Boxerwood Pavilion Competed

On March 8th the new Boxerwood Pavilion was completed.  It is now awaiting students and visitors to bask in sheltered luxury while experiencing the outdoors of Boxerwood.

Remodeling To Expand Public Space In The Munger Lodge

Boxerwood Volunteers are working to remodel and convert what has been office and storage space into a class/meeting room and horticultural work and demonstration area.  The wing located on the west end of the Munger Lodge was originally built in 1954 as an open air Japanese style tea room and garden tool storage room.  The Tea Room screen walls were later replaced with large glass panels to make this a year round living area for the Munger family.

Rearranging of offices in the main Lodge allows for this area to be converted to an inclement weather classroom for school groups or additional meeting space allowing for multiple scheduled activities for adults and students at Boxerwood.

Space will also be available to house the Staff Horticulturalist and room for small related workshops.

A highly efficient HVAC system will be installed providing heat and air conditioning, the first such unit at Boxerwood.

It is planned that this project will be completed prior to the start of school programs in April.

This project was made possible by a single donor whose generosity is aiding Boxerwood to upgrade several of its facilities including the construction of the new Pavilion.

Space that will become a class/meeting room.  Part of the center wall in the center of the photo will be removed to open the area and accommodate larger classes or groups.

Remodeling Work Underway.

Some water damage that will need to be repaired.

Part of the new electrical wiring and breaker box that have been installed.

New Boxerwood Pavilion

Our staff  has decided to call the new structure rising here the "Boxerwood Pavilion."

Although recent snow has slowed progress a bit, the Pavilion is taking shape.  Hopefully the roof materials will be in tomorrow, Thursday, and the final phase of construction can begin.

The Boxerwood Pavilion as of March 5, 2014

New Entrance Sign At Boxerwood

You might note a change at the entrance to Boxerwood as you drive by on Ross Road this week. Through the efforts of one of our dedicated volunteers, we now have a new entrance sign that spells out our site's true name.

Boxerwood has gone by several names through the years, and when originally opened to the public was known as "Boxerwood Gardens."  This is what our entrance sign up until today still read.  Through the years our role has evolved and expanded.  This new sign is now more accurate and will hopefully prove less confusing for the visiting public.

New Boxerwood Entrance Sign

Winter In The Garden

Even though it is winter here at Boxerwood, the recent snows are gone and you never know what you might see.

Taken outside the Munger Lodge on February 24, 2014

Construction Begins On New Outdoor Classroom

The materials are in and work has begun on the new Outdoor Classroom at Boxerwood. This replaces the old pipe frame "NEWTS TENT" that was along the entrance drive across from the barn.

Boxerwood Partners With Community Foundation

 CFBRA Opens Boxerwood Education Fund

The Community Foundation for Rockbridge, Bath and Alleghany has recently opened the Boxerwood Education Fund to aid in the future financial stability of this important resource in our community. The establishment of this Fund was made possible by a match challenge gift from a private anonymous donor.  Members of Boxerwood then met that challenge through their generous support of this project.  “We are excited to have the opportunity to provide funds for the BEA mission and help them do good work in the community” said Lori Keckler, Executive Director. 

Boxerwood - a Nature Center and Woodland Garden located in Lexington, Virginia - is the legacy of Robert S. Munger (1911-1988). It is situated in a rolling Virginia valley nestled between the Allegany and Appalachian Mountains. The site contains habitats ranging from wetlands to forests to meadows and fifteen acres of mature, naturalistically planted trees and shrubs, featuring both native and unusual plant specimens.

Boxerwood provides robust environmental learning that is made available to every student in Rockbridge County’s three school systems from pre-school through middle school.  Each semester more than 2,000 students benefit from Boxerwood programs which afford them the opportunity to connect their classroom learning to the real world.

BEA Board Member Joe DiNardo is enthusiastic about this new partnership with the Community Foundation.  “Boxerwood is not only an organization that teaches both young and old about how to care for our world, it is a place to go where one can see, touch, enjoy and understand why it is important to do so ... Truly a unique place to experience and to be part of.  This new fund will be instrumental in keeping Boxerwood’s role in our community a reality.”

The Boxerwood Education Association (BEA) is the non-profit organization founded in 2000, which oversees Boxerwood programs in line with their mission "to educate and inspire people of all ages to be successful and environmentally responsible stewards of the earth”.

To learn more about the Boxerwood Education Fund contact Lori Keckler (Executive Director) lori.keckler@cfrba.org or call 540-463-0943.  To give to this fund please visit cfrba.org and use the PayPal link or email check to: CFRBA PO Box 20 Lexington, VA 24450.