New Art At Boxerwood

Local artist John Auciello donated a piece of his statuary art made from re-used items.  It has been placed near the entrance to Boxerwood outside the gates of the Play Trail.

BOXERWOOD BIRD WALKS STARTING THIS SATURDAY!

Boxerwood is pleased to announce that the Rockbridge Bird Club will offer monthly bird walks at Boxerwood, starting this Saturday (September 6). The early morning walks will take place on the first Saturday of each month. Walkers will meet in the parking area at 7:30 a.m. The walks will generally run about 2 hours. The Bird Club will provide a leader with birding knowledge to share with beginners (of all ages) as well as those with more experience. In the event of heavy rain, the walk will be canceled. If you have any questions, feel free to call Kerry Kilday (561-389-9612).

This is another example of how Boxerwood is working to partner with other local groups to bring the outdoors and our environment alive.

Play Trail Use Increasing

The Play Trail at Boxerwood was designed for children aged 7 and younger to explore the outdoors and even get a little muddy.  The Play Trail has become one of the most popular destinations for young families visiting Boxerwood.

With this increase in use comes a proportionate amount of wear and tear on the infrastructure and maintenance workload for staff and volunteers to keep the Play Trail fun and safe.  We ask that users of  Boxerwood follow a few simple guidelines when using the Play Trail.

Boxerwood Play Trail Guidelines --

The Play Trail is designed for young children, ages 7 and under. Older children should explore other areas of Boxerwood.

THE PLAY TRAIL IS UNSUPERVISED. A parent or a designated caregiver who assumes full responsibility for their behavior and safety must accompany children. Use this area at your own risk.  Visitors who are playing in a way that is not safe or friendly may be asked to leave.

Organizational groups of more than 10 people must contact Boxerwood at least three weeks in advance to inquire if a group visit is possible without conflicting with other scheduled activities and to determine if a use fee is appropriate. Boxerwood staff will discuss with them if the Play Trail or other areas of Boxerwood are more appropriate for their groups needs.

Small family groups of young children (10 or fewer) are welcome without advance notice. Since school visits may be taking place at the same time, some sharing of space may be necessary.

Please do not allow children to wash off muddy pans in Dale’s Creek.  This is operated with an electric pump and mud will clog and damage this equipment.

Clean up – Unpaid volunteers are the main workforce at Boxerwood.  We appreciate your assistance in maintaining the Play Trail.  Each area should be ready for the visitor who follows in your footsteps. Help your child "tidy up" -- especially in the mud kitchen. 

A New Way To Support Boxerwood

You Can Now Support Boxerwood While Shopping at Amazon.com By using the Amazon Smiles program .5% of the cost of your purchases at Amazon will go to help support programs and the garden at Boxerwood.  All you need to do is sign up for the Amazon Smiles program on your personal Amazon account.  When signing up look for the Boxerwood Education Association and once selected on a quarterly basis .5% of the total purchases made will go directly to Boxerwood . Amazon Smiles Sign Up So please take advantage of this easy way to make an impact by helping Boxersood to keep making a difference in our community.  Boxerwood has been a non profit organization serving the Rockbridge area for 15 years.

Another Nasty Invasive

Another Nasty Invasive:  We are continually battling multiflora rose here at Boxerwood and I’ll bet you are too, maybe without even knowing it.  This rose was introduced to the eastern United States in 1866 as a rootstock for ornamental roses. In the 1930’s, the U.S. Soil Conservation Service started using the rose for erosion control and as ‘living fences’ to control livestock.   More recently, the plant was used on highway median strips as a crash barrier and to reduce headlight glare (this is also how we got the notorious and ever-present Autumn Olive).  Multiflora rose is an aggressive (and the key word here is aggressive) large, multi-stemmed shrub with arching stems and recurved thorns. Small white or pinkish flowers bloom in May and small bright red rose hips form in late summer through winter.  The tips of the canes often reach the ground and root.  Here at Boxerwood, we have had multiflora rose climb thirty feet into trees.  Birds spread the plentiful seed everywhere.

How to eradicate it?  In fields, repeated cutting or mowing at the rate of three to six timesover a period of two years seems to work.  For smaller infestations, late in the season, cut the plant to the ground and paint the remaining stems with a systemic glyphosate herbicide such as Roundup.

Boxerwood Nature Builders Camp Ends With A Challenge Splash

See how the staff of the Nature Builders Camp ended the week with a splash all dedicated to a great cause with a direct connection to our community.

Boxerwood ALS Challenge

A Busy Week At Boxerwood

There is a lot of buzz and work being done at Boxerwood this week.

Boxerwood has been home for the "Nature Builders Day Camp" hosting 31 children and camp staff led by Boxerwood Educators Jess Sullivan and Hannah West.  They have been all through the garden working on fun and educational projects.

Volunteers were hard at work Wednesday in the on going effort to remodel a new learning and meeting space in the Education Wing at the Munger Lodge.

Even the rains do not stop the continuous work being done to keep the garden in shape.

But that rain is helping many of the plants at Boxerwood do their work producing flowers, berries, and fruits that continue the chain of life in the woodland garden.

You never know what might be around the corner when walking through the woodland garden at Boxerwood.  Come make some of your own discoveries.