3313 Hopkins Road
An unimproved corner lot in Richmond, VA — transformed into a living green buffer that protects a creek, shades the sidewalk, and gives pollinators a permanent home in the city.
The Site
3313 Hopkins Road sits at a business intersection in Richmond, VA — currently unimproved, with a small creek running through the property. The surrounding neighborhoods experience heat, traffic noise, and wind exposure common to urban corners near commercial corridors.
Rather than developing the lot for commercial use, Hawks Land Trust is working to keep it green and make it work harder — for the creek, for the neighbors, and for the insects and birds that depend on urban habitat.
What We're Creating
A multi-benefit green space designed to do real ecological and community work.
Creek Protection
Stabilize the creek bank with native riparian plantings to reduce erosion, filter runoff, and protect the waterway from evaporation and heat stress in summer months.
Sound & Wind Buffer
Dense plantings along the commercial edge create a green wall that softens traffic noise and reduces wind exposure for the adjacent residential blocks.
Sidewalk Shade
Canopy trees planted along the Hopkins Road frontage provide shade for pedestrians and reduce the urban heat island effect at the intersection.
Pollinator Habitat
Native flowering plants, grasses, and shrubs chosen specifically for their value to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators — maintained as a permanent, pesticide-free habitat.
School Partnerships
Partner with local schools to use the site as a living outdoor classroom — plant monitoring, pollinator counts, creek health assessments, and citizen science projects.
Beekeeper Collaboration
Explore hosting managed bee colonies with local beekeepers for longer-term pollinator research and community engagement around urban agriculture and ecology.
Research & Education
The Hopkins Road site has the potential to be more than a passive green space — it can be a living laboratory. We're exploring partnerships with:
- Richmond City Public Schools — field trips, curriculum-aligned monitoring projects, and student stewardship programs
- Virginia Commonwealth University — urban ecology research, plant diversity studies, and graduate student projects
- Local beekeepers — managed hive placement, honey production data, and pollinator health monitoring over multiple seasons
- Richmond Parks & Recreation — integration into the city's broader urban canopy and green infrastructure network
If you represent a school, university, or research organization interested in partnering, we'd love to hear from you.
Grants & Funding
We are actively exploring grant funding for the Hopkins Road green space. Likely sources include:
- EPA G3 — Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns via the Chesapeake Bay Trust — up to $175,000 for urban green infrastructure in the Bay watershed
- Richmond Neighborhood Climate Resilience Grant (NCRG) — up to $49,999 for nonprofits working on green infrastructure in Richmond
- Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) — up to 80% cost-share for riparian buffers, bioretention, and vegetated conveyance
- Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond — Conserve the Future Fund for environmental projects serving the Richmond region
This project is in its early planning phase. Grant applications will follow site design and a partnership agreement.
How to Help
Schools
Connect us with your science or environmental curriculum coordinator. We're looking for schools interested in a long-term outdoor research partnership.
Beekeepers
Richmond-area beekeepers interested in hosting managed hives in an established pollinator habitat — reach out to discuss a research or production partnership.
Volunteers
Planting days, creek cleanup, and ongoing monitoring will need hands. Sign up through the contact form to be notified when volunteer opportunities open.