Unity Gardens is pleased to announce the community groups that will receive funding to undertake native gardening projects in Anne Arundel County during Spring 2021. This month, Unity Gardens awarded almost $8,000 in small grants to homeowners’ associations, places of worship, and local nonprofits to complete citizen-led conservation landscaping projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These projects will be undertaken by communities who have planned safe, socially-distant outdoor events that utilize small groups of volunteers, and are in accordance with state guidelines around Covid-19.
Unity Gardens is a nonprofit organization based in Anne Arundel County that supports the building of community partnerships through its grassroots grants program. Each year since 2001, Unity Gardens has provided grants to schools, places of worship, Watershed Stewards, Master Gardeners, homeowners’ associations, scout troops, and other nonprofit initiatives that require plant funding in order for their conservation landscaping plans to get off the ground. In the past 18 years, Unity Gardens has given out almost $500,000 to over 500 organizations in Anne Arundel County.
Unity Garden’s mission is to empower and educate diverse Anne Arundel County communities to create and sustain healthy ecological spaces that enhance life, one native garden at a time.
The following organizations helped us rise to that goal:
Annapolis High School
Annapolis High School Courtyard Entrance
To continue the enhancement of the entrances to Annapolis High School by developing to pollinator gardens in an underused courtyard area and remediate erosion areas and sediment runoff.
Annapolis
Arundel Rivers Federation
Herrington Harbour Stream Restoration and BMP
To purchase plants for a large scale stormwater Best Practice Management and restoration planting, located near a stream flowing into Herring Bay.
Tracy’s Landing
Beverly Beach Neighborhood Association
Beverly Beach Neighborhood Marina Butterfly Garden
This project will convert an area covered with turf at the edge of our neighborhood marina into a conservation landscape with a native butterfly garden, to help intercept storm water from the street that currently spills directly into Cadle Creek.
Mayo
Cedar Ridge Homes Association
Green Mulch for a Sustainable Landscape
This project will incorporate a “green mulch” philosophy into an existing conservation landscaped area by adding native groundcovers to promote a more sustainable landscape that will require less maintenance and more habitat value.
Annapolis
Herald Harbor Citizens Association
Herald Harbor Community Tree Planting
Locust Trail Reforestation Site
To provide funding for community planting efforts and restoration of community property.
Crownsville
Indian Creek School Green Club
Indian Creek School (ICS) Green Club Garden
To fund a demonstration pollinator garden in a highly visible area.
Crownsville
Key School
The Meadow at Key School
To allow the fourth grade to plant a variety of native plant species in the meadow area of Key School during Earth Week and to improve the meadow area for use as an outdoor classroom.
Annapolis
Marley Glen School
Marley Glen Special School Pollinator Garden
To create a pollinator garden for students and teachers to use in studying pollinators. We are a Maryland Green School and this project is part of our ongoing effort to green our campus.
Glen Burnie
Severn House Condominium
Severn House Hill Erosion
To plant native ground cover to reduce amount of erosion in to Back Creek.
Annapolis
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
St. Luke’s Restoration of Nature
The purpose of this grant is to purchase native plant material for erosion control, habitat enhancement, and to replace other plants removed for control of invasive species (English ivy, Japanese honeysuckle, etc.).
Annapolis
Timbers Civic Association
Timbers Civic Association/Eagle Scout Project
To transform an area currently overrun with invasives into a walking path and memorial garden surrounded by pollinator plants and native shrubs.
Arnold
Past Grantees: