GIVE
GIVE

Conservation Landscaping

You protect the river. We’ll share the cost.

Converting bare or turfgrass areas on your property into low-maintenance conservation landscaping with locally-sourced, native plants makes the river cleaner and your home more beautiful. Even better, we’ll share the cost if your property qualifies. 

What A Native Landscape Will Do

Native landscaping uses plants that grow naturally in Coastal Virginia. You’ll create a beautiful home landscape, use less water and help restore the beautiful Elizabeth River.

  • Reduces pollution and help prevent algae blooms
  • Creates much-needed new habitat for birds and pollinators
  • Lowers your landscaping water bills
  • Slows stormwater runoff to reduce pollution 

What We’ll Do

  • Free site visit and consultation from our staff to identify potential projects and to see if your home qualifies
  • Project design with $100 deposit applied to project cost upon installation
  • ERP staff will install the project or work with a local landscape contractor. Homeowners can also choose a preferred contractor if required or discuss DIY planting with ERP staff guidance.
  • ERP can cover some of the cost of the project, up to (50%/75%) to a maximum of ($2,000/$3,500)
  • ERP staff will provide a long term maintenance plan for the project
  • Interested in saving money with DIY?
    • Conservation landscaping projects are generally easy to install yourself and don’t require permits.
    • ERP can guide you through the process, help with design, and order plants from wholesale nurseries.
    • With this method, ERP can still cost share up to 50% of the project (or 75% in Virginia Beach).
    • Keep an eye out for upcoming DIY conservation landscaping and buffer workshops to learn about landscape design by designing your own project, led by ERP’s experts.

Does your home qualify?

To be selected for the Native Landscape cost-sharing program, property owners must meet the following requirements:

  • Residential property located within the Elizabeth River watershed – Must be in Norfolk, Chesapeake, or Virginia Beach to qualify
  • Enrolled in the Free River Star Home program
  • Owner agrees to convert a portion of the property – preferably poorly draining or significantly eroding turfgrass – into a native landscape
  • Project area must capture direct stormwater runoff or be able to redirect water towards the planting area
  • Owner agrees to maintain the area as conservation landscaping with re-verification by Elizabeth River Project staff or relevant project funders after 5 years
  • Owner agrees to join or renew as an Elizabeth River Project member upon completion of installation

 

Our garden you designed looks amazing…it is beautiful and has lots of blooms. The garden has so much to watch for, we are so grateful.

Melanie Sanders
River Star Home

How to Apply

Due to high demand, our waitlists for Elizabeth River Project managed or installed projects are currently closed for 2025 projects. We will reopen waitlists this coming fall for 2026 projects. Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram, or join our exclusive River Star Homes Facebook group to get notifications about waitlist openings and upcoming DIY Landscape Design workshops!
 
If you are doing a DIY project or are ready to install a project with another contractor, you may still be eligible to receive a reimbursement for your project through the cost share program without waiting for the next sign up period. To learn more about this process, please reach out to Mandi Pesha, River Star Communications Specialist at mpesha@elizabethriver.org.

Thanks to our Partners

Our Native Landscaping cost-sharing programs are only made possible through funding generous support from our partners and the hundreds of Elizabeth River Project members and donors.

  • City of Norfolk
  • City of Chesapeake
  • City of Virginia Beach

 

Landscaping Guide

Our Landscaping Guide presents four native landscaping designs, each accommodating common growing conditions in Southeast Virginia. They can be scaled to fit any garden or yard size and shape. The native plants featured in each design were selected for attractiveness and palette, local ecological value, and ease of maintenance and sourcing.

Milkweed Native Plant

Ryan Resilience Lab Event Request

Thank you for your interest in the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab. We’re delighted that our site is in high demand. As the Ryan Resilience Lab is operated by a small non-profit with a big environmental mission, please help us make sure your event is a great fit.

Our priority is to host groups with relevance to our mission: to restore the Elizabeth River through equitable collaboration with diverse communities, governments, and businesses. When space and staff support are available, we are happy to host such groups free of charge, but do request that you consider an organizational membership and allow us to offer the opportunity for individual memberships.

Please fill this form out at least 30 days in advance of the event.

Our maximum for indoor seated events is 85 theater style and 45 classroom style. For standing receptions, the maximum is 100 indoors or 125 indoor-outdoor.
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If given the go-ahead for our event, sponsor organization agrees to these Ryan Lab policies:

Yes, we will offer attendees the option to tour the Ryan Lab(Required)
Yes, Elizabeth River Project can make a 3-5 minute announcement at the start of the event regarding mission and ways to get involved(Required)
Yes, we will consider an organizational membership with Elizabeth River Project to support its mission of restoring the Elizabeth River(Required)
Yes, we agree to sustainable/responsible event practices(Required)

Additionally, sponsor organization agrees to these administrative/liability requirements:

  • ERP maintains insurance for its activities at the Ryan Lab. Sponsoring organizations should ensure that they have appropriate insurance coverage as well.
  • Weapons are prohibited.
  • Open flames generally are prohibited (special permission only).
  • Outdoor guests will be required to exit the Learning Park during thunder, lightning, high winds or any circumstance deemed hazardous by ERP.
  • Waiver of Claims: Sponsoring organizations agree to release, waive all claims, discharge, and covenant not to sue Elizabeth River Project, its officers, employees, volunteers, and agents from liability from any and all claims resulting in personal injury, accidents or illnesses and property loss arising from, but not limited to, participation in the event and related tours, due to the negligence of sponsor, sponsor's employees, or event participants.
  • Notice of Claims: Sponsor agrees to provide immediate notice to ERP if any participant either files, or threatens to file, a claim arising from or related to the event, so that ERP can notify its insurance carriers.
  • COVID Statement: Participants will monitor their own health prior to reporting to any Elizabeth River Project event/activity. If any signs or symptoms of infection are present, the individual must not report to the event.
  • Photo Release: Photos of the event may be shared as part of grant reporting or posted on Elizabeth River Project website/social media unless otherwise specified by the sponsor organization.
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