Molly Anderson has been involved with Capital Trees since the very beginning, and is now serving her second term on our Board of Trustees. She brings legal experience to the Board, and has used it to help us navigate personnel and governance issues. She is particularly interested in helping foster our community engagement, and her long-term commitment to our work is a testament to her passion for our mission. Read our Q & A below to learn more about her and her perspective.

Q. When and how did you learn about the work Capital Trees does throughout RVA?

A. I became aware of Capital Trees when we were hoping to build the Low Line. We were scrambling to get it done before the 2015 UCI Road World Championships which the City of Richmond was hosting. The area at that time was an eyesore with lots of invasive plants, and we wanted to help make the space more beautiful and welcoming to visitors.

Q. What inspired you to want to be on the Capital Trees Board?

A. I got involved in helping convince the City of Richmond and CSX (whose train tracks run above the Low Line Gardens) to agree to allow us to build the greenspace on their land. At that point, my motivation to join the Board was purely about aesthetics and civic pride but the reasons for my involvement have evolved since then.

Q. What skill set, knowledge, professional experience, or unique perspective do you bring to the Board?

A. When I joined the Board the first time, we had a part-time employee and no executive director. The Board was doing the majority of the work. During that tenure, I participated in governance issues and led the two search committees for our first and current executive directors. Now, I am back on the Board for another term, and have my past experience on the Board to lean on. I will shift my focus from governance to projects, while keeping my hand in community engagement.

Q. If you have a board role, why did you take on that position?

A. I am delighted to serve as Co-Chair of Projects with Katrina VanOrden as we launch an incredibly exciting project connecting various parts of the City with the river.  This project is a partnership with the City and will provide much needed access to the James.

Q. In your own words, why do you think urban greenspaces are a vital resource?

A. Through my work with CT I have become more aware of the benefits that urban greenspaces have on our environment, especially the role they play in filtering stormwater runoff.  A huge shift for me occurred during COVID when we began to appreciate the vast benefits that public landscapes offered to the community and to our health. People were coming out to the Low Line and gathering safely with other people from all walks of life. I’ve also become more aware of Richmond’s past and the negative results of practices like redlining. The work Capital Trees does to bring greenspaces to areas of Richmond that do not have adequate access to them is an important step in the right direction. 

Q. What Capital Trees contribution or project are you most proud of or excited about?

A. I was thrilled when we voted to partner with the City of Richmond as part of their renovation at the Hotchkiss Field Community Center. The goal was to transform underutilized turf around the center into a beautiful greenspace for the community to use and enjoy. We had the privilege of working with residents of nearby neighborhoods to plan the Hotchkiss Green. Community feedback helped us to plan and install a beautiful landscape with a walking path, trees, a pollinator garden and food-producing trees and shrubs. We have some more planting to do in the fall and will continue to work on engaging the community to participate in volunteer workdays for ongoing maintenance.

Q. What should more people know about Capital Trees?

A. Capital Trees is such a wonderful nonprofit to work with. We have terrific committed staff and a collegial board but most important to me, we are making our City a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant one.

Q. What do you feel is Capital Trees’ biggest need?

A. We continue to educate about the importance of public landscapes as a contributor to a healthy environment, people’s health, and the health of the community we love.  We always need more ambassadors for that work!

Q. How do you foresee the organization transforming in the coming years?

A. The organization has evolved since its inception but always remained true to its mission.  It is impossible to predict its next evolution but I am confident we will continue to strive to make public greenspaces more accessible to Richmonders of all walks of life.

 Q. What is your favorite public landscape/greenspace?

A. My favorite greenspace is the deck outside my door and its proximity serves to remind me that not all Richmonders have such easy access to the life enhancing benefits of nature.