Foundation Funds Campus Woodland Restoration

In November 2007, the Beirne Carter Foundation made a generous commitment to the School to fund the restoration of Laird Acres, the 24-acre woodland on campus, and a campus-wide tree-planting program.

November 13, 2009

In November 2007, the Beirne Carter Foundation made a generous commitment to the School to fund the restoration of Laird Acres, the 24-acre woodland on campus, and a campus-wide tree-planting program.

Founded in 1986 by Beirne Blair Carter, the foundation supports projects that emphasize health, education, local history, nature, ecology, and youth. Carter is the grandfather of Beirne Carter Hutcheson '10.

Episcopal worked with Biohabitats, a landscaping consulting firm, to develop a woodland management program for Laird Acres. The plan includes clearing fallen trees, invasive plant suppression, renovation of the cross country trail, and woodland edge planting. The restoration and maintenance of Laird Acres will provide a living laboratory for science classes and a safe and challenging course for cross country teams, as well as preserve one of the few natural habitats left in the city of Alexandria, Va.

The EHS campus has lost many mature trees to storms, disease, and natural aging in recent years, and in response the School has contracted Michael Vergason Landscape Architects to develop a tree-planting program. This three-stage program will plant over 400 trees along Stadium Drive, Thomsen Lane, and Blackford Walk, enriching the campus and improving its environmental health.

"Last spring, Kathy Hershey introduced me to Ann deSaussure at one of my first meetings at EHS. They invited me to hear a presentation to the Buildings and Grounds Committee about the Laird Acres and campus tree-planting projects. It was remarkable to see what a canopy of mature trees could do to transform the already lovely campus of EHS," said Rossie Carter Hutcheson, president of the Beirne Carter Foundation and mother of Beirne '10. "The enthusiasm for the project was contagious. EHS has produced many community leaders and outstanding citizens. The foundation and I want to reinvest in this institution."

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