THE WOODLANDS (HOUSTON) TEXAS—Well over 100 executives of Benchmark Hospitality International converged recently at The Hermitage Foundation Museum of Norfolk, Virginia, to put the company’s Hometown Hospitality Caring for Our Communities initiative into practice. The executives were attending a management forum at The Founders Inn, which is operated by Benchmark and located in nearby Virginia Beach. The executives participated in Norfolk’s “Living Shoreline Wetlands Restoration Project” at the Hermitage.
The Benchmark team spent the day clearing debris that had washed up on the banks of the Lafayette River flowing near the circa 1908 Tudor-style historic house museum, formerly the residence of the prominent William and Florence Sloane family of Norfolk. The museum is operated by a nonprofit foundation and open to the public. The group also removed several non-Native plants and returned native species to the area to create an environmentally friendly “Living Shoreline” protection for an historic local landmark.
The “Living Shoreline Wetlands Restoration Project” is an initiative of the Hermitage Foundation with the strong support of the Elizabeth River Project, the City of Norfolk and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The restoration will create or restore more than 24,000 square feet of native tidal wetlands and riparian buffer.
“Having more than a hundred eager business executives give up several hours to perform hard work in the mud and overgrown shoreline helped expedite the restoration process,” says Yolima Carr, curator of gardens and grounds at The Hermitage. “We were absolutely thrilled they offered their assistance.”
“We were excited to make this project possible,” says Steve Migliara, director of sales and marketing for The Founders Inn. “The Hermitage’s sensitive environmental shoreline will be reclaimed, benefiting the environment, and restoring an historic sanctuary that will be enjoyed by both locals and visitors.”
