Chickahominy Indian Tribe Native Plant Nursery Business Plan

The Chickahominy Indian Tribe is committed to preserving its cultural heritage rooted in environmental stewardship while providing economic development opportunities for the betterment of their citizens and their ancestral lands in and around the Chickahominy River. While there has been an increased emphasis in the ecological importance and services provided by native plants, the citizens of the Chickahominy Tribe have used native plants for food, medicine, and ceremony for centuries. Landowners and coastal communities are increasingly exploring nature-based solutions as answers to erosion and sea-level rise, however, there has been a significant degradation of natural habitats and a dwindling market for native plant species, particularly native wetland vegetation. Native plant propagation and sales provide a unique but essential connection between Tribal cultural knowledge and environmental stewardship, while also providing economic development opportunity for the Tribe, increasing internal Tribal financial capacity. This project brings together market analysis of native plant species, strategies for economic vitality of selling native plants, and indigenous knowledge to formulate a business plan for the Chickahominy Tribe to establish a native plant nursery on Tribal lands as a source of economic development rooted in improving ecosystem health and overall environmental resilience. The plan can then be a catalyst for implementing the nursery and serve as a tangible reference point in securing future funding for the program.  

• People and Entities Involved Outside of W&M:
  • Citizens of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe
  • Dana Adkins, Environmental Director & Citizen, Chickahominy Indian Tribe
  • Joe Hunt, Environmental Program Manager, Chickahominy Indian Tribe
• People and Entities at W&M Involved:
  • Natalie Klesch, VIMS M.A. in Marine Policy, Class of 2025
  • Kelsey Wakiyama, W&M Environment & Sustainability and Business Analytics, Class of 2026
  • Kirk Havens, Director, VIMS Center for Coastal Resources Management
  • Donna Bilkovic, Faculty, VIMS Center for Coastal Resources Management
  • Tonya Boone, Life of Virginia Professor and Operations & Information Systems Department Chair, W&M Raymond A. Mason School of Business
  • Doug DeBerry, Research Assistant Professor, W&M Environment & Sustainability and Biology
  • Thomas Ruppert, VCRC Director
  • Cameron Bruce, VCRC Assistant Director