NMLC Beautification Project Under Way

Aug 26, 2020

For twenty-five years, The National Marine Life Center (NMLC) has been part of the Buzzards Bay community.  Its building, previously a discount home improvement store, has not undergone any major renovations since its inception, and does not currently reflect the beauty of its surroundings. With community-wide efforts to upgrade the overall downtown Buzzards Bay area, the Board of Directors of the NMLC is stepping up to improve the appearance of its building and grounds.

“As challenging as the timing is with the pandemic,” says Board Chair Roberta Morris, “we feel that it is important to make NMLC as welcoming to visitors as possible.  We also want to take advantage of opportunities to use native plants and trees on our grounds as an educational lesson on conservation and human impact on our environment.”

Specifically, the following plans are underway:

  • Improvement of all landscaping on the street side of the building, including removal of trees that are invasive species and entangled in electrical wires
  • Replacement of old, drafty doors and windows
  • Repair/replacement of murals on the front and sides of the building which are now faded and chipped
  • Improvement of signage around the building to make NMLC more visible to the public
  • Installation of a signage on the side of the hospital, to make it more obvious what is in that large building.

Facilities Committee Chair Mary Neumann explained, “Our core missions – Rehabilitation, Science and Education – are more important today than ever. Beautification of our buildings and grounds supports that mission by drawing more people to visit our Discovery Center. It’s surprising how many people who live in the area still don’t know about us, or if they do, haven’t visited. Our exterior does not reflect the wonderful work that is being done inside.”

Landscape Designer Elizabeth Sellon is hoping to make a Grandmother’s Garden as part of the project.  The idea is for people to bring bulbs, cuttings or plugs of plants that they may have in their gardens that came from their grandmother, aunt, mother, or a friend, and share them in our garden.

Several local businesses who are working on the renovations have generously donated part of their time to make this project work, including Landscape Designer Elizabeth Sellon, John Scag of Scag Tree, and Joe Agrillo of Agrillo Construction.  A GoFundMe campaign is underway at https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/beautification-project to pay for the renovations.

Before pictures

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Roof repairs

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The “big dig”

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Volunteer Day

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