The city of Hampton has received grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) to be used for rain garden installations and workshops.
The more than $25,000 NFWF grant went towards garden installations at Air Power Park, Spratley Gifted Center, Bluebird Gap Farm, and First Baptist Church. This grant also included $7,500 for the creation of a living shoreline at Bluebird Gap Farm.
The City of Hampton matched the grant by contributing staff time, space, and other resources.
The gardens capture run-off from hard surfaces of buildings near gutters, driveways, and streets. Site construction included a combination of digging out existing soil and replacing it with a bioretention soil mix and planting native plants.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, through the Hampton River Watershed Grant, has also given the city $50,000 to install two larger roadside gardens. One has been completed at North King Street and Mercury Boulevard and another will be located in the Hampton Roads Center Parkway median.
CBF will also host three free rain garden workshops that are open to the public. The workshops will teach participants effective ways to enhance property, manage rainwater onsite, and help improve water quality.
CBF workshops will be held:
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 5:45-7:15 p.m. at First Baptist Church
Thursday, Aug. 17, 5:45-8 p.m. at Spratley Gifted Center
Tuesday, Aug. 29, 5:45-7:30 p.m. at Air Power Park
To register contact Charlene Ihrig at rsvp@cbf.org or call 757-809-2901.
source: City of Hampton Virginia
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.