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Boxerwood recently received a $63,000 planning grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The NFWF award is for creating an evidence-based plan to restore the spring-fed wetland within the nature center’s 15-acre property. This funding will enable Boxerwood to hire an environmental engineering firm to develop a plan to better manage stormwater runoff and restore the wetland, which is part of the Woods Creek watershed.
“We have always prioritized stewardship of water resources at Boxerwood,” said Boxerwood’s garden and facility director, Ben Eland. “We recognize the value of our wetland as a unique home for many plants and animals, and its value as a landscape feature that keeps sediment and pollution from entering the watershed. We’re thrilled to be working with an environmental engineer who can help us plan and design for the long-term health of the wetland.”
The grant is part of NFWF’s Small Watershed Grants program, which provides funding to organizations working to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, long a focus of Boxerwood’s interests and educational programming. Boxerwood’s proposal was accepted from a pool of competitive applications, and the grant will cover all project expenses.
The plan will be completed in 2024, and then the restoration work will be put into action. The restored wetland will provide additional natural habitat for a variety of plant and animal species, as well as improve water quality entering Woods Creek. The project will also serve as a valuable educational resource for visitors and schoolchildren, who will be able to observe a healthy wetland ecosystem and learn the importance of watershed protection.
This is the first time NFWF and Boxerwood have partnered on a watershed improvement project. “Restoring the wetland has long been a dream at Boxerwood, and this grant moves us one huge step closer to realizing that goal,” said Boxerwood’s executive director, Emily Kohl. “Boxerwood’s mission is to educate and inspire people of all ages to be stewards of the Earth. Our partnership with NFWF allows us also to be better stewards of land in our care and we are grateful indeed.”
