The Hampton Roads Restoration Program goal is to work with residents in historically segregated and underserved neighborhoods to improve green space and reduce flooding and polluted runoff. Many of these neighborhoods have too few green spaces where families and friends can enjoy the benefits of the outdoors. Due to less tree canopy and more concrete, these communities can be 10-15% hotter in the summer which has lead to heat stroke and less time spent outdoors and more money on cooling costs.The runoff of storm water into the rivers and streams is polluted. Flooding is more prevalent. The Hampton Roads Restoration Program engages students and neighbors to plant rain gardens and bioswales to decrease flooding and to filter pollution in our Chesapeake Bay tributaries. My experience working at Sherwood Forest Elementary creating a 77' long bioswale and rain garden was to witness volunteers from all walks and all ages giving their time to plant over 1000 native plants in the courtyard of the school that had been experiencing regular ponding.The students helped to design the garden and did the plantings after we prepared the foundation. I am not a yard work person, so I learned quite a bit, including that sod is very dense and doesn't absorb water very well. Cutting up the sod and then removing it was more labor that I'm accustomed to, and I feel certain that the students in the classroom had their share of giggles at my efforts to keep up with the more experienced volunteers. In the end, the students witnessed strangers coming in to work for their benefit. And they will continue to learn that they can make an impact on their neighborhood and on their world through the joy of caring for the land. Collectively we all win.This is the Hampton Roads Restoration Program's second year and your support can make all the difference! Please consider donating through this link and signing up for volunteer opportunities. I have met the most impressive people when doing volunteer work for the betterment of our environment! BayRaiser: Windy Crutchfield - Chesapeake Bay Foundation (cbf.org)
