wetland restoration grant
February 2023
This month, Boxerwood received a $63,000 planning grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The NFWF award is for creating an evidence-based plan to restore the spring-fed wetland within Boxerwood’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,” says Boxerwood’s Garden & 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 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 engineering plan will be completed in 2024, and then the restoration work will spring 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. Thanks to NFWF, our visitors and schoolchildren will be able to observe a healthy aquatic ecosystem and learn why it’s important to protect our watershed and its filtering wetlands.
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,” says Boxerwood’s Executive Director, Emily Kohl. Committed to advancing environmental learning and stewardship, Boxerwood is grateful for the collaboration of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in this important years-long endeavor.
