Charlotte Amalie of St. Thomas. “In 1978 a large portion of Hassel Island, a small island within St. Thomas’ Charlotte Amalie Harbor, was donated to the Virgin Islands National Park.” Within this park they have a lot of programs such as summer eco camps, science camps, adopt a beach/trail program, reef assessment and reef fisheries program, and more you can engage