River Fields - the Becky Brown Sanctuary

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$45,000 Goal

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Willow oak is among the most wildlife-friendly trees in the Mid-Atlantic regio Swamp white oak is a keystone species

For this year's Give for Good, we are raising funds to plant the Becky Brown Sanctuary on five acres we own on River Road at Blankenbaker Lane to honor a River Fields Trustee and one of our community's greatest preservationists. Thanks to our Board of Trustees' generous match, your gift is doubled right out of the gate.

By planting tree species adapted to periodic inundation, like willow oak, swamp white oak, bald cypress, river birch, sycamore, and black tupelo, we will create a resilient natural system that effectively absorbs and manages stormwater runoff. And, this new green jewel on River Road will be scenic as well as a model of good stewardship!

Your gift also makes it possible to:

Improve our beloved Garvin Brown Nature Preserve;
Protect forever 2,300 acres of forest, farmland, meadows, and waterways;
Create engaging new nature programs for our members and our partners at the Home of the Innocents teen foster care program;
Serve you and the places you cherish as a trusted and informed local voice for sustainable planning;
Partner with other organizations to promote the Ohio River Basin Restoration Plan's advancement in Congress

Monarch butterfly on a native buttonbush shrub at River Fields's Garvin Brown Nature Preserve. Buttonbush is a critical wetlands plant that throughout the summer provides food and habitat for pollinators like the monarch, and later in the year offers food for more than 20 different species of waterfowl.

Happy nature explorers after an interpretive walk at Garvin Brown Nature Preserve. River Fields manages and offers public programming at the preserve, which includes wetlands, woods, wildflower meadows and unfettered river views.