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Quarterly Update
We are setting aside the month of March to celebrate the people, projects, and principles that led to our founding in 2010. Collaboration, Conservation, and Community inspired our first board members and continue to influence our work today. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn through mid-April to see posts celebrating our past and looking to our future. Starting with our giving day on March 19, all gifts made will be matched $1 for $1 through April 19.
Here is a bit of what we have already accomplished in this fiscal year:
1. Ninety trees planted in the Richmond region
2. Over $400,000 of funds have been raised and pledged this year for our Hotchkiss Field Community Center Project
3. Welcoming Anne Poarch as Advancement Director
4. Strong community engagement through volunteer opportunities, and through one-on-one and community meetings.I can’t wait to share all of our accomplishments this year at our annual meeting on June 12. Mark your calendars for our celebration starting at 5:00 pm. Thank you! It is because of your support that we are able build a greener and more livable Richmond.Sincerely,
Shelly Barrick Parsons
Executive Director
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Hotchkiss Field Community Center Project
The result of collaboration with neighbors and center users, our latest greenspace transformation project will convert just under 2 acres of underused turf into walking trails, increased tree canopy, pollinator meadows, and community spaces in Richmond’s Highland Park neighborhood. We are currently reviewing bids from contractors and are looking towards breaking ground later this spring. Stay tuned for announcements about the groundbreaking event.
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Henrico County Pilot Project
Last spring Capital Trees launched a pilot project with Henrico County Parks and Schools. The pilot project included training staff and volunteers on tree identification, a tree canopy inventory at selected parks and schools, and planting recommendations. In March, partnering with Henrico Parks and Va Department of Forestry, we sponsored two tree planting events at pilot project park sites: Deep Run Park and Dorey Park. Community volunteers planted 40 trees between the two sites.
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Canoe Run Park
In October 2023, Capital Trees partnered with Keep Va Beautiful, Co-Star, and Richmond’s Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities to plant 50 trees at Canoe Run Park. Working with our partners, we will be back on site this spring for establishment care including weeding around the trees and installing tree diapers. If you are interested in sponsoring a tree planting event, please reach out to us at [email protected] to start the planning.
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Ongoing Management
Though the winter months are not the ideal weather for gardening, we maintained the same level of weekly volunteer attendance as in other parts of the year. This allowed us to stay on top of the winter weeds and keep the gardens presentable. Another sign of our weekly volunteer core’s commitment to the organization is the participation in staging for the Henrico tree plantings. We put out the call to help unload trees early on a Wednesday morning. We immediately had three of our regular volunteers offer to help. Not only did they help, but they then went to the Low Line and worked several hours. THANK YOU TO OUR WEEKLY VOLUNTEERS!
Looking ahead into the spring, we have lots of plans in the works including:
- Tree pruning workshop by Michael Webb, City of Richmond’s Urban Forester (March 20) for weekly volunteers
- Removal and replacement of the dying river birch tree in the Great Shiplock Park parking lot
- Planting the planters at the entrance of Great Shiplock Park
- Updating several of the gardens at the far western end of the Low Line
- Exploring the replacement of the remaining Amelanchiers
- Replanting areas at The Low Line Green
- Researching how and when to clean out the gardens at the base of overpass drains at The Low Line Green
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Sustainability Blog and Bee City
As we continue to establish sustainable management practices, we are documenting our work and the research that inspires us in our blog. Check out recent posts:
Capital Trees joined a coalition of organizations and City Departments to establish Richmond as a Bee City. City Council unanimously approved the resolution. Stay tuned for announcements from the Bee City Working Group on how you can support building a more pollinator friendly Richmond.
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Bloom and Fruit Calendar
We design our landscapes as four season destinations. Don’t miss out on the plants that are putting on a show as we head into spring. Be on the lookout for these blooms and fruits along the Low Line Gardens.
- Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
- Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata)
- Eastern White Redbud (Cercis canadensis f. alba)
- Ostrich Fern Fiddleheads
Also, check out the daffodils bursting forth at Great Shiplock Park. Thanks to the American Daffodil Society for building a more beautiful Richmond with this gift to the landscape at GSP!
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Volunteer
Want to help make Richmond greener and more livable?
We invite you to volunteer with us!
Learn more about volunteering.
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We’re excited to announce that our Board of Trustees and Advisory Council are sponsoring a Leadership Match, from March 19, 2024 — April 19, 2024, for the first $10,000 we raise. During that time, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar, DOUBLING the impact you’re able to make. There’s never been a better time to give.
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