Conservation in Practice.
Founded in 1997, the Earth Sangha is a nonprofit public charity based in the Washington, DC, region. Our mission is ecological restoration as a form of socially engaged Buddhism. Although we work in the spirit of Buddhist practice, our volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and our work is secular and science-based.
In the DC area, we operate a volunteer-based program to propagate local native plants, restore native plant communities, and control invasive alien plants. Our Wild Plant Nursery is the region's most comprehensive effort to propagate native plants directly from local forests and meadows.
On the island of Hispaniola, along the Dominican Republic – Haiti border, we operate the Tree Bank Hispaniola, a partnership between the Earth Sangha and the Asociación de Productores de Bosque, Los Cerezos. The Tree Bank propagates local native trees, conserves tropical forest, and promotes sustainable agroecological practices. The second branch of the Tree Bank program is called Tree Bank Panama. In northwestern Panama, we work with the Naso, one of several indigenous peoples who live in that region. Our goal is to look for practical ways to improve Naso livelihoods while preserving Naso forests and rivers.
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Plant Local-Ecotype Natives
“Local-ecotype” plants are propagated from local, wild, naturally-occurring populations and are well-adapted to local conditions and for wildlife species that depend on the local forms, such as pollinators. The Wild Plant Nursery is the most comprehensive source of local-ecotype, native plants in the Washington DC region, and the region’s only facility dedicated exclusively to this type of propagation.
Wild Plant Nursery
Hours:
Sunday 9-1
Monday 9-1
Wednesday 9-1
Location:
6100 Cloud Dr.
Springfield, VA 22150
Upcoming Volunteer &
Community Events
Sangha is a Sanskrit term for community, so in addition to sharing our knowledge with our government and nonprofit partners, we think it is crucial to educate the public on how native plant conservation works in an urban-suburban setting. Our goal is for each volunteer, whether they regularly join our work or volunteer a single time, to walk away with more knowledge of our natural areas. We’re proud to work with volunteers of all ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, creeds and faiths, ethnic backgrounds, sexual and gender orientations, regardless of experience.
DC-Area
Ecological Restoration
The Earth Sangha operates a volunteer-based restoration program for the greater Washington, DC, region. The program is designed to restore the native plant communities that are essential to the region's ecological health. We help stabilize streams, control invasive alien plants, and restore forests, meadows, and wetlands.
Plant Grants
The Earth Sangha's Plant Grant program is designed to reach grassroots, restoration projects that have no or limited funds and would otherwise not be able to engage in restoration. Sites are selected based on which bring the greatest ecological benefits and social and environmental justice benefits. Plant Grant Awardees are eligible to visit the Wild Plant Nursery for seasonal, one-day Plant Grant Donation Day. All plants are native to Northern Virginia and grown by us from local-ecotype seed we collect locally, sustainably, and with permission from wild areas.
