Thanks to a grant from Dominion Energy, SCWF has begun work to create a 17-acre nature park around Chapin Town Hall which will beautify the property and preserve natural wildlife habitat, while also making it more accessible to citizens and visitors. We will install walking trails, a pollinator garden, and bird boxes throughout. Interpretive signs will provide information about local plants and wildlife.

Volunteers gathered yesterday with partners at the Chapin Town Hall, the Chapin Garden Club, and the Chapin Beautification Foundation to install a 70-foot native plant pollinator garden at the trail-head located behind the Chapin Town Hall.

The property is ecologically significant and is home to many birds in decline, either during their migration to and from the tropics, or during the breeding and winter seasons. Installing nest boxes will improve habitat for bluebirds, screech owls, Carolina chickadees, and barred owls. Native plants, which benefit pollinators and other wildlife, will be installed in strategic locations around the property. Signage will educate the public on what wildlife is being helped on the property through the enhancements.

Local schools will benefit from the trails as they will offer opportunities for teachers to use the ecology of the area for their science curriculum during field trips. SCWF will provide “virtual field trips” so teachers can learn about the area and feel comfortable taking students there in the future.

The protection and preservation of natural habitats, and the environmental stewardship components, will be a part of Chapin’s certification as a nationally recognized “Community Wildlife Habitat” with the National Wildlife Federation in 2021. To achieve this certification, Chapin residents will also be encouraged to create habitat in their own yards – the pollinator garden at the Town Hall will be a demonstration site for residents to see a model habitat garden that can be replicated in their own yards. As Chapin continues to grow, this property will also act as a place of respite for citizens of all ages who are seeking a quiet open space to unwind, exercise, and enjoy nature.

More info about the Community Wildlife Habitat program can be found on our website here.

Photos by Brantley Bissette, SCWF Education Outreach Intern