Certified Wildlife Habitat, Riderwood, Among First Retirement Communities in the Nation

Imagine a day of pulling weeds for native plants to thrive, monitoring bird boxes where over 80 species of birds now fly or watching rescued red-eared sliders in the nearby pond floating by. These are among several conservation activities happening at Riderwood, an Erickson-built and managed retirement community in Silver Spring, Maryland, that is among the first retirement communities in the nation to earn certification by the Wildlife Habitat Council. Anne Blackburn, a Riderwood resident who led the charge in making the community wildlife friendly, also accepted the Community Partner of the Year award at WHC’s 17th Annual Symposium, Shades of Green, on Tuesday, November 15, 2005.

BALTIMORE (PRWEB) November 24, 2005 -- Anne Blackburn received international recognition as the 2005 Community Partner of the Year from the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) for contributions to wildlife habitat conservation and environmental education at Riderwood Village, a campus for persons over 62 years of age developed and managed by Erickson Communities in Silver Spring, Maryland. Blackburn accepted the award at WHC’s 17th Annual Symposium, Shades of Green, held on Tuesday, November 15, 2005.

The Community Partner of the Year award goes to one organization or individual for making a significant contribution and lasting impact on a corporate site’s wildlife habitat enhancement programs through hands-on environmental awareness and enhancement activities.

Erickson also demonstrates its commitment to environmental stewardship and increasing native biodiversity by achieving habitat certification at Riderwood Village. Riderwood is also recognized as a national pilot project of WHC for retirement community involvement in the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Backyard Conservation Program. Credited by Erickson Retirement Communities as being “a leader and initiator of the highest caliber,” Blackburn led Riderwood to be among the first retirement communities in the world to receive habitat certification through the Wildlife Habitat Council.

Riderwood Village was one of 143 sites recognized at the 2005 Symposium for creating a habitat program. Since 1990, WHC has certified 374 programs worldwide. The certification program recognizes outstanding wildlife habitat management and environmental education efforts at corporate sites, and offers third-party validation of the benefits of such programs. Certification requirements are strict and require that sites apply for periodic renewal.

“The union of conservation and industry, already well established at the Wildlife Habitat Council, serves as a model for protecting natural resources while emphasizing collaboration and community involvement. This multidisciplinary view draws on knowledge and skills from a range of disciplines working together for a better environment. Congratulations to Erickson for their commendable efforts towards the restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat. Together, we are committed to being good stewards of the earth,” said Bill Howard, WHC President.

Anne Blackburn, is a resident of Riderwood, a 150–acre property in Silver Spring, Maryland. She was instrumental in helping Riderwood partner with the Wildlife Habitat Council to form a wildlife management program, which will serve as a model for other retirement communities. Blackburn, along with several other resident volunteers, works year-round to make the outdoors at their community wildlife friendly. Blackburn was the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce’s recipient of their 2005 Senior of the Year award because of all the work she’s done in the Riderwood community.

Her passion for conservation has improved the quality of life for both Riderwood residents and others in the surrounding community. Blackburn was instrumental in coordinating a Backyard Conservation Symposium that involved numerous workshops and outdoor activities. On Earth Day, residents took part in growing native plants for transplanting, creating brush piles to form shelters, building and monitoring bird boxes and planting native wildflowers in habitat gardens. Blackburn helped with the creation of a naturalistic floating island that was placed in one of the ponds on-site where rescued red-eared sliders were released.

Along with these many accomplishments, Blackburn has led the charge to fight invasive exotic plants on the property. Through her ‘weed warriors” program, her efforts now extend to controlling, and the ultimate eradication of, exotic invasive plants on the property. Recognizing the danger posed by these species—the displacement of a varied community of native plants which support wildlife—Blackburn has helped to educate her fellow residents through Riderwood’s environmental stewardship group, engaging them to assist in environmental improvement efforts. She was also pivotal in the establishment of an effective recycling program for residents.

Riderwood, one of 16 campuses developed and managed by Erickson Communities since 1983, has been home to more than 2,300 residents over the age of 62 since 2000. The site lies across approximately 152 acres of Maryland’s Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. Second-growth, mature woodlands along with a stately line of Leyland cypress cover the gently rolling perimeter of the property.

A commitment to the natural environment is visible through the extensive acreage of protected woodlands and enhancement projects. When the facility was under construction, over 80 individual tree species that would have been cut were protected, relocated and re-established in an Arboretum and other natural areas on-site. For this activity, Riderwood Village received a Grand Award from the National Arborists Association in 2003. Residents continued their work by forming a Wildlife Habitat Steering Committee to further enhance the property for wildlife.

Members of the committee actively work to enhance the diversity of plant life within the property, improve nesting habitat for small mammals and birds, manage and control invasive plant species, and educate, motivate and involve as many residents as possible in the implementation and maintenance of the wildlife habitat management plan. The program at Riderwood Village is also used to develop models that other Erickson Communities can follow.

Prescriptions recommended to achieve these goals are carried out by focused groups, including the Garden Club, Weed Warrior Club, Nature Trail Club, the Walking Group, Wood Working Group, Bird Watching Group and others. In addition, community members conduct quarterly wildlife talks on campus, which feature biologists from the nearby Patuxent Wildlife Refuge.

The Wildlife Habitat Council is a nonprofit, non-lobbying organization dedicated to increasing the quality and amount of wildlife habitat on corporate, private and public lands. WHC devotes its resources to building partnerships with corporations and conservation groups to create solutions that balance the demands of economic growth with the requirements of a healthy, biodiverse and sustainable environment. More than 2 million acres in 48 states, Puerto Rico and 16 other countries are managed for wildlife through WHC-assisted projects.

Riderwood is part of the national network of communities developed and managed by Baltimore-based Erickson. To middle-income people over age 62, the Erickson lifestyle offers unparalleled opportunities and unmatched value. To learn more, visit www.ericksoncommunities.com.
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