2011 VIRGINIA BEACH STEWARDSHIP AWARDS

City Council BriefingSeptember 27, 2011Clay Bernick / Environment and Sustainability Office

2011 STEWARDSHIP AWARDS

In 2009, the Green Ribbon Committee established a Stewardship Awards Program to recognize exemplary environmental stewardship projects.

The purpose of this award program is to:

• Recognize residents, organizations and business that demonstrate initiative and leadership in achieving a healthier outdoor environment

• Encourage interest and participation by residents and businesses in becoming involved with “green” initiatives in the community

• Provide various local resources for ideas and instruction on “green” practices, including site demonstration projects, educational brochures, and websites.

2011 STEWARDSHIP AWARDS

Award Categories

• Residential• Business/Non-profit

• Youth Group• Civic/Association

• Landscape/Green Industry

RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY

RESIDENTIAL CATEGORYCHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED WINNERS

First PlaceRuth Burch Residence, Carolanne Farms NeighborhoodProject Highlights:

• Created large butterfly and wildlife garden habitat area with stepping stone paths• Installed four rain barrels• Removed invasive noxious plants and replaced with native• Installed landscape buffer between front yard and street• Added rain chain to the roof gutter to deal with overflows

RESIDENTIAL CATEGORYCHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED WINNERS

Second Place (tie)Johanna Culver ResidenceStratford Chase NeighborhoodProject Highlights:

• Reduced lawn turf by approximately 20 percent • Installed mulched landscape beds among mature trees • Planted shade tolerant species that complimented the existing conditions

RESIDENTIAL CATEGORYCHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED WINNERS

Second Place (tie)Alice Twining ResidenceLake James NeighborhoodProject Highlights:

• Replaced turf front yard to capture and reduce runoff flowing to the street

• Utilized a plant palette of spreading groundcovers and low water demand perennials

RESIDENTIAL CATEGORYSOUTHERN WATERSHED WINNERS

First PlaceJim and Mary Ann Kincaid ResidenceLake Christopher NeighborhoodProject Highlights:• Installed landscape buffer to capture runoff from the yard before it enters the street

• Installed downspout diverters to control direction of roof runoff onto permeable areas

• Installed irrigation system for efficient watering

• Installed rain barrel for container watering

RESIDENTIAL CATEGORYSOUTHERN WATERSHED WINNERS

Second PlaceCarson and Judy Entrekin Residence, Charlestown Lakes South NeighborhoodProject Highlights:

• Naturalized the yard by adding ponds and native plants among mature trees

• Created habitats for birds and small animals and beneficial insects as well as organisms

• Made paths and sitting areas for human enjoyment

RESIDENTIAL CATEGORYOWL CREEK WATERSHED WINNER

First PlaceGary Smith Residence,Shadowlawn NeighborhoodProject Highlights:

• Replaced turf areas with organic vegetable and fruit gardens in raised beds for easy maintenance.

• Loose gravel pathways allow rainwater to infiltrate into the ground and controls weeds and watering needs

BUSINESS/NON-PROFIT CATEGORY

BUSINESS/NON-PROFIT CATEGORYCHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED WINNER

Lynnhaven River NOWLocations: Crab Creek Shoreline and Lake Trashmore ShorelineProject Highlights:

• Growing wetlands in the Classroom project with funding from Dollar Tree Corporation

•Trained the teachers and provided plant materials, wet boxes, and grow systems

• Organized and ran the transplanting of the wetland plants at Lake Trashmore shoreline and Crab Creek shoreline

BUSINESS/NON-PROFIT CATEGORYSOUTHERN WATERSHED WINNER

Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsLocation: 3040 Holland RoadProject Highlights:

• Constructed a large rain garden to capture and treat stormwater runoff from the parking lot and adjacent properties

• The rain garden was installed by volunteers using donated funds and materials

• Utilized native plants

YOUTH GROUP CATEGORY

VIRGINIA BEACH CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

YOUTH GROUP CATEGORYCHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED WINNER

Plaza Middle SchoolLocation: 3080 South Lynnhaven DriveFive Projects: Tree Nursery, Pollinator and Butterfly Garden, Vegetable Garden

• The students are growing and studyingg 400 pine seedlings purchased from the Virginia Department of Forestry.

• They have planted a raised bed pollinator and butterfly garden and are also studying soil organisms.

• Created a vegetable garden in a previously mulched courtyard for cool-weather crops; set up 2 compost tumblers and use appropriate waste from the cafeteria.

• Created a Victory Garden for cool weather crops

• Created a oyster reef to grow oysters with Oyster Reef Keepers of Virginia.

YOUTH GROUP CATEGORYSOUTHERN WATERSHED WINNER

Creeds Elementary SchoolLocation: 920 Princess Anne RoadProject Highlights:

• Constructed a nature path with native vegetation attracting insects, reptiles and amphibians

• Created a pond (parking lot draining solution) with a dock

• Created a composting area and a vegetable garden

• Constructed outdoor seating area and pathways

CLUB/ASSOCIATION CATEGORY

Pleasure House Lake

CLUB/ASSOCIATION CATEGORYCHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED WINNER

Chesapeake Beach Civic LeagueLocation: Pleasure House Lake, Chubb Lake, Lake Bradford, Lake JoyceProject Highlights:

• Received a Citizen Monitoring Grant from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for monitoring water quality at 13 sites on four neighborhood lakes from April to September 2010

• Measured chemical and biological parameters

• Determined location of high E. Coli readings

• Installed “poop bag boxes”

• Reported testing results in the civic league newsletters

CLUB/ASSOCIATION CATEGORYSOUTHERN WATERSHED WINNER

Council of Garden Clubs of Virginia BeachLocations: Multiple sites around the cityProject Highlights: “Sixty Trees for Sixty Years” project celebrating the 60the anniversary of the organization

• Enlisted multiple clubs, businesses, and individuals to contribute funds and plant trees on multiple sites around the city.

• The city Arborist was also involved in the plant and site selection

LANDSCAPE/GREEN INDUSTRY CATEGORY

Virginia Tech/Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center

LANDSCAPE/GREEN INDUSTRY CATEGORYCHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED WINNER

Virginia Tech/Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension CenterLocation: 1444 Diamond Springs RoadProject Highlights:

• Created a demonstration garden (8,300 square feet) that contains 140 species and follows the sustainable concepts of biological diversity, resource conservation, and low impact/input

• Within the first six months the garden had over 1000 visitors and it has received local, regional, national, and international attention

STEWARDSHIP AWARDS JUDGES

City of Virginia Beach Staff and Master Gardeners