About Virginia Turfgrass Council Environmental Institute

Virginia Turfgrass Council Environmental Institute

Watershed Partnership Protection Program

 

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The IRS Has Approved the VTC Environmental Institute as a 501(c)(3) corporation. All your contributions to it are tax deductible! Developing and distributing 25,000 Pollinator Seed Packets and cooperating with the City of Virginia Beach to provide and plant 6,000 grass plants on dunes are two of the Institute’s initial endeavors.

You may donate via PayPal (button below) or by check or by credit card. Our address is VTC-Environmental Institute, PO Box 5989, Virginia Beach, VA 23471.



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Our Service Project has Grown

The 2021 Come to the Bay conference, held each February on the Virginia Beach oceanfront, initiated a service project as part of the event. We partnered with the City of Virginia Beach and provided and planted 6,000 American Beach Grass plants on sensitive oceanfront areas. That event was possible because of the generous contributions of Wes and Paula Bray.

The 2022 Come to the Bay Service Project is scheduled to grow exponentially! Once again, Wes and Paula Bray are generous sponsors! We are looking for others to join them in this expanded effort.

And please join Agronomic Lawn Management and become a sponsor of Come to the Bay

The Service Project is expanding in three areas: partners, activities, and number of plants.
Partners: We are working with the City of Virginia Beach, Tidewater Community College, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Activities: After the planting attendees will travel to the Brock Environmental Center for lunch and for presentations by students.
Plants: We provided and planted 6,000 plants last year. This year we are doing 15,000!

Here is the rough schedule:
Date: Monday, February 14 (yes, this is Valentine’s Day – we will be finished by early afternoon)
Site: Lynnhaven Boat Ramp and Lesner Bridge (Shore Drive in Virginia Beach)
Schedule:
8:30AM – Gather at Lynnhaven Boat Ramp
8:45AM – 11:00AM – Plant 15,000 American Beach Grass Plants
11:00AM – 1:00PM – Lunch and Program at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center
1:00PM End

Scroll down for a look at the American Beach Grass plants from our first Service Project!

Michael Moore (City of Virginia Beach) and Kati McCarter (Chesapeake Bay Foundation) examine the site
Michael Moore (City of Virginia Beach), Wes and Paula Bray (Lawns & Gardens Plus) determining the number of labor hours required to plant 15,000 American Beach Grass plants.
Wes Bray (Lawns & Gardens Plus) looking forward to February 14

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Download June Newsletter
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During February’s Come to the Bay conference, the VTC Environmental Institute worked with the City of Virginia Beach to provide and plant 6,000 Dune Protecting American Beach Grass plants on the oceanfront.

Those plants have taken root, they are growing, and they are protecting sensitive beach areas. Next year we intend to double the planting!

Thanks to Lawns and Gardens Plus, ALM and many others for their sponsorship of Come to the Bay!

Check out these recent (6/15/21) photos taken by Michael Moore who is with the City of Virginia Beach

Below are photos of the grasses when they were planted (four months ago).

Lawns and Gardens Plus employees planting the American Beach Grass last February

Here are boxes of the plants when we received them

Ray Funkhouser getting ready to plant

Beach Grass shortly after planting in the sand

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New Logo

Dawn Rigby of Xylem Marketing has worked with the Development Committee to design a logo for the VTC Environmental Institute. The Board of Directors approved that logo. Many thanks to Dawn for donating her time and expertise!

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The Virginia Turfgrass Council Environmental Institute has its own Employer Identification Number: EIN: 85 – 3595976

We are registered with Commonwealth of Virginia (Identification Number: 11124775)

We have received 501(c)(3) status from the IRS

The purposes of Virginia Turfgrass Council Environmental Institute are:

1. Providing education for industry professionals and the general public on proper practices for environmental protection through various means, including seminars and workshops.

2. Providing opportunities for industry professionals and the general public to restore environments.

3. Encouraging and providing support for environmental research.

4. Educating decision makers about proper industry practices that protect the environment.

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