Developing Ernest Road Park Through Community-Led Restoration
Southside ReLeaf partnered with neighbors, local organizations Groundwork RVA and Restoration Environment Solutions (RES), and city agencies including Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities to transform an underutilized, ivy-covered site into Ernest Road Park — a welcoming, accessible green space rooted in community priorities and ecological restoration. Through an inclusive engagement process, we connected with more than 1,000 nearby residents and worked alongside businesses, schools, and community groups to co-create a vision for the park. From multilingual surveys and neighborhood canvassing to hands-on events and workshops, community voices directly shaped the park’s design, amenities, and plantings.
Together with more than 200 volunteers, we brought that vision to life — clearing invasive species, establishing walking paths, installing seating, and planting thousands of native species. The project also served as a hub for workforce development and environmental education, offering hands-on training in invasive removal, restoration techniques, and long-term land stewardship. Innovative approaches like “sheepscaping” and the creation of the “Ivy League” volunteer crew helped tackle persistent invasive species while building local capacity to care for the space over time.
Together, we:
Engaged 1,000+ residents and hosted 40+ community events to shape and activate the park.
Recruited 200+ volunteers to support restoration, planting, and maintenance efforts.
Removed approximately 85% of invasive ivy and established a long-term management approach.
Planted 311 trees and shrubs and installed 3,100 native plants to restore habitat and biodiversity.
Created a looped walking trail and added benches and picnic tables to improve accessibility and usability.
Provided hands-on workforce training in ecological restoration and sustainable land management practices.
Transformed a neglected site into a vibrant, community-informed green space for South Richmond.