St. Phillips Catholic Church, Falls Church, members Peter Brackins, Pablo Aguilar, and Sister Marie Benedict Elliot plant their Black Gum tree as anchor to their mini sanctuary
The non-profit conservation groups, Plant NOVA Natives and Northern Virginia Bird Alliance declared Oct. 25-28 as Bird Sanctuary Planting Weekend; and several area faith communities answered the call to plant. Thanks to a grant from Transurban, the suggestion to do Fall planting is backed by a donation of a cluster of native plants to add to the yards of responding faith communities. The result: songbirds have more healthy habitat to enjoy.
The mini-sanctuaries offered provide a native canopy tree, two shrubs, and mulch for a more complete habitat than planting trees alone. Plant NOVA Natives explains, “While trees are essential to birds for nesting and food sourcing, plants at the understory, shrub, and ground levels also are important for providing habitat for birds and for the bugs that are such an important part of their diet.” The mini-clusters reflect the philosophy of well-known naturalist Dr. Doug Tallamy, who promotes creation of “homegrown national parks” to “inspire everyone to address the biodiversity crisis by adding native plants and removing invasive ones where we live, work, learn, pray, and play.” Another aspect, that should not be overlooked, is the pleasant scenery and calming influence the natural landscaping provides for humans, as well.
Free mini-sanctuaries were available to the first 20 Fairfax County faith communities with sufficient space for installation to apply. Applicants chose among offered plant species: Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) with brilliant coral-red fall foliage; Hazelnut (Corylus americana) producing nuts for people and wildlife; Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) with glowing red fall foliage and berries for birds; and Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor), one of the Oak species, all of which support more birds and their food supply than any other plant species. Receiving communities are responsible for planting, watering, and deer protection. Plant NOVA Natives encourages allowing leaves to remain under the trees as they mature to enhance the habitat.
Transurban is an Australian company with offices in Tysons, that operates Washington area toll roads. The company made a $10,000 grant as part of their 495 NEXT Project Community Grant Program, to support ongoing efforts to remove invasive plants and for Fall plantings, including saplings, mulch and fencing supplies. Earlier this year, the 495 NEXT project team, including employees from Transurban, VDOT, and Lane Construction, volunteered to weed and plant trees in Churchill Road Park in McLean.
Transurban’s senior communications manager, Jacqueline Woodbridge, says, “Transurban’s Community Grant Program seeks to invest in the communities we serve — providing funding for local organizations making a difference in our neighborhoods. Grants are awarded for projects that promote, enhance or protect the environment, promote safety, support workforce development, and contribute to community well-being. We are proud to join forces with Plant NOVA Natives and their partner organizations to plant trees and support our green spaces for all to enjoy.”
Debbie Cali, of Flores United Methodist Church in Herndon, shares that their three preschool classes adopted the donated plants and will be naming the tree and shrubs. The children will water the plants each week as needed. Cali says, “We are trying to make sure that everyone is part of the tree area, and having native plants is so important. The children will be learning the [species] names of the plants and hopefully bird watching in the Spring. We are so glad to have the opportunity to be in this process, and the grant will bless our congregation for years to come.”
Sally Anne Jaeger, of Burke United Methodist Church, echoed her community’s delight in using the grant plants to add to their bird habitat.
Plant NOVA Natives has been successful in encouraging several organizations and the county to make significant grant donations to promote native plantings.
Other project sponsors for the mini-sanctuary program include: Plant NOVA Trees, NVBA Wildlife Sanctuary Program (formerly Audubon-at-Home), Fairfax Tree Stewards, McLean Tree Foundation, Fairfax ReLeaf, and volunteers from Fairfax Master Naturalists. Local organizations can learn about the Transurban Community Grant Program and apply at https://expresslanes.com/about