Downtown Greens

Downtown Greens in City of Fredericksburg is awarded a $750 Green Grant in the Community Beautification category as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 15th Annual Green Grants program.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling & Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling, or Community Beautification.

Downtown Greens is a non-profit organization in downtown Fredericksburg with a mission of making the lives of their community members better by connecting people with nature. Downtown Greens achieved that mission through land conservation and environmental stewardship of that land. For the past 30 years, they have worked tirelessly to provide safe and accessible green space to the residents of their community.

Funds provided by the Green Grant will be used to purchase native plants, such as American Alumroot, Golden Ragwort, Spreading Woodrush, Cardinal Flower, Hearts-a-Burstin’, and
Virginia Sweetspire.  They will also create custom educational signage.  By installing signage, it creates a record of which plants are intentionally installed there, what purpose they serve, and explain on-going management practices and ecological stewardship goals.

The focus of the Green Grant project area is one that has been cleared of the most invasive species, with work being done to install native plant species in that area to fill the voids. Another vital part of the project is to provide educational signage in that area, as well as free educational walks. The signage will not only help Downtown Green’s community, neighbors, and visitors to understand Downtown Greens’ mission and enhance the educational aspect of the space, but will also provide a map of the lower garden property.