October 26, 2026

 

Dear Friends,

 

The bright days of autumn have brought much good news our way. Our first-ever capital campaign is going strong, a beautiful new timber structure is up and singing, we've just won a $270,000 grant to help purchase ten more wild acres of land – and that’s just the start. 

 

After years of quiet growth, Boxerwood is spreading its wings, and we’re so excited you are part of it all.

 

With gratitude,

 

The Boxerwood Team

Boxerwood’s first-ever capital campaign is enjoying great momentum. Your gifts (thank you!) are already at work and taking care of big needs in four priority areas:

• Facilities: The Lodge’s most urgent repairs, including a new roof section (above), are complete, and the frame of our new covered stage structure, went up October 14.

• The Garden: A good, safe truck is keeping our programs on the move, and we’re investing in better tools and equipment for the garden crew.

• Our Educators: We’re increasing support for the people who bring children and nature together, year after year.

• The Land: We need to buy 10 acres next door and protect this land forever.

Acquiring the 10 acres is our most pressing need. Our new grant award (see article below) covers 2/3 of the cost. Help us close the gap and protect these acres. The campaign continues through December 31, and there’s still time to be part of it. Every gift, of any size, helps Boxerwood thrive and grow.

Our new timber frame structure, The Meadowlark, is up and singing. This 16-by-24-foot frame of good oak sprung to life Oct. 14 after an intense community build. Once outfitted with roof and deck, this covered stage and outdoor classroom will ensure more Boxerwood happenings whatever the weather. That’s great news for us all. The build itself was a joyful coming-together of many generous hearts . . .

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation last month awarded Boxerwood $270,600 from its Preservation Trust Fund. This grant will help us purchase and permanently protect 10 acres of woods and field bordering the woodland garden. That’s the undeveloped hillside to the right, east of our field. That leaves $140K to raise before this land goes on the market.

The newly raised timbers of The Meadowlark have been getting lots of admiration, and rightly so. Less noticed, but equally important: those timbers sit on concrete piers, and under every pier sits the generosity of Matt Humphries and his team at Welsh Construction.

 

When we asked for help with the foundation, Matt said yes. Then he showed up with the crew, equipment, and materials to dig and pour the piers at no cost to Boxerwood. And he didn’t settle for “close enough.” A timber frame is cut ahead of time and depends on precision, so every post has to land exactly where the framers planned. Matt put in extra hours to get it just right and give the timber framers a true, solid footing to build on.

 

Thank you, Matt and Welsh Construction, for giving The Meadowlark its footing!

A hearty Boxerwood welcome to Shelby Spittler, our new part-time garden and facilities caretaker. Shelby first visited Boxerwood six years ago and ever since dreamed about one day working here. Originally from Winchester, Shelby studied Environmental Horticulture at Virginia Tech. Her professional background in ornamental plant production, propagation, and residential landscaping will be a great help, as also her handywoman training. “We had a lot of talented folks who applied for this position,” said Operations Director, Hannah West, “We’re really excited to have Shelby’s energy and expertise and look forward to great things.” 

Now’s the time to stock up on quality seed for your backyard birds. With a cold, wet winter on the way, providing extra nutrition for the tiniest hearts is a kind deed indeed. Sponsored by the Rockbridge Bird Club, this annual fundraiser helps both birds and Boxerwood: win-win! Deadline is TODAY.

Last week Boxerwood helped teachers at Maury River MS launch a new, outdoor program for all 8th graders. The full-day program featured outdoor recreation (canoeing and hiking/biking on the Chessie) with place-based learning atop the double-decker at Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista. Learning local history and geography, the students analyzed photos of

19th c. packet boats and interviewed community members about major floods. Guided by Boxerwood educator Ginny Johnson (above), they also figured out their actual place in the world, using maps and the magnificent Blue Ridge.

Whether you’re caring for a mature landscape or just planting your first tree, knowing the basics of pruning can help your plants stay healthier, safer, and more beautiful for years to come. Thanks to an exciting new forestry grant (more on that next month), Boxerwood is offering a free tree & shrub pruning workshop on Saturday, November 7, 10 am to noon in downtown Buena Vista. Location is the Magnolia Square Pavilion. The workshop is limited to 20 participants and advanced registration is required. As an added bonus, every participant will receive a pair of hand pruners to use during the workshop—and to take home afterward so you can put your new skills into practice.

Ask any first grader the 7 ways plants can send seeds far and wide. If your young friend has already made their class trek to Boxerwood this fall – get ready to hear about “droppers, poppers, ploppers, hitch-hikers, helicopters, – and sailors!” Led by early educators Jess Sullivan, Caroline Coons, and volunteers, the beloved Seed Travellers program introduces all area six-year-olds to many natural wonders, including the marvels of milkweed, acted out here in full embodied joy. 

In a recent foray with members of the Rockbridge Bird Club, middle schoolers in Boxerwood’s afterschool EarthKeepers Club identified fourteen different species near Barger Pond – their weekly hike destination from nearby MRMS. With help from birders John Maluski and Lisa Gay-Milliken, the EarthKeepers identified goldfinch, bluebirds, turkey vultures, a mockingbird, Canada geese, mallards, and even a single, migrating greater yellow-legs (wader). A partnership between Boxerwood, the landowners, and MRMS allows the youth to stretch their wings weekly, more deeply connecting with the natural world and one another. 

Boxerwood Education Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Federal Tax ID: 54-1937944

Sent by Boxerwood.

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