プロジェクト概要

Enrichmond Foundation aims to improve forest health, increase awareness of the cultural and historical significance of Evergreen and East End cemeteries, and create a safe, inviting place for the community.The 65-acre project area comprises two adjacent historic African-American burial grounds founded in the 1890s in the East End of Richmond, VA. Together, the two cemeteries provide a resting place for over 25,000 individuals who contributed in important ways to the city’s — and the nation’s — vibrant social, political, intellectual, and religious life. UNESCO has recognized the value of this sacred site and awarded an official designation as “a site of memory associated with the Slave Route Project” — one of the first in the world.Conserving the 45-year-old forest, comprised of oak, hickory, maple, poplar, and pine trees, has important local biodiversity and climate benefits. The project area contains land zoned for residential and commercial uses, putting the biomass at risk for clearance at 90%. If these lands were developed, they would be converted to grass and retain their use as a cemetery. This project prevents the property from being converted from a treed cemetery to a grass cemetery while preserving the cemetery and its cultural and historical significance.Enrichmond hosts weekly volunteer cleanups at Evergreen Cemetery and organizes public community input sessions. The Executive Planning and Review Team advisory board guides the long-term restoration process and is composed of local stakeholders including descendant family members, long-time volunteers, and representatives from African American historical and cultural institutions.The properties are important natural and cultural assets of the community, state, and nation. The revenue from the sale of carbon credits will provide long-term funding to support volunteer events, maintenance, and rehabilitation efforts.