Once a thriving natural environment, Melissa’s Meadow at William & Mary eventually turned into a dormant patch of land in need of some serious restoration.

Madeline Oubre, a Williamsburg teenager, recently set out to accomplish just that on her way to becoming an Eagle Scout.

Over the past year, Madeline Oubre has worked closely with William & Mary Facilities Management to completely restore the area, named for an alumna and located near the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center. She raised $5,000 to elevate the walkway and restore its native plants. 

Currently a Life Scout with Scouting America, Madeline Oubre was inspired to take on Melissa’s Meadow as her official Eagle Scout project when she was exploring campus to earn her geocaching merit badge. She visited five different geocaches when she made her way to the tennis center and became inspired.

“I fell in love with it,” she said. “I (thought) this would be the perfect project.”

Madeline Oubre’s project coincides with William & Mary’s Year of the Environment, which celebrates the university’s commitment to safeguarding the environment and vulnerable communities that depend on its health and resilience. Throughout the year, the university is focusing on advancing sustainability and conservation efforts on campus and around the world. 

Raising support

Melissa’s Meadow was established in 1994 through a collaboration between the John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society and William & Mary. It was created as a thriving habitat for native plants and animals, with the aim of demonstrating the value of native species in a sustainable landscape.

The meadow was dedicated to Melissa Long Etchberger ’84, a passionate alumna and conservation advocate who passed away in 1996. Etchberger was known by many as the “Seed Queen,” eagerly sharing seeds while promoting environmental stewardship.

Before Madeline Oubre began her work this year, the meadow had lost 75% of its original size. Tony Orband, associate director of grounds & gardens, had already begun budgeting for a restoration but didn’t expect to start for another few years. When approached by Oubre, he told her the expected budget – roughly $15,000 – and that she would have to raise $5,000 if she wanted to pursue the project immediately. She got to work.

Madeline Oubre held a bake sale where she made 750 baked goods, followed by a spaghetti dinner where she charged $25 a plate. She made more than $3,000 from both events and continues to receive donations.

Breaking ground and lessons learned

Madeline Oubre had to work with multiple groups to begin the restoration, coordinating everything from parking to new signage.

“There were so many lessons learned,” said Sara Oubre, Madeline Oubre’s mother.

But Madeline Oubre had some help on her biggest workday. On March 15, she broke ground alongside Orband and 60 other community members — including fellow Scouts, friends, family and volunteers — to plant more than 400 native plants.

“Some of our Scouts, on our first work day, they spent four hours digging (a large beautyberry plant) out of the ground,” said Madeline Oubre. “The hole was so big, one of our smaller scouts could fit inside it.”

Overall, more than 120 people have been involved in the project, and Madeline Oubre has invested more than 528 hours in Melissa’s Meadow. 

Now, as spring continues, native plants have begun to bloom, including New York ironweeds, beautyberries, wild petunias, black-eyed Susans, wild bergamot and more.

“It’s a complete transformation,” said Mike Caboy, director of Tennis at McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center. “It was in such disarray prior to Madeline getting involved. … It’s such an improvement.”

Community bonds, past and present

There’s still more work to be done – a mulch barrier will be placed on the outer boundary, and tall grass structures will be placed close to the end of the parking lot so cars don’t interfere with the foliage.

The meadow will be officially dedicated on May 19, the same day Melissa’s Meadow was originally dedicated back in 1996.

The connections between the original meadow and the restoration don’t stop there. Jimmy Etchberger, Melissa’s husband, has supported Madeline Oubre throughout her work, providing tools and routinely checking in.

The day Madeline Oubre broke ground on the project was both her birthday and the same day work began on the meadow in 1994. Additionally, one of the only children present in photos of the project back in the 1990s was one of Melissa Etchberger’s nieces. Her name? Madeline.

“There is just this invisible string,” Sara Oubre said. “You can’t explain it.”

Once completed, Madeline Oubre hopes to conduct a project on oyster reefs in the Hampton area with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. She has a strong passion for marine science and is interested in attending William & Mary to join its Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS. For now, the work on the meadow continues.

“Once everything starts to bloom, it’ll be a good place for people to come and relax and admire the plants, butterflies, bees and birds,” Madeline Oubre said. “It has a lot of history.”