SoilKeepers Foundation: The River Friendly Yard

Overview

The roots of SoilKeepers began growing in 2011 though the  Rappahannock River Friendly Yard Program, a joint venture between the American Climate Partners (then Conserv) and the Rappahannock River Basin Commission. In 2011, the Commission embarked on a multi-year initiative to test economic approaches to watershed restoration that combine innovation and cost-effectiveness.

The Project Team Prime Contractor was the American Climate Partners + Partners. 2012 Partners include The National Wildlife Federation, George Washington University Landscape Design Department, Friends of the Rappahannock, and Bio Green, U.S.A. Corporation.

Seeing the need for a landscape service with an express purpose to heal our soils one property at a time, ACP launched Soilkeepers as a pilot service in a few areas of Fredericksburg in 2014.

Phase I Project Team members

– Eldon James, Staff, Rappahannock River Basin Commission

– Eliza Russell, Director of Education, National Wildlife Federation

– Michael Collins, Project Manager, Conserv

– Richard “Buzz” Van Santvoord, Business Development Manager, Conserv

– Chris Sonne, Civil Engineer, Conserv

– Virginia Rockwell, Landscape Designer, Conserv

– Chip Rice, Friends of the Rappahannock

– Brad Huff, BioGreen U.S.A. Corporation

– Kevin Utt, City of Fredericksburg

– Adele Ashkar, George Washington University