Spring’s arrival reminds me of last May and the burst of life within Stadium Woods. The tropical blue tanagers chirping high up in the oaks, flowering cherry trees and healing mayflower opening up after a cold Blacksburg winter. People joined the blossoming season with more vigor and joy ever seen in the Woods before. We rallied for the forest patch’s protection, marked oaks with prayer flags, even bestowed the mighty “Colbert Oak” with a naming ceremony. Unity and passion defines our tree-loving community – it’s a badge of pride to be a “treehugger” at VT.
Friends of Stadium Woods remain confident in the next phase of our movement to save the woods because of the success of last year’s campaign to stop the athletic practice facility. At the end of 2012, we founded the Stadium Woods Endowment Fund to ensure preservation of our wooded treasure forever.
The goals of the endowment are simple: create a long-term campaign to secure preservation of Stadium Woods. We aim to pair our “people power” with financial strength; with the endowment we signal to the University our commitment to conservation. And a last goal is to support all the good that can come from the endowment’s use. These funds can ensure proper maintenance of Stadium Woods – we must treat it as a forest ecosystem, not a park. Research in the woods allows us to uncover more amazing qualities of this rare old growth patch. Lastly, the endowment funds can support scholarships for students who are committed to conservation and are engaged in Stadium Woods.
All forms and amounts of donations are accepted! Friends of Stadium Woods are extremely grateful to The Community Foundation of the New River for hosting and managing the endowment. Let Spring’s renewal take us back to our spirit of collaboration and gratitude so that our community can continue to fight for preservation of Stadium Woods!
It will take all our networks and community connections to reach the fundraising goal of $10,000 by the end of summer. But we can do it. 11,000 people signed the petition to save Stadium Woods – if all those supporters donated $1 then we’d surpass our 2013 goal quickly!
Click here for donation information; keep posted for endowment updates.
Today is Earth Day, but, we can appreciate nature every day. PLEASE take a few minutes to visit the woods this week!