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Restoring native habitat along our neighborhood creek, beginning in our backyard
Mission of the project
Mission of the project
Our mission is to control invasive plants that have taken over our city creekside and restore the habitat to a balanced ecosystem with its natural biodiversity of native plant species.
To make this a place where creatures can reside
where they can walk among the jewelweed and the columbine
as if they were in a tract
of undisturbed woods
before our times
not the side of an urban creek
overrun with vines
Over the past few years, I have become more attentive to what I can do to improve our world and our natural habitats. Looking out over my backyard, I saw how the creekside behind our house had become overrun with invasive plants which had choked out or buried much of the native vegetation. As a young child growing up in central Virginia, I loved going to the mountains and being in nature. Through this, I saw many examples of healthy ecosystems and learned to recognize what they look like. In a city like Charlottesville, there is much potential for beautiful natural habitats, yet in few places is this realized. Many of the ecosystems here are dominated by a few invasive plant species, leaving no room for the interaction of different types of life required in a healthy ecosystem. Read more about me and my journey here and about the importance of healthy ecosystems here.
Using a machete to remove invasive vegetation.
Like many other spaces along creeks and rivers in urban areas, the area around the creek in our backyard had been taken over by invasive plants such as multiflora rose, porcelain-berry, tree of heaven, and others. These plants had in most areas eradicated native plants or choked out their light and grown over them, disrupting the balanced ecosystem that provides for so many forms of life. I decided to try to reverse the destruction of the ecosystem and restore it to its natural state. With the help of my parents and siblings, I set out to do so.
The creek and area around the creek is already home to many animals, including over 20 species of birds, reptiles such as snakes and skinks, amphibians such as salamanders and frogs, and mammals such as foxes, deer, squirrels, and racoons, all within city limits. Our goal is to create a balanced ecosystem that resembles how the area would have looked pre-colonization, improves habitat for the pre-existing animals, and encourages other species to re-habitate the area. Read more about the history and impact of the project here.
What is Habitat Restoration?
Habitat Restoration is the work done to repair damaged ecosystems in order to return them to their natural state.
Restoration is the merging of ecology and gardening. Having a strong interest in both of these and spending most of my childhood immersed in nature and gardening (read more about me here), habitat restoration came naturally to me.
Meeting with Donald Schrager, Stormwater Utility Administrator, and Dan Frisbee, Water Resources Specialist, from the City of Charlottesville.
Coordinating with the City of Charlottesville's Stormwater Utility Department
Coordinating with the City of Charlottesville's Stormwater Utility Department
We are currently providing input to the city of Charlottesville for a project to increase the flow of the creek and stabilize the banks. This project is in the early design stage, and we have been in close contact with the city's stormwater management program to discuss how our rewilding project and the city project will work together.
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