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Growing Native

Growing Native is a watershed stewardship program that gets hundreds of locally-grown trees into the ground each year. The program starts with an annual replenishing of three Boxerwood-tended nurseries, the focus of our 4th grade outreach efforts. In this phase, all local 4th graders participate in a series of watershed education activities that culminate in an annual potting-up of more than 400 bare root seedlings. The trees come from the VA Dept of Forestry, selected for their benefits to wildlife and water protection. Boxerwood brings the seedlings to the schools, where our 4th grade friends will plant them into pots – and name them. For the next two years, Boxerwood tends the seedlings in one of our three grow-out nurseries. By the time those 4th graders enter middle school, we’re ready to commence phase two: community tree plantings. Some trees become part of municipal give-aways, but others the students themselves will hold in their hands again, this time planting “Bob Jr.,” “Bartholomew,”  and a host of other Growing Native trees along our local streams and rivers. 

 

In sum, we love Growing Native because it plants the seeds of citizen stewardship along with the trees themselves. Thank you to our funders who help support this work including the Cacapon Institute (WV), and COREworks, Boxerwood’s local carbon offset marketplace.

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