MARSH or the Marvin Area for the Restoration and Sustainability of wildlife Habitat is an organization affiliated with the Village of Marvin that seeks to educate and engage our community about the importance and benefits of restoring, protecting and conserving our wildlife and natural habitat.

MARSH was established as a chapter of the NC Wildlife Federation in 2019 and successfully achieved our first major goal to certify the Village of Marvin as a Wildlife Habitat within a year! We’re proud of the work we’ve accomplished in a short time, which also includes many educational programs, hosting a garden tour, and developing a grant program to support classroom teachers in educating the next generation about the importance of sustainable wildlife practices.

• Sunday, April 16, 2023, 6:30-8pm at Banks Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall (10012 New Town Road) - "Snakes in Our Ecosystem" with Eric Bitler of the Rattlesnake Conservancy, 10012 New Town Road
   
• Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 6:30-8pm at Banks Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall (10012 New Town Road) - "Learn About Frogs and Toads" with Dr. Shem Unger of Wingate University
   
• Saturday, June 3, 2023 (at Marvin Day), 11am-2pm at Marvin Efird Park (8909 New Town Road) - "Learn How to Create a Wildlife Habitat in Your Landscape (featuring Cottage Garden Tours and Garden Talks)" with Kristyna Culp of MARSH
   
• Tuesday, September 19, 2023, 6:30-8pm at the Barn at Marvin Efird Park (8909 New Town Road) - "Learn About Trees in our (Sub) Urban Environment" with Keith O’Herrin, Union County Urban Forester 
  • Click Here to Register

• Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 6:30-8pm, Location TBA - "Learn About Bats"

Attend, Follow, Join, Volunteer

There are many ways to become more engaged with MARSH. Whether you have just a little time or a lot, we invite anyone who cares about wildlife and our natural habitat to get more involved with MARSH.
 

Attend our informative programs, which we’ve hosted in-person previously and more recently on Zoom. Engaging guest speakers have taught the Marvin community about good and bad snakes, how to compost, coexisting with coyotes, native plants, attracting birds to the garden and more. We post upcoming events on Facebook and recorded discussions are on YouTube. Our uupcoming speaker series events are listed above.
 

Follow our social media channels to stay up to date on our activities and learn more about supporting wildlife in your yard. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Not on social? Join our mailing list by sending a message to MARSH4Wildlife@gmail.com.

MARSH Facebook | MARSH Instagram | MARSH YouTube | Join Our Mailing List
 

Did you know that articles and news from MARSH are featured in the Marvin Wise Email Newsletter? Please sign up to get the latest news, tips, and tricks for your garden from MARSH. Also, check out the archive page for the Marvin Wise Newsletter to catch up on all of our recent articles!

Sign Up for the Marvin Wise Newsletter | Newsletter Archives
 

Join the hundreds of Marvin residents who have already committed to making their yards Certified Wildlife Habitats. It’s easier than you may think; you may have already met most of the criteria. When you certify, be sure to choose MARSH as your local chapter.

Learn More About Certified Wildlife Habitats
 

Volunteer your time to make MARSH even stronger. Whether you have just a little time to give or a lot, you can be a part of MARSH. We are always looking for new members to join our team and help make a difference right here in Marvin. Future goals include more hands-on educational programs for families.
 

Did you know that MARSH hold Volunteer Workdays with the Village of Marvin at Marvin Efird Park? Whether you're looking for service hours and just to get your hands dirty, please email MARSH to sign up!

Email MARSH to Volunteer

The Village of Marvin and MARSH work together with the Union County Christmas Bureau each November on our annual "Friendship Tree Program!" Like an Angel Tree Program, this program gives our residents opportunities to sponsor less fortunate Union County children during the holiday season.

For our pilot program in 2022, Marvin residents sponsored 60 children! We look forward to sponsoring even more children in 2023!

To contact MARSH, please email MARSH at MARSH4Wildlife@gmail.com