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PARADISE Awaits You! |
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Join us
Saturday, June 22, 2013 for the Grand
Opening of Phase 1 of Paradise Creek
Nature Park! Free and open to the
public. |
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The
Elizabeth River Project this summer
celebrates completion of Phase 1 of a
one-of-a-kind park, an oasis of nature
in a working harbor demonstrating that
ecology and industry can co-exist in
harmony. The 40 acres of forest and
creek habitat are a partnership with the
City of Portsmouth, which began
operating the site as a public park in
December, and the Virginia Port
Authority, which last year created 11
acres of new wetlands. With the help of
many generous donors, our non-profit has
created two miles of trails, “green”
parking and entrance roads that absorb
runoff, a 275’ footbridge, an
“Earthworks Mound” and landscaping to
revitalize 29 acres of urban forest with
native trees, shrubs and flowers.
Portsmouth Public Schools have begun
almost daily field trips to the park.
One teacher called it the best
experience of her teaching career. Come
see what the excitement is about … in a
unique kind of Paradise.
Grand
Opening: “Bioblitz” & More
Celebrate
the region’s first park teaching how to
restore an urban river. Free water
bottle to the first 50 visitors on Grand
Opening Day! Activities for the family
are planned all day June 22. They’re
free, but please RSVP to receive any
special instructions and make sure
there’s space:
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BIOBLITZ – 6:30 am – 3 pm. Join area
scientists to help count fish,
songbirds, insects, trees other life
in the park. Help create a
“snapshot” of life at the birth of
the new park, then track the
difference over time as restoration
continues. Watch this space for more
details. RSVP to Dave Koubsky,
dkoubsky@elizabethriver.org, (757)
399-7487.
- MAYOR’S WALK – 8:30 am – 9:30 am.
Join Portsmouth Mayor Kenneth Wright
in his “Get Healthy, Portsmouth”
initiative. Hike around the new
wetland! RSVP to Pam Boatwright,
pboatwright@elizabethriver.org.
- RIVER STAR HOMES WORKSHOPS - 2 pm –
4 pm. Learn new skills for river
stewardship with our River Star
Homes program. RSVP to Diana Larkin,
dlarkin@elizabethriver.org, 399-7487
THANK
YOU to Generous Phase I Donors
Phase I
of the park is made possible by many
generous donors, including, at the level
of $100,000 or more: City of Portsmouth;
Virginia Land Conservation Foundation
and Virginia Recreational Trails Grant
of VA Department of Conservation and
Recreation; Virginia Port Authority; APM
Terminals; CSX Transportation, Inc.;
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation;
The Virginian-Pilot; TowneBank
Foundation; Hampton Roads Community
Foundation; US EPA Targeted Watershed
Initative Grant; Dominion Virginia
Power, Louis F. and Prudence H. Ryan and
the Bradley Family Fund of the Hampton
Roads Community Foundation. For a
complete list of sponsors,
click here
– and watch for sponsor recognition
coming soon throughout the park!
Phase
II Donors Needed
Fundraising is on-going by Elizabeth
River Project for Phase 2 amenities:
Canoe-kayak launch, additional parking,
education-recreation outdoor pavilions,
a composting toilet pavilion with rain
filtration for hand-washing, and a
children’s playground. The Elizabeth
River Project will add these amenities
as funds become available, or no later
than 2015. Contact Joanne Hansinger,
jhansinger@elizabethriver.org,
399-7487, for opportunities to make
Phase II of this unique park a reality! |
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Park News... |
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Volunteer
Litter Cleanup Day
9-11 a.m.,
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Read more here |
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Get Ready:
Park Opens Dec. 28!
With a
bald eagle flying over again today
and our contractors installing 8,000
native plants, Paradise Creek Nature
Park is really feeling like a nature
park! See
photos of the new “Annie Schafer
Memorial Alle’ of Oak Trees,” and
the other plants getting unloaded.
Read more about our new park,
opening to the public on Dec. 28
(grand opening in summer when the
weather is warm). |
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Bird Study
Begins in Paradise
Old Dominion University students
began a graduate study of birds at
Paradise Creek Nature Park last
weekend. Erin Heller and Archer
Larned banded 2 Northern Cardinals,
1 Carolina Wren, and 3
White-throated Sparrows. Thanks,
researchers! We’ve also twice seen
bald eagles check out the park. |
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Volunteers
Plant Trees in Paradise
On
November 17, 2012, Elizabeth River
Project scientists and 42 volunteers
planted over 200 native trees at
Paradise Creek Nature Park (opening
at the end of December). Thanks to
Portsmouth resident Joyce Wright and
the US Fish and Wildlife Service's
John McCloskey for generously
donating the saplings!
Check out volunteer
Les Parks's blog entry (complete
with photos!) about the planting. |
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APM VIP Sneak Peek at Paradise
Top partners and sponsors on Oct. 24
toured Paradise Creek Nature Park at
90 % completion for Phase I. APM
announced a big new gift, and the
mayor met a "slithery" park
resident! Fundraising is underway to
bring on Phase II elements as
quickly as they are funded.
Take a peek yourself at Phase I with
this video.
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Lowe’s Builds
Benches for Future Park
Lowe’s Victory
Boulevard store provided volunteers
and materials for benches and osprey
platforms in our new Paradise Creek
Nature Park, opening later this
year.
Read
more here. |
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Nature Park
Taking Shape!
The
pedestrian bridge is almost done –
and the dam has been removed to
allow tidal waters to flood the
11-acre wetland! See the slide show
and video on our progress, with
partner Virginia Port Authority, in
creating the 40-acre Paradise Creek
Nature Park.
See it in action... |
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Paradise Creek Nature Park:
Public Access to Wildlife and Fish
When
public/private partnerships Go Wild,
everyone wins! "Parks support public
health, the economy, the
environment, education, and
community cohesion...." says The
City Park Alliance in
Virginia Wildlife's article by
Beth Hester.
Virginia Wildlife Magazine | June
2012 |
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Steve Earley
| Virginian Pilot |
Breaking Ground in Paradise
On March 29, 2012, the Elizabeth River Project broke ground on a 40-acre
nature park that will be Portsmouth's third largest public park and a
regional showcase for all to see, touch and enjoy the restoration of the
Elizabeth. Read the story in
Hampton Roads | Virginian Pilot |
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Volunteers Clean Park Entry
About 70 volunteers from River Star Homes, the Navy, Old
Dominion University and the community picked up debris Feb. 18, to help
get our future Paradise Creek Nature Park ready for the public.
Read more... |
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Park Included in Top Projects
Paradise
Creek Nature Park was included in
top conservation efforts featured at
the March 2 White House Growing
America's Outdoor Heritage and
Economy conference.
Read more... |
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Schools and
Community Plan Park Uses
Portsmouth's Mayor Kenneth
Wright and School Superintendent
David Stuckwisch
tour
Paradise Creek
Nature Park's wetland, under
construction. Stuckwisch plans for
science students from grades pre-K- high
school to use the park as a living
laboratory. Already, more than 300
pre-K students are growing native
flowers for the park! And Young Life
students are our new “Park
Ambassadors.”
Read
more... |
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