My name is Carrol Burgundy ( nickname C-Bud). I am seeking your support to help with creating a vibrant, welcoming garden space where neighbors, pollinators, wildlife, native plants, herbs, beneficial insects, and the Chesapeake Bay all thrive together. This will be more than a garden: it will be a living classroom, a wildlife sanctuary, and a gathering place where I can show how small changes in our own backyards can make a difference. This garden will serve as a living example of how sustainable gardening practices can protect wildlife habitats and safeguard the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding waterways. This project will not only provide food and shelter for pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects but also demonstrate practical, eco-friendly landscaping methods that reduce pollution, conserve water, and nurture soil health.

Why It Matters:

The health of the Chesapeake Bay begins right here in our yards. Runoff, chemicals, and lawn overgrowth affect streams and rivers that eventually flow into the Bay. By choosing native plants, conserving water, and gardening the Bay-Wise way, we can:

• Protect the Chesapeake Bay by reducing fertilizer and pesticide runoff and keeping our soil and water clean.

• Provide habitat for pollinators, birds, wildlife, and beneficial insects .

• Demonstrate sustainable gardening practices for the community by teaching neighbors practical, eco-friendly gardening .

• Educate the public on how they can make simple changes in their own yards to support environmental health.

• Serve as a model site for workshops, tours, and community education programs .

What I’m Creating:

Our Ecosystem Garden will feature:

• Native plantings that bloom across the seasons and provide food for wildlife, beneficial insects, birds, bees, and other pollinators.

• Rain gardens and permeable areas to capture and filter stormwater runoff.

• Pollinator-friendly plantings that provide nectar and host plants for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

• Interactive educational signage and community workshops to highlight Bay-Wise practices and encourage replication in home landscapes.

• Soil health practices such as mulching, composting, and reduced lawn space.

Community Impact:

This project is about more than plants—it’s about people. This garden will serve as a community teaching tool and demonstration site. By showing neighbors, schools, and visitors how sustainable gardening practices directly benefit the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, I hope to inspire widespread adoption of Bay-Wise principles. The site will also host workshops, volunteer workdays, and youth education programs annually to foster long-term environmental stewardship.

How You Can Help:

Your support will help me bring this vision to life:

• Estimated Site preparation (clearing/weeding/soil prep): $7,000.00

• Labor (contractors): $8,000.00

• Estimated Native plants, shrubs, and trees: $11,500.00

• Estimated Soil amendments, mulch, topsoil, and compost: $3500.00

• Estimated Rain Garden installation: $4,150.00

• Estimated Educational signage & materials: $1,000.00

• Estimated Garden design and installation: $3,000.00

• Garden & Rainwater conservation equipment (rain barrels, etc.): $800.00

• Maintenance and volunteer coordination: $2,000.00 to $2,800.00 (annually)

Estimated Total Needed: Between $41,750.00 and $50,000.00

Join Me!

By supporting this project, you’ll be helping transform this space into a sanctuary/pantry ecosphere that creates a healthier community, protects nature, provides a safe space for our biosphere, promotes sustainable practices, and safeguards the waters that connect us all. Every dollar makes a difference. Together, a space that nurtures both people and Mother Nature can be created—for today and for generations to come.