The Green Sweep: Garden Club, USS Wasp, Hope House, and ERT Volunteers!

The ERT-West Ghent section and Jeff Robertson Park got a bit of a summertime glow-up! Our large volunteer service day on July 11 and extensive efforts from Trail Ambassador, Bill Garrett. 

With help from seven USS Wasp (LHD-1) active duty Navy Sailors, we were able to remove heaps and piles of invasive, overgrown vines on the fence line and a large slew of non-native, invasive bamboo from the trail. We are incredibly grateful for their service to the country and to their local communities here in Norfolk. 

The Garden Club of Norfolk helped to refresh the Olmested Tribute Garden that gives so much back to nature. Located along the Northwestern side of Jeff Robertson Park, the Olmsted Garden was installed in 2022 by the Garden Club of Norfolk. It serves as a habitat, greenway, and stormwater management system.The space used to hold nothing but sand, dirt, and water, but now it is home to a variety of plants placed strategically to create an eco garden that helps retain and filter stormwater. The refresh consisted of trimming, weeding, and uprooting dead root balls. 

Lastly, several ERT Volunteers and the Hope House Foundation Green Team members did a large-scale litter cleanup that covered the entirety of the ERT section that runs through Jeff Robertson Park. Our litter pickers were able to collect over 30 pounds of trash 

These important trail beautification efforts both enhance resident’s safe access to public green spaces and help conserve Norfolk’s natural environments.