Grasses for the Masses

Volunteers plant wild celery in the James River as part of CBF's Grasses for the Masses program.  Photo by CBF Staff

You can help restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia's rivers by participating in CBF's Grasses for the Masses program.

Participants in the program grow wild celery (Vallisneria americana), a type of underwater grass, in a simple grow-out system in their homes for 10-12 weeks. After 10-12 weeks of grow-out, participants will gather to plant their grasses in select local rivers to bolster grass populations and help restore the Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) conducts workshops where participants are given instructions and the tools necessary to grow the underwater grasses themselves.

During the workshops participants receive:

• a simple aquaculture system
• instructions and support
• seeds and program materials
• access to an on-line support network

Participants will need to provide:

• $40 program fee
• Sand and soil needed to plant the grass seeds
• 2 light bulbs
• Space (4'x4') to set-up the growth system; we suggest an area near an outlet with a steady temperature 

General Program Timeline:

• Workshops: early to mid February
• Grow-out period: February to May
• Plantings: April to May

Plantings

Attending a planting is a key and rewarding component of the program. Plantings are done at restoration sites during the months of April and May, after about 12 weeks of home grow-out. Participants attend one of the grass plantings with CBF staff and other growers.

CBF staff have carefully selected two locations in Virginia where we plant wild celery grown in the Grasses for the Masses program. Planting underwater grass is an activity that requires a state permit. CBF maintains a permit for each of the two planting sites and it is important that the grasses produced through the Grasses for the Masses program are planted only in these designated areas.

Our planting sites include:

Mason Neck State Park on the Potomac River, in Fairfax County, Virginia 
Westover Plantation on the James River, in Charles City County, Virginia

Planting Guidelines

To ensure the safety of all volunteers, a quality experience, and the survival of the grasses, we ask that each Grasses for the Masses participant be aware of and abide by the following guidelines during each grass planting:

• Only three children or students (under the age of 18) are allowed at the planting per grass grow-out kit.
• Everyone under the age of 18 will need to have a CBF waiver form signed by a parent or guardian before the planting event.
• Volunteers 18 years old and above will need to sign a CBF waiver form, which will be sent to each volunteer before the planting.
• During the planting event, everyone under the age of 17 will be required to wear a personal flotation device (i.e. life vest) provided by CBF while in the water and be accompanied by an adult in the water and supervised by an adult while on land. We will adhere to a strict 1 child : 1 adult ratio during the plantings