First Flowers in a BOX!
January 13, 2026
CCC President Receives Award
February 15, 2026Habitat Hero Winner 2025 Father Jim Bors
Cape Conservation Corps (CCC) is happy to announce our second winner of the Habitat Hero award for 2025 – Father Jim Bors on Round Top Drive. A 38-year resident of Cape St. Claire where he and his late wife Shirley raised their two sons, Father Jim, now a Catholic priest, began restoring the property at St. Jane Frances Catholic Church in Pasadena, and has continued his nature journey right here in his own Cape St. Claire yard. Last year he invested more than 100 hours of research, and—with the help of fellow Cape resident Ginny Klocko, his neighbor Marcia Dudley, and reference books from Ginny and the Serene Ravine lending library—has begun the transformation of his yard using native plants purchased last fall at the Cape Conservation Corps and the Providence Center native plant sales.
In 2025, Father Jim started by removing non-native shrubs, bamboo, miscanthus (tall grasses), and hosta, replacing them with native gardens that include coneflowers, black-eyed susans, milkweed, asters, and more. He replaced a patch of nandina shrubs with winterberry shrubs, which provide native berries for the birds during the winter. He removed a 6-foot-high wooden property fence that hindered healthy plant growth and replaced it with a “living fence” of native shrubs (elderberry, sweetspire, and sweet pepper bush). That made room in a low-lying shady area under an oak tree for him and his neighbor Marcia to plant rain gardens that slow down runoff on the property.
For 2026, Father Jim’s plans include adding a large milkweed patch, pawpaw and sassafras understory trees, and two large 3-season wildflower meadows, while removing large sections of non-native ground cover and part of his grass lawn. He draws inspiration and ideas while walking around our community. “I love exploring what I call the ‘Cape Wilderness’, which surrounds Lake Claire and its spring-fed tributaries including the woods known as Serene Ravine. Last week in the Ravine, I saw a healthy fox emerge from its den – he was beautiful!” He added, “The more I learn about God’s creation and its harmonious but delicately balanced ecosystem, the more I’m inspired to convert much of my front and back yards to native species. My goal is to create a bird and pollinator sanctuary with a natural habitat for wildlife to thrive. My inspirational Bible verse is Psalm 104:12: “By (the springs) the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches.”
Future plans include installing downspout diverters or rain barrels to maximize water absorption in the gardens, and improving the parking area in front of his house by using “turfstone” open cell pavers, which slow down runoff and allow water absorption, instead of asphalt.
I asked Father Jim to talk about the projects he shepherded on church properties. As Associate Pastor of St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake Catholic Churches, three native species gardens on church properties have taken root. He inspired an Eagle Scout project to create a pollinator sanctuary garden. His parishes were awarded about $15,000 in grants from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, thanks to the efforts of parishioner Rich Hergenroeder, an Anne Arundel County Watershed Steward.
Father Jim was surprised at his selection as our Habitat Hero since his journey has only just begun. However, that is exactly what we are looking for: homeowners on the journey to convert their yards to native habitat. Besides creating biodiversity by replacing invasive and non-native plants with native plants, becoming a Habitat Hero is about creating healthy ecosystems and employing best practices. For example, Father Jim has not used pesticides in his yard for several decades. Just last fall, for the first time, he did not rake and remove the leaves in his backyard so they could provide shelter and food sources for insects, birds and small mammals. He plans to add a bubbling bird bath, bird houses, and an intentionally designed brush pile behind his shed to provide shelter for a variety of creatures. We are excited to see the healthy habitat Father Jim is creating in his yard. Thank you, Father Jim, for all you are doing to create healthy ecosystems and promote biodiversity, and for that you are a Habitat Hero!
Join us Friday, May 29th, 5-7 pm as we visit Father Jim Bors’ yard and previous 2025 winner Karen Mullin’s yard, to see what they are doing as Habitat Heroes and be inspired to make changes in our own backyards! CCC will announce addresses as we get closer to the date.
Transformation of a Cape Yard ~ Before & After Photos
Bamboo and wooden fence replaced with a nascent “living fence” and rain garden:
Non-native miscanthus (tall grasses) replaced with young native coneflowers, black- eyed susans, milkweed, and asters:
The removal of a large bamboo patch created this space where a garden of native coneflowers, black eyed-Susan’s, milkweed, asters, sedges, and more has been subsequently planted. A sassafras understory tree will also be transplanted here:
A hedge of bamboo was replaced with new tree saplings:
