Four years ago, we completed the Low Line. Four years ago, we leveraged the power of community support, elbow grease, and hardworking native plants to transform the stretch of land between Great Shiplock Park and the Floodwall.
And in four years, we’ve experienced a wide array of weather patterns that have put our plants to the test. From droughts to flooding, and everything in between. We’ve gotten a sense for which plants flourish and thrive in the space,
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Capital Trees has received the prestigious Harry J. Banker Gold Leaf Award for Outstanding Landscape Beautification, from the International Society of Arboriculture.
The Virginia Department of Forestry Community Forestry Partnership Coordinator, Molly O’Liddy, nominated Capital Trees for the award. The VDOF is a longtime partner of Capital Trees and has awarded us grants for planting native trees and shrubs during our work on The Low Line.
This international award is an inspiring affirmation that our work not only elevates Richmond’s public landscapes but is a model for municipalities (worldwide!) of the importance of transformative public landscapes.
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Capital Trees Job Opening
POSITION: Program and Outreach Manager
ABOUT CAPITAL TREES:
Capital Trees is an urban greening organization. We create and advocate for public landscapes that build and strengthen community. Operating in the City of Richmond, Virginia and founded in 2010, we are a non-profit organization committed to strengthening the connections between people and nature. Our projects include the 14th Street Corridor, Great Shiplock Park, The Low Line and the Low Line Green.
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As a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on the expertise of our Board of Trustees. We’re so fortunate to have had some of Richmond’s best on our Board, and it’s bittersweet to bid them farewell as they roll of the Board at the end of June 2020.
Madge BemissAs an architect, Madge is a leader in planning and design for public places. She works with communities to weave their voices into the surrounding architecture.
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The Low Line Green reclaims 1.5 acres east of the Floodwall and adjacent to the James River and Kanawha Canal. It’s an area rich in history and overlooked for decades. We are thrilled with its potential to serve as a trail head and outdoor classroom. The Green further demonstrates the potential for public landscapes to attract economic development, promote outdoor activity, improve stormwater quality, increase biodiversity, and build community.
Get more information here: The Low Line Green
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Most days Capital Trees focuses on the plants they’ve added and the projects they’ve implemented throughout Richmond. Because that’s the primary focus after all. Working to connect people to nature and bringing more green spaces to the City. But, as you can probably imagine, there are people hard at work behind the scenes to create, fund, and maintain projects.
One of those people? Meg Turner. Chair of the Board. Landscape designer. Founding member of Capital Trees.
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From our work and research, we know that the investment in safe public green spaces pays off in more ways than one. Access to nature can have a positive impact on mental health, physical health, an individual’s sense of belonging and more.
A new study conducted at UVA looked at some of the existing research on urban green space. The goal was to better understand if well-kept public green space has the ability to mitigate violent crime.
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The Low Line is Calling!
We’ve got runners and walkers and all the best dogs, we’ve got cars and trains and boats and buses, we’ve got birds and bees and soon will have butterflies, we’ve got Main Street Realty with their coffee and donuts!
Best of all we have gardens that need spring-time attention!
And this is where YOU come in.
Please join us on Saturday, February 29 from 10 am to noon for a Community Work Day to wake up the Low Line for spring!
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We are so excited about the next phase of the Low Line: the Low Line Green. We’re well on our way towards turning the area into a purposeful green space. The 2.5 acre area at the western end of the Low Line is being thoughtfully redesigned to remediate stormwater runoff from I-95. When completed this spring, the area will serve as a gathering place for our community.
We are grateful for the support from our community!
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