In celebration of National Public Lands Day, Project EverGreen partnered with Ruppert Nurseries, the Union Station Redevelopment Corp. (USRC) and the National Park Service (NPS) to give Union Station’s Columbus Plaza a complete facelift.
The organizations joined forces to replant more than 600 new junipers and ornamental grass plants, laying new grass seed, weeding, mulching, power washing the hardscape and more. The in-kind donations of nursery stock, organic materials, equipment and labor preparation and planting from all contributors totaled more than $30,000 in value.
USRC funded the plants costs and coordinated the participation of more than 20 staff and community volunteers to install the plantings in collaboration with the NPS, Project EverGreen and its contractor volunteer partner, Ruppert Nurseries, located in the Washington, D.C., area.
Ruppert Nurseries delivered the nursery stock and mulch and donated onsite crew labor and project oversight of USRC volunteers. NPS National Mall staff removed dead plants and provided site preparation and tools.
Union Station and the Columbus Plaza, facing the station’s main entrance, are situated at the foot of Capitol Hill. Visited by more than 37 million people every year, Union Station and its grounds are the third most visited tourist destination in the world.
“Given the sheer scope of this landscaping enhancement , we’re grateful to our volunteers, the NPS staff and Project EverGreen’s partnership with Ruppert Nurseries, without whom this needed restoration of Union Station’s Columbus Plaza would not have been possible,” said Corinne Schieffer, outreach and communications manager at USRC.
Project EverGreen also worked with Ruppert Nurseries, German Embassy and NPS earlier this year to revitalize the German-American Friendship Garden at the Washington Monument entry.
“Preserving and enhancing national green space treasures, like the Union Station’s Columbus Plaza or the German-American Friendship Garden, is part of Project EverGreen’s mission to promote the value of well-maintained green spaces,” said Cindy Code, Project EverGreen’s executive director. “When opportunities come about to make a positive contribution to communities through improved green spaces Project EverGreen will be there.”
