Buck Island

Junior Ranger Booklet

Buck Island Reef NM

St. Croix, USVI
Join Us!

What an excellent first step you’ve taken by requesting this booklet.

As a Junior Ranger, you will have the opportunity to explore our parks, have
Some fun, and learn about Buck Island Reef National Monument. When you’ve
completed our program; you’re invited to participate in another Program at any of
the other 380+ national parks across the United States, The Caribbean and the
South Pacific!

To become a Junior Ranger at Buck Island Reef National you must:

1. Visit our National Monument.

2. Complete the activities in this book.
3. Read the last page of this book and make sure you are prepared to accept
the terms of the promise you make to our National Parks.
4. Come to the information desk at the Visitor Center and turn in this booklet
to the ranger on Duty for review.

What Makes Buck Island so Special?

Buck Island Reef National Monument was established by Presidential

proclamation in 1961 to “preserve” one of the finest marine gardens in the
Caribbean Sea”. In 2001 the monument was expanded to 19,015 acres to fully
protect an entire marine ecosystem.

Buck Island, located 1.5 miles north of St. Croix, is made of sedimentary rock
layers deposited in deep water approximately 60 million years ago.

The Monument supports a large variety of terrestrial and marine plants and
animals, including endangered and threatened species.

Buck Island’s elkhorn-coral barrier reef is unique within U.S. waters. Explore the
reef by snorkeling at the underwater trail, which lies off the island’s east end.
Concessioners offer daily tours to Buck Island from St. Croix.

It was the presence of goats that caused subsequent map makers to assume the
name Bock to the English “Buck” in maps beginning in 1824. Place names on
Buck Island, such as “West Beach”, Turtle Bay”, and “Diedrich’s Point” were
invented for the benefit of the tourists within the last 40 years.
The National Park Service’s mission at Buck Island is to care for, manage, and
protect its natural and cultural resources. We hope that you enjoy your day in the
Park.

Wild Life
Buck Island is one of few places in the Virgin
Islands where endangered brown pelicans and
threatened least terns nest. Brown pelicans nest
from June through March. Least terns are migratory
birds that come to nest on open sandy beaches
from May through August. When these birds are
disturbed during their nesting period, the adults
will leave their eggs or chicks unprotected,
increasing their vulnerability to predators and heat.
Ground Lizard

Buck Island provides very important habitat for two endemic lizards, the St. Croix
anole and the cotton ginner dwarf gecko. Since the island-wide rat and mongoose
eradication, Buck Island now also provides a suitable environment for the
endangered St. Croix ground lizards.

Plants
The vegetative appearance of Buck Island has changed drastically due to clear-
cutting in the 1760’s to obtain lignumvitae and other tropical hard woods for
exports, and due to the introduction of plants, such as tan-tan, Tamarind, and
coconut palms, and domestic animals, such as goats.

The tropical dry forest of Buck Island is now recovering. Over 180 native plants
species inhabit the island, including locally threatened species.

Please be aware of the poisonous Manchineel tree, and the Christmas bush.
Contact may cause sever eye irritation and skin reactions. In addition, some
plants, such as cacti and acacia have irritating hairs or sharp thorns.
 Manchineel Tree Christmas
Bush

Coral Reef
Tiny colonial animals called coral polyps build reef
by extracting calcium carbonate from seawater.
Coral reefs are home to many animals and plants,
forming what has been called the “rainforest of
the sea”, the second most complex and
biologically diverse ecosystem on earth.

The reefs you see today at Buck Island Reef NM

were formed within the past 7,000 years. Elkhorn
Coral is the major builder of barrier reef
surrounding the island.

Coral Reefs live in nutrient poor, tropical water

within a narrow temperature range (70-85 ̊f). They
grow slowly and are vulnerable to pollution,
sedimentation, over fishing, warming of the seas, and boat damage.

Elkhorn
Coral

Sea Turtles
Sea Turtles are air-breathing reptiles that spend
most of their lives in the sea. They may migrate
thousands of miles from their feeding to their
nesting grounds. Only the females come on land to
lay their eggs.
The endangered species act of 1973 protects the sea turtles, their eggs, and
hatchlings from all forms of poaching or disturbance, either on the beach or in the
water.

Buck Island Reef NM is a critical nesting habitat for Hawksbill, Green, and
leatherback sea turtles. The monument also serves as a feeding and
developmental habitat for young turtles that settle into the reef and seagrass
environment after their open sea-phase.
Hawksbill
Turtles

Activity #1

Please answer the following questions

1. Buck Island was established in ______ to “preserve” one of the

finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea.

2. In _______ the monument was expanded to 19,015 acres to fully

protect an entire marine ecosystem.

3. Could you name the three endangered sea turtles that are
protected by law? ____________, ___________, __________

4. What is the major builder of reef surrounds the island?

______________

5. You have to be aware of two trees at Buck Island because they

are poisonous. Could you name them? ______________,
_______________

6. ___________ are migratory birds that come to nest on open

sandy beaches.

7. How many miles is Buck Island from St. Croix? _____________

 8. Tiny colonial animals called ______________ build reef by
extracting calcium carbonate from seawater.

9. Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles that spend most of their

time in the sea. True or False

10. Only the female turtles come on land to lay their eggs. True or
False

Activity #2

Coral Reef Search

Find and circle the words from the list below.

B S C T H E C E G N O P S
L E O O R T J A L R E H L
E A E L R R E F I S R O I
A T E A N A L E O I F T M
C U N R H S L E M M O S E
H R O O S H Y P T D I A S
I T M C N V F E O R L S T
N L E N I E I E C L O S O
G E N I H Y S S E T Y E N
M S A A C S H H I N T P E
S P A R R O T F I S H H C
H E E B U N W R A S S E U
A W S E A S T A R S O R P
R L D X E A G L A P L E A
K S O E S P R O T E C T I
 S O C A M O U F L A G E T
Z L E T T U C E C O R A L

CORAL POLYP SEA TURTLES TRASH

PARROTFISH BRAIN CORAL JELLYFISH
SPONGE ALGAE BLEACHING
SHARKS SHRIMP
ZOOXANTHELLAE

And When You Get Home

Did you know you can visit all 380+ National Parks from your home? Better yet,
you can plan a visit to the national park closest to your home by just going on the
Internet. If you don’t have a computer, get permission to use a computer at
school or a public library to start your exploration of America’s best.

To get starting on your exploration of National Parks:

_Go online to http://www.nps.gov and become a WebRanger by clicking on For
Kids and Teachers. Click on the link To Become a WebRanger
_Return to http://nps.gov and find the national parks in
your state
_Find the national park closest to your house and visit it

virtually at its wesite

_Talk to your parents about visiting at least two parks within
50 miles of your house and participating in their Junior
Ranger programs
Make It Your Own
Draw a picture of what you would like in your own National Park and give it a
name.
Send

Send us your picture at Junior Rangers; Christiansted National Historic Site; 2100
Church Street, #100, Christiansted, V.I. 00820. We’ll post it on our website, along
with your name and age. We’ll return it to you with a special treat!

The Junior Ranger Promise

Congratulations! You have completed the requirement to become a Junior Ranger
at Buck Island Reef NM. Please read over the official Junior Ranger promise. If you
are prepared to accept the responsibility of serving as a Junior Ranger in the U.S.
National Park Service, sign your name on the line below:

The final step: Take this booklet to the ranger on duty at the Visitor Center desk
for review. You will receive a badge and certificate. Take this booklet home with
you as a reminder of the importance of national parks and your duty to all these
special places as a National Park Service Junior Ranger.

I understand as a Junior Ranger, I must work to protect America’s

National Parks by:
 1. Learning all I can about this and other national parks so that I can tell
others about them. I can learn about all units online at http//www.nps.gov
2. Putting litter in its place – even if it’s not my litter.
3. Protecting plants, animals, sea turtles, and coral reefs.
4. Protecting park artifacts such as arrowheads and pottery by leaving them
where I found them.
5. Exploring and enjoying National Parks whenever I can.

____________________________ ________________________
(Signature) (Year)

Make This National Park Your Own

Please visit us often. The park is open seven days a week. Keep in mind:

Stop by the information desk to see if we have anything you can do for us while
you are in the park.