Cultivating Vibrant Public Greenspaces

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  • Early fall color at the Hotchkiss Green

  • Anemones in bloom at the Low Line Gardens

  • Volunteers working side by side to plants trees in the fall

  • Aromatic Aster blooms provide a late source of pollen and nectar for pollinators

Capital Trees is working to create a greener, more liveable Richmond through the thoughtful planning, planting, and maintenance of public green places.

Our projects:

  • Sustaining Our Greenspaces
  • Hotchkiss Green (2022-2025)
  • Canoe Run Park (2023 – ongoing)
  • Neighborhood Parks Consultation (James Christian Park), Libby Hill Park (RTD article on collaboration)
  • Henrico County Reforestation Pilot Project (2023- ongoing)
  • The Low Line (2015 – 2020)
  • Great Shiplock Park (2012-2013, 2022)
  • The 14th Street Initiative (2010-2011)

Want to partner on future projects?  Start the conversation HERE.

Capital Trees Impact Reports

  • 2024-2025
  • 2023-2024

Take a quick self guided tour at Great Shiplock and the Low Line

Become an annual Corporate Sponsor

 

WHAT'S NEW

What a Field Trip to Glenstone Taught Us About Cultivating Meadows

Written by Executive Director, Shelly Barrick Parsons

On Thursday, September 25, 2026, three of us from Capital Trees (Executive Director Shelly Barrick Parsons, Co-Chair Board of Trustees Beth Gullette, and Horticulture Manager Mary Petres) joined a delegation of Richmond partners for a field trip to Glenstone in Potomac, Maryland.

Glenstone is a place where art, architecture, and landscape come together. Its acres of cultivated and natural landscapes hold buildings with art installations as well as art integrated right into the land.

… Read more »

More news

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If you have visited the Low Line Gardens lately, y If you have visited the Low Line Gardens lately, you may have noticed that the White Redbud beds are looking a little different. Many of you love the Redbuds as much as we do, so we put together a blog to explain why we're making some changes and what you can expect going forward. Give it a read for all the details.  It's linked in our bio. 👆
Ensuring that our greenspaces remain beautiful and Ensuring that our greenspaces remain beautiful and welcoming requires ongoing care, even for established plantings. Recent volunteers from @capitalone helped us divide and transplant iris, blue eyed grass, and asters in the Low Line Gardens to add the plants to new areas and ensure the existing plantings don't get over crowded. They also put in some elbow grease to pull weeds that were encroaching on a garden bed filled with joe pye weed and amsonia. Thank you to the Capital One team for helping us maintain this shared greenspace.
We have a few days left of #RichmondTreeWeek, but We have a few days left of #RichmondTreeWeek, but we're already setting our sights on additional tree planting opportunities this fall. We’ll be hosting a tree planting day at Highland Springs High School next Saturday (11/14) and need volunteers to help us plant 24 new trees to help increase the tree canopy and enhance biodiversity. No experience is needed! Learn more and RSVP from the volunteering link in our bio.
Richmond Tree Week is in full swing and there’s st Richmond Tree Week is in full swing and there’s still time learn, plant, and get free trees. Below, we've listed the remaining events we're helping host — but there are many more! See the full schedule and sign up to participate from the link in our bio. @reforestrichmond 

📅Wednesday, November 4 | 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
🌳Speaking event held at @studiotwothree "Healthy Soil, Healthy Trees: Practical Soil Amendment Strategies for Urban Landscapes" & Free Tree Giveaway!
👉Registration is required from the link in our bio. 

📅Friday, November 6th | 9am - 12 pm
🌳Tree Planting at Swansboro Playground with @rvaparksandrec
👉Registration required.

📅Saturday, November 7 |  5pm - 7pm
🌳Richmond Tree Week 2026 Wrap Party & Free Tree Giveaway!
👉All are welcome but space is limited so be sure to register today!

@jravirginia @rvagov @rainbirdcorp
Change of plans! Due to Friday's weather forecast, Change of plans! Due to Friday's weather forecast, we're postponing the tree planting originally scheduled for this Friday 11/6  until THURSDAY 11/12.
📅NEW DATE: Thursday November 12, 9am - 12pm 
🌳Tree Planting at Swansboro Playground with @rvaparksandrec 
👉Registration required. Find the link to sign up from the Richmond Tree Week schedule linked in our bio. 

@reforestrichmond
Big groups of volunteers can accomplish a ton of w Big groups of volunteers can accomplish a ton of work in a short period of time, and with more than 30 people on board, volunteers from @wellscolemanrva had an extremely productive day getting their hands in the dirt at Byrd Park. They brought great energy to the day and worked side by side to plant three new trees and perform tree care on 51 others! Increasing our tree canopy isn't as easy as planting new trees, they require ongoing care (especially in the first few years after planting) to ensure they grow and thrive. Thank you to this group for all of their hard work!
Richmond Tree Week kicks off TODAY. The weeklong e Richmond Tree Week kicks off TODAY. The weeklong event is led by @reforestrichmond and made possible by more than 30 local community groups, including us here at Capital Trees. 

There will be opportunities to learn, plant trees, and get free trees to plant at home. We’ve listed the events we’re helping host below. Visit the link in our bio for all of the details and registration links. 

📅Tuesday, November 3 | 3pm - 6pm
🌳Volunteer Workday at the Hotchkiss Green & Free Tree Giveaway!

📅Wednesday, November 4 | 8am - 12pm
🌳Volunteer Workday at Low Line / Great Shiplock Park & Free Tree Giveaway!

📅Wednesday, November 4 | 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
🌳Speaking event held at @studiotwothree "Healthy Soil, Healthy Trees: Practical Soil Amendment Strategies for Urban Landscapes" & Free Tree Giveaway!
👉Registration is required from the link in our bio. 

📅 RESCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY 11/12. (Originally Friday, November 6th | 9am - 12 pm)
🌳Tree Planting at Swansboro Playground with @rvaparksandrec
👉Registration required.

📅Saturday, November 7 |  5pm - 7pm
🌳Richmond Tree Week 2026 Wrap Party & Free Tree Giveaway!
👉All are welcome but space is limited so be sure to register today!

@jravirginia @rvagov @rainbirdcorp
Spiders always help us decorate our greenspaces fo Spiders always help us decorate our greenspaces for Halloween🕸🕷. Plus, their presence is a great indicator that we're successfully managing our gardens in an eco-friendly way.
Richmond Tree Week is November 1 - 7 this year. Ea Richmond Tree Week is November 1 - 7 this year. Each year, it's a collective undertaking led by @reforestrichmond and made possible by more than 30 local community groups, including us here at Capital Trees.

All week long there will be opportunities to learn, plant trees, and get free trees to plant at home. We've included brief details on the events we'll be helping host below, but we encourage you to head to the link in our bio for all of the details on how to participate. 

📅Tuesday, November 3 | 3pm - 6pm
▪️Volunteer Workday at the Hotchkiss Green & Free Tree Giveaway!🌳

📅Wednesday, November 4 | 8am - 12pm
▪️Volunteer Workday at Low Line / Great Shiplock Park & Free Tree Giveaway!🌳

📅Wednesday, November 4 | 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
▪️Speaking event held at @studiotwothree "Healthy Soil, Healthy Trees: Practical Soil Amendment Strategies for Urban Landscapes" & Free Tree Giveaway!🌳 
👉Registration is required, head to the link in our bio. 

📅Friday, November 6th | 9am - 12 pm
🌳Tree Planting at Swansboro Playground with @rvaparksandrec 
👉Registration required.

📅Saturday, November 7 |  5pm - 7pm
▪️Richmond Tree Week 2026 Wrap Party & Free Tree Giveaway!🌳
👉All are welcome but space is limited so be sure to register today!
@jravirginia @rvagov @rainbirdcorp
The crew from @labellaassociates joined us at the The crew from @labellaassociates  joined us at the Hotchkiss Green ready to put in some elbow grease, and their hard work paid off! The group was 19 volunteers strong and worked side by side in the gardens to weed and enlarge mulch rings around more than 10 trees! Plus, they weeded and remulched the hazelnut bed. Thank you for stepping off the pavement to help us maintain our newest greenspace, and for helping make a positive impact on your community.
You’re invited! Get FREE tickets for our upcoming You’re invited! Get FREE tickets for our upcoming speaker series, taking place next week, head to the link in our bio to get yours.👆

Dr. Glynn Percival, Senior Arboricultural Researcher for Bartlett Tree Laboratories, is coming to Richmond to give a talk on modern soil amendments for tree health. He’ll be focusing on improving soil health, supporting root development, and increasing tree resilience to drought, heat, pests, and disease. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of how soil amendments can make a meaningful difference in the longevity of our trees. 

When: Wednesday, November 4th, 5:30 pm
Where: @studiotwothree 
How: Thank you to our presenting sponsor @bartlett_rva for making this event possible. 

@lifeatbartlett
Our recent volunteer workday included folks from T Our recent volunteer workday included folks from Troutman Pepper Locke, the Richmond Bar Association's Environmental & Energy Law Section, and law students — who all worked side by side to plant 150 plugs at the Low Line Green and pull weeds from the Low Line Gardens. These workdays provide the opportunity for likeminded people to connect with each other while getting their hands in the dirt, and we got to see their camaraderie firsthand. 

@richmondbarassociation @troutmanpepperlockellp
Richmond Tree Week is November 1 - 7 this year. Ea Richmond Tree Week is November 1 - 7 this year. Each year, it's a collective undertaking led by @reforestrichmond and made possible by more than 30 local community groups, including us here at Capital Trees.

All week long there will be opportunities to learn, plant trees, and get free trees to plant at home. We've included brief details on the events we'll be helping host below, but we encourage you to head to the link in our bio for all of the details on how to participate. 

📅Tuesday, November 3 | 3pm - 6pm
▪️Volunteer Workday at the Hotchkiss Green & Free Tree Giveaway!🌳

📅Wednesday, November 4 | 8am - 12pm
▪️Volunteer Workday at Low Line / Great Shiplock Park & Free Tree Giveaway!🌳

📅Wednesday, November 4 | 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
▪️Speaking event held at @studiotwothree "Healthy Soil, Healthy Trees: Practical Soil Amendment Strategies for Urban Landscapes" & Free Tree Giveaway!🌳 
👉Registration is required, head to the link in our bio. 

📅Friday, November 6th | 9am - 12 pm
🌳Tree Planting at Swansboro Playground with @rvaparksandrec 
👉Registration required.

📅Saturday, November 7 |  5pm - 7pm
▪️Richmond Tree Week 2026 Wrap Party & Free Tree Giveaway!🌳
👉All are welcome but space is limited so be sure to register today!
@jravirginia @rvagov @rainbirdcorp
We're looking forward to the 5th annual Plant Nati We're looking forward to the 5th annual Plant Native Festival this weekend (Saturday, October 24th, 9am – 1pm) at Dorey Park! Come stop by our booth, celebrate native plants, and learn about the vital role they play in supporting our ecosystems. 

@keephenricobeautiful @henricorecparks @doreyfarmersmarket
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200 South Third Street
Suite 101
Richmond, VA 23219

Phone

804.788.6450

Email

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