Cultivating Vibrant Public Greenspaces

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    Volunteers at the Hotchkiss Green in Richmond's Northside

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    Coneflowers in bloom along the Low Line Gardens

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    The Low Line Gardens along the Virginia Capital Trail

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    Summer blooms in the Low Line Gardens

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)

Capital Trees Impact Reports

  • 2024-2025
  • 2023-2024

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

 

WHAT'S NEW

What Austin Taught Us About Building Greenspace That Lasts

By: Shelly Barrick Parsons, Capital Trees Executive Director

Last month I traveled to Austin, Texas for Greater and Greener 2026, a gathering of parks leaders, city staff, and nonprofit partners from across the country. Over a few days of bike tours, boat rides, panels, and peer conversations, one thing became clear: the cities doing greenspace well aren’t doing anything magical. They’re just patient, intentional, and deeply collaborative.

Here’s what stuck with me — and what it means for our work back home.

… Read more »

More news

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Troutman Pepper Locke joined us again for a volunt Troutman Pepper Locke joined us again for a volunteer workday, bringing an enthusiastic group of staff and interns along to help. They tackled the weeds at the Low Line Green, and made the space look much tidier for visitors passing through. Thank you for your ongoing support, and for joining us for another workday. @troutmanpepperlockellp
We recently recognized our “Volunteer of the Year” We recently recognized our “Volunteer of the Year” and presented him with his award. Glenn has been volunteering with Capital Trees since March of 2025. In our 2025-2026 fiscal year, he volunteered an incredible 43 times, adding up to 148 hours! He’s part of the group that volunteers with us on a weekly basis to perform ongoing maintenance tasks, helped build picnic tables at the Hotchkiss Green, and has served as a volunteer leader at multiple community and private workdays. Thank you Glenn, for your commitment to helping us take care of these vital greenspaces and for sharing your knowledge with others.
Our Executive Director, Shelly Barrick Parsons, re Our Executive Director, Shelly Barrick Parsons, recently met up with @breakawayrva during their monthly meet up. They were interested in how Capital Trees plays a role in environmental justice and restoring neglected areas in our city. Shelly met with them along the Low Line to showcase the gardens and share more about our work. We’re always eager to show folks around the gardens, whether it's for a few minutes or a full walking tour — thanks Breakaway RVA for biking our way!
Happy 4th of July! If firework shows aren't your t Happy 4th of July! If firework shows aren't your thing, the blooms along the Low Line Gardens sure are putting on a colorful display for visitors. Be safe out there, it's a scorcher this weekend! 🥵
The Deloitte team recently volunteered with us at The Deloitte team recently volunteered with us at Canoe Run Park. The group was hard working and engaged, and together they helped us finish necessary tree care for the newly planted trees. They also spread mulch to help suppress weeds, retain moisture, and improve the soil. Thanks for getting your hands in the dirt with us Deloitte, we hope you come back to volunteer with us in the future! @lifeatdeloitteus @deloitte
In the last fiscal year, we’ve planted over 100 tr In the last fiscal year, we’ve planted over 100 trees throughout the region, strengthened existing landscapes, and brought people together around a shared vision for healthier public spaces. We know that we couldn’t do any of it without the growing community of supporters who believe that investing in greenspaces is an investment in people and our collective health and wellbeing. A gift today helps us start our new fiscal year with the resources we need to sustain our vital work. Join in, make an impact, make a gift today from the link in our bio. ☝️
June 30th is the last day of our fiscal year. The June 30th is the last day of our fiscal year. The calendar always provides an opportunity to sit down and reflect on all the progress we’ve made. This fiscal year, we celebrated the opening of Hotchkiss Green, where more than 100 trees, 1,300 pollinator-friendly plugs, and numerous fruit-bearing trees and shrubs are taking root. We're already seeing signs that nature is responding – birds are feeding in the pollinator meadow, insects are returning to the flowers, life is finding its way back. THANK YOU. Your investments, through generous donations and time spent volunteering, made this transformation possible and we can’t wait to see the space continue to establish in the coming months and years.
If you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to sup If you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to support our work at Capital Trees, consider joining our Treekeepers Circle. When you sign up for a monthly donation, you provide our small nonprofit with consistent and ongoing support that we can count on month after month. A recurring donation can help sustain the ongoing maintenance and care that we put into our greenspaces so that they remain beautiful and welcoming spaces for all. You can set up your monthly gift and join the Treekeepers Circle from the "DONATE" link in our bio. ☝️
As we near the end of our fiscal year, we’re thril As we near the end of our fiscal year, we’re thrilled with all that we’ve accomplished this year. We also beam with pride at all of the folks who came together to help make it happen. So far this fiscal year 689 volunteers invested their time in our mission, including 88 volunteer workdays, to contribute an incredible 2,224 hours into our shared greenspaces. That’s a 21% increase from the year prior! At our annual meeting, we honored 7 of our recurring maintenance volunteers who hit new milestones for their hours contributed. Many of our maintenance volunteers now have a deep well of knowledge and help lead other volunteering opportunities — they’ve become a force for good, helping to amplify our efforts and expand our impact. To everyone who has rolled up their sleeves and gotten their hands in the dirt — THANK YOU.
On June 8th, we had our Annual Meeting & Celebrati On June 8th, we had our Annual Meeting & Celebration, which provided an opportunity for us to come together to celebrate the successes we’ve had over the last fiscal year. We recognized our engaged board, talented staff, committed advisory council, dedicated volunteers, generous supporters, and strong community partners. At the meeting, we highlighted some of the successes from the past year including: 🌱Celebrating the new public greenspace at Hotchkiss Green. 🌱Partnering to remove invasive kudzu at Canoe Run Park and inviting @rvagoats, and the community, to participate in the restoration process. 🌱Continuing targeted improvements at Byrd Park, including planting more than 50 trees, improving tree care, and beginning work to replace invasive species with native canopy. 🌱Planting well over 100 trees across the region, strengthening existing landscapes, and bringing people together around a shared vision for healthier public spaces. The evening served as a wonderful reminder that together, we are cultivating vibrant public greenspaces that awaken, restore, and transform our region.
We recently recapped a busy March filled with tree We recently recapped a busy March filled with tree plantings, and April was just as packed as we celebrated Earth Month throughout #RVA. In April we… 🌱Brought together 16 vendors at the 2nd annual Earth Day Festival at Hotchkiss Green 🌱Welcomed the community to hear keynote speaker Mickey Fearn and a panel conversation with local leaders 🌱Connected with the community at 9 outreach events 🌱Hosted 11 volunteer groups in the gardens If you want to help us build on our work engaging the community – learn more, get involved, or give at capitaltrees.org (linked in our bio 👆)
The youth from @fpc_richmond joined us at Hotchkis The youth from @fpc_richmond joined us at Hotchkiss for a day of service and learning about the value of greenspace. They toured the Hotchkiss Green and helped with our sustainable management by weeding, mulching, and adding soil to the strawberry patch. @groundworkrva also joined us to teach the group about urban heat islands. To help demonstrate the lesson, the group made guesses about the hottest and coolest spots in the gardens and got to use thermal cameras to test their hypotheses. Groundwork RVA's Green Team uses these thermal cameras to measure the surface temperatures at the Hotchkiss Green to record if the trees and plants we installed there are making a difference over time to combat the urban heat island effect. Much of the work we do is to benefit the next generation, and we're always eager to foster their interest in building a greener future. @fpcyouthrva
We were glad to host @huntonandrewskurth again for We were glad to host @huntonandrewskurth again for a volunteer workday! We had a great turnout and a very productive morning. We loved that some of the participants brought their kids along to help — we’re always eager to get the next generation excited about taking care of our planet. 🌎 Together the group: 👍 Built 2 picnic tables 👍 Added plants to the food forest 👍 Pulled weeds in the strawberry patch and entrance Thanks to each of the volunteers for helping take care of the Hotchkiss Green — we appreciate you lending a hand!
@gracre_rva joined us again to get their hands in @gracre_rva joined us again to get their hands in the dirt and volunteer, and they met us at the Hotchkiss Green. They brought plenty of enthusiasm with them and tackled some equally enthusiastic weeds in the strawberry patch. They also added several plantings to the food forest. Thank you again for stepping off the pavement and into the gardens, and helping us maintain this vital greenspace. 🌳🌱
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200 South Third Street
Suite 101
Richmond, VA 23219

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804.788.6450

Email

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