Director’s Corner

Boots on the Ground

"When can I get you to do in service project in [insert a Virginia city] ?” is a question I hear several times each year. Persons asking it are intrigued by the Environmental Institute’s projects in Petersburg and Virginia Beach. I answer by listing three things that made those projects successful: (1) multiple “boots on the ground”; (2) financial and material donations; and (3) the selected projects both helped the environment and were highly visible. Allow me to elaborate.

Local volunteers selflessly giving their time and other resources enabled each of our service projects to succeed. Preventing erosion and saving dunes in Virginia Beach, rebuilding a bioswale at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center, keeping silt out of the James River, and planning and installing vital landscaping at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center happened because of volunteers. Here is a short list of those dedicated persons: Phil Bailey, Wes Bray, Jeff Derr, Ray Funkhouser, Gary Gittere, David Holcomb, Michael Moore, Bruce Sheppard, Harris Wheeler, Craig Zeigler, and many others.

Of course nothing happens without financial and material support: plants must be bought, ground must be prepared, and labor is needed on the day of the service project. Gracious support from individuals and companies (Lawns and Gardens Plus certainly stands out!) enabled each endeavor to succeed.

For obvious reasons, we prefer projects that accomplish specific goals, can be completed in one day, protect the environment, and generate goodwill. All of our past service projects check every one of those boxes. As an example of goodwill generated, here is a recent email we received from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation praising our work on their bioswale:

“This week has gotten away from me, but I would be remiss if I didn’t send this email. THANK YOU for the addition of the purple Asters. They are the perfect pop of color this time of year and planting them a few days before our entire board of directors arrived was perfection. The grounds looked great and the bioswale was the perfect welcome. Thank you for this partnership and your work…I get constant text messages saying, ‘it looks great.’ I have also seen several bees, butterflies, and other pollinators around it. Kids stop and engage with it. And several photographers stop and focus on the planting. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

We hope to replicate our Environmental Institute service projects in cities throughout Virginia. Please help that hope become reality by being a “boot on the ground,” donating (remember, the Institute is a 501(c)3 corporation so your gifts are tax deductible), and finding the right project.

Tom Tracy, Ph.D.

VTC Executive Director