GIVE
GIVE

Seed keepers

Take What You Need, Give What You Can

Led by local scientists and restoration experts, “Seed Keepers” offers guided sessions on seed harvesting and processing to build the region’s first-ever community seed library. You’ll discover the critical role of local genotype seeds in strengthening the resilience of our shorelines and native plantings. This series not only educates but also empowers community members to play a pivotal role in conserving our coastal ecosystems.

Special thanks to research collaborators Dr. Taylor Sloey and Dr. Erik Yando of ODU’s Wetland Plant and Restoration Lab and research fellow Eric Liu. Seed Keepers of the Elizabeth River is made possible by a generous donation from the JP Doherty Foundation.

Sunset Wetland Seed Collection Workshop

Collect and observe Spartina alterniflora and other essential halophytes (salt-loving plants) crucial for wetland restoration. Participants will dive into the fascinating world of native wetland seed ecology and our ongoing efforts to rejuvenate these vital ecosystems.

Thursday, October 15, 2026 from 5:00pm-6:30pm | Ryan Resilience Lab | Learn more and register for upcoming seed collection workshop.

Seed Processing Workshop

Volunteer to help process seeds for the seed library donated by community members. You’ll learn valuable skills to care and properly store seeds plus help restock this valuable community resource to promote healthy habitats. 

Friday, November 20, 2026 from 5:30pm-7:00pm | Ryan Resilience Lab | Learn more and register for upcoming seed processing workshop.

Knitting Mill Creek Park Native Seed Wish List

This year’s seed donations will help supply the large-scale spring planting at Knitting Mill Creek Park, giving community members a unique opportunity to directly contribute local genetics to a major restoration project.

  • Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern Red Columbine)
  • Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed)
  • Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
  • Borrichia frutescens (Sea Oxeye)
  • Carex albicans (White-Tinged Sedge)
  • Carex haydenii (Cloud Sedge)
  • Chasmanthium laxum (Slender Woodoats)
  • Conoclinium coelestinum (Mistflower)
  • Danthonia spicata (Poverty Oat Grass)
  • Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple Lovegrass)
  • Eurybia divaricata (White Woodaster)
  • Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet Joe-pye Weed)
  • Kosteletzkya virginica (Seashore Mallow)
  • Liatris spicata (Dense Blazing Star)
  • Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
  • Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)
  • Panicum virgatum (Panic Grass)
  • Pluchea odorata (Saltmarsh Fleabane)
  • Pycnanthemum incanum (Silverleaf Mountain Mint)
  • Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower)
  • Rudbeckia triloba (Three-lobed Coneflower)
  • Salvia lyrata (Lyreleaf Sage)
  • Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)
  • Solidago caesia (Wreath Goldenrod)
  • Solidago sempervirens (Seaside Goldenrod)
  • Spartina patens (Saltmeadow Hay)


Current Seed Inventory

Still accepting and sharing other native seed donations for the seed library!

  • Andropogon glomeratus Bushy Bluestem
  • Baptisia australis Blue False Indigo
  • Borrichia frutescens Seaside Tansy
  • Myrica cerifera Southern wax myrtle
  • Ostrya virginica Eastern hop-hornbeam
  • Penstemon digitalis Foxglove Beardtongue

Seed availability subject to change.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is a seed library? A seed library is a place where people can borrow seeds to grow and then return some of the seeds to the library. Seed libraries help build cultural and environmental resilience.
  • Why save seeds? Saving seeds from our native plants preserves their biodiversity. Locally-grown native plants are adapted to our regional conditions, so they are more environmentally resilient. Community access to native seeds also build cultural resilience, placing the power to restore native habitats into the hands of everyday people.
  • What kind of seeds can I get and give here? This is a native plant seed library, so we only accept donations of seeds from plants native to the southeastern coastal plain (including the eastern Carolinas). Verify that the species is native to coastal Virginia using the Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora. We accept seed from wild sources as well as from gardens. Please make sure to note the source of your seed when you bring in donations.
  • How do I harvest seeds? The short answer is, it depends! For most native flowering plants, you will wait until the plant flowers, sets seed, and that seed turns brown and dry. Use scissors or clippers to carefully cut off the seedhead without damaging the larger plant. Depending on the seeds, you may want to clean or process them. We hold workshops on seed harvesting and processing each fall at the Ryan Resilience Lab – join us.
  • Am I allowed to harvest seeds from wild places? Excellent question! Laws about wild seed collection vary from city to city and site to site. Please research the regulations where you plan to harvest and ask if you are not sure. Please NEVER harvest seed from a plant that you cannot identify. Whether you’re harvesting from a garden or a natural area, we encourage you to practice the honorable harvest. Learn more about the honorable harvest.
  • What information should be on the native seeds that I donate? Clearly label seed donations with: species name, date collected, collection location , whether seeds came from a wild population or a garden, contact information (so we can reach out with questions if we have any)
  • Is there another way to get involved other than collecting and donating seeds? Yes! We’re also seeking volunteers to help process and package seed collections. Volunteer at the Ryan Resilience Lab or take projects home. It’s a relaxing, hands-on way to contribute, especially for those who may not be able to participate in shoreline volunteer work. Contact our Resilience Research Manager Victoria Dunch to get started as a seed processing volunteer.

 

For additional questions and to get involved, contact Luísa Black Ellis, lblack@elizabethriver.org.

River Academy Lecture Hall Request

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

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

NOTE: This form does not confirm your reservation, reservations are confirmed upon ERP receipt of signed contract and paid deposit.

Event Type(Required)
*Rates include up to 3 hours for meetings on weekdays and weeknights, and 6 hours for events on the weekends, including setup and takedown. Additional time will be billed at 20% per hour
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Our maximum capacity is 50 for theater or presentation style events and 30 for classroom style.
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Start Time(Required)
:
End Time(Required)
:
Set Up Time
:
Take Down Time
:
Set Up Preferences(Required)
Check all that apply
Audio/Visual Needs(Required)
Check all that apply
We would like the Elizabeth River Project to make a 3-5 minute announcement at the start of the event regarding the mission and ways to get involved(Required)
This field is hidden when viewing the form
We would like the Elizabeth River Project to make a 3-5 minute announcement at the start of the event regarding the mission and ways to get involved

If given the go-ahead for our event, sponsor organization agrees to these River Academy Lecture Hall policies:

Yes, we agree to sustainable/responsible event practices(Required)
Yes, we will adhere to start and end times (15-minute leeway) and will return the space to the condition in which you found it.(Required)

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

  • ERP maintains insurance for its activities at the River Academy Lecture Hall. 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 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.
MM slash DD slash YYYY

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.

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

NOTE: This form does not confirm your reservation, reservations are confirmed upon ERP receipt of signed contract and paid deposit.

Event Type(Required)
*Rates include up to 3 hours for meetings on weekdays and weeknights, and 6 hours for events on the weekends, including setup and takedown. Additional time will be billed at 20% per hour
This field is hidden when viewing the form
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.
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Start Time(Required)
:
End Time(Required)
:
Set Up Time
:
Take Down Time
:
Set Up Preferences(Required)
Check all that apply
Audio/Visual Needs(Required)
Check all that apply
We would like to offer attendees the option to tour the Ryan lab(Required)
We would like the Elizabeth River Project to make a 3-5 minute announcement at the start of the event regarding the mission and ways to get involved(Required)
This field is hidden when viewing the form
We would like the Elizabeth River Project to make a 3-5 minute announcement at the start of the event regarding the mission and ways to get involved

If given the go-ahead for our event, sponsor organization agrees to these Ryan Lab policies:

Yes, we agree to sustainable/responsible event practices(Required)
Yes, we will adhere to start and end times (15-minute leeway) and will return the space to the condition in which you found it.(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.
MM slash DD slash YYYY

Youth Water Monitoring Results

Entry Data

Name(Required)
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Time(Required)
:

Sample Data

Bacteria

Observations

Drop files here or
Accepted file types: jpg, png, heic, tiff, Max. file size: 256 MB.
    Add any field observation photos here