Elizabeth River Project gets $50,000

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - The Norfolk Foundation, southeastern Virginia’s largest grant and scholarship provider, has awarded the Elizabeth River Project a $50,000 gift to assist with the final design and construction costs for Phase I of the Paradise Creek Nature Park. The Paradise Creek Nature Park, a 40-acre oasis of woods and wetlands in the heart of the river's Southern Branch, will provide not only conservation of wildlife habitat, but also the education and public access to the river that are essential to long-term stewardship.

“This is a huge vote of confidence from The Norfolk Foundation," says Marjorie Mayfield Jackson, executive director of the Elizabeth River Project. “The outpouring of generosity for this project has been amazing.”

Jackson says that ERP has selected Clough Harbour Associates, a leading park design firm, to prepare the final design and engineering specifications for Phase 1.

A Virginia Recreational Trails Grant of $125,000 is helping fund two miles of trails at the park, for visitors to appreciate one of the last stands of mature forest on the river. The Virginia Port Authority plans to spend $2 million at the site to dig out what once was the riverbed and return it to tidal wetlands.

The Paradise Creek Nature Park will be Portsmouth’s third largest park and the only Portsmouth park designed primarily for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy nature. Experts on behavior change identify public access as one of the leading keys to inspiring citizens to become active stewards of their rivers and bays. The park will provide the only public access to Paradise Creek and will be one of a limited number of easily reached access points to the Elizabeth River.

The Paradise Creek Nature Park represents the public access piece of more than 250 acres of conservation and restoration projects spearheaded by ERP. According to Jackson, ERP has many partners in this venture, including the US Navy, which is transferring Superfund landfills into a 70-acre wildlife mecca, Giant Cement, which set aside 22 acres in a no-mow zone, and SPSA’s Refuse Derived Fuel Plant, which earned international certification for its improved environmental management practices.

The waterfront property for the park was purchased by ERP for $1.14 million, with lead grants from the Virginian-Pilot and The Virginia Land Conservation Foundation. Phase I will open in 2012. Phase II of the park is scheduled to open by 2014 and will include an off-the-power-grid Interpretive center, education pavilions and educational public art about river restoration.