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January 5, 2021

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Along with friends in the greening and conservatio

Along with friends in the greening and conservation community, Capital Trees board and staff mourn the loss of Hylah Boyd last week. Hylah was instrumental in the founding of Capital Trees along with the presidents of the four Richmond @gardenclubofvirginia clubs in 2010. Founding members spent hours with Hylah as she shared her wisdom and experiences about the lessons she learned when creating @scenicvirginia . She not only helped Capital Trees imagine the framework of the organization, but also continued to be Capital Trees’ biggest cheerleader and confidence booster. Hylah served on the Capital Trees Board and later joined the Advisory Council where she continued to lend her support. She was a pioneer championing the work of greening and responsible land use including mentoring and supporting those individuals and organizations committed to that work. Her dedication, grit, and grace combined to make her the model servant leader striving to make the realms that she roamed better — from our highways and byways with Scenic Virginia, to our waterways and green spaces at Capital Trees, to her beloved Essex County through the Essex County Conservation Alliance, and the view that named Richmond through the @capitalregionlandconservancy .

As part of implementing our Strategic Plan, we’v

As part of implementing our Strategic Plan, we’ve been focusing on our mission, vision, and the values that guide our work. We thought it might be helpful to define them for you so that you can get a better understanding of our organization.

—Mission: Building public landscapes. Enriching the community.

—Vision: Thriving public landscapes are an integral part of the RVA community’s expectations, public policy and practice.

—Values: Whether we are engaged in public landscape projects, programming, or speaking with the community, our culture and work is informed by a shared set of values and beliefs, created from within the organization. These values are: Enlightening | Welcoming | Transformative | Respectful | Inspiring | Collaborative... and serve as the moral beacons of the organization, to clarify assumptions of Board and Staff, and to define expectations and choices regarding the fundamentals of Capital Trees’ work.

BHE GT&S joined us for a corporate workday in fall

BHE GT&S joined us for a corporate workday in fall of 2021, and we were so excited to have them back down to the Low Line for another round of volunteering last week. They helped us to wrangle and separate the Blue Flag Iris that continues to flourish in the gardens. Part of helping the plants, trees, and shrubs continue to do well year after year? Proactive maintenance just like this! Thanks to this team for volunteering with us, we hope to have you sign up for another work day again soon!

It’s officially fall! Although we still have som

It’s officially fall! Although we still have some warm days ahead, we’re already dreaming of all the vibrant fall colors that’ll be here soon in the gardens. They don’t look like this yet, but be sure to keep an eye on the Ginkos on 14th Street, they’re a sight to see in their full autumn splendor.

If Capital Trees has recently come across your rad

If Capital Trees has recently come across your radar, you may not realize that we have over a decade under our belt of increasing urban green space in Richmond. Our latest blog post offers a glimpse into the early days of our organization, and how our projects have progressed since then! Linked from our bio 👆

It’s almost fall, and winter won’t be far behi

It’s almost fall, and winter won’t be far behind. We’re setting our sights on maintaining the gardens and getting them ready for a long winter’s nap. You’re invited to volunteer with us at our all-hands-on-deck community workday on October 15th. Get all the details here, and if you can’t make it, please share the opportunity with others! https://bit.ly/3Uk596z

Back in the spring, our organization worked with t

Back in the spring, our organization worked with the experts at OneEighty (oneeighty.io) to begin the process of creating a Strategic Plan that will guide our work going forward. The Capital Trees Board, staff, and stakeholders came together to help build out this plan with our community and partners in mind. We’ll be introducing you to the ins and outs of our goals over the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned!

#TGIF and thank goodness for our Board! Read our i

#TGIF and thank goodness for our Board! Read our interview with Board Member Ashley Wallace to learn more about her and her work with Capital Trees. Linked from our bio!

Weeds aren’t necessarily the enemy, but they can

Weeds aren’t necessarily the enemy, but they can make it harder for desired landscaping plants to thrive and spread, so we make efforts to sustainably control them in our gardens. One of those approaches? Seed bank reduction. Learn what it is, and how we accomplish it on our latest blog post, linked from our bio.

If you have today off in honor of Labor Day, we en

If you have today off in honor of Labor Day, we encourage you to visit the Low Line Gardens, Great Shiplock Park, and the Low Line Green. Enjoy the space, invite a friend, and if you take any photos, we want to see them!

You’ll find echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ (pic

You’ll find echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ (pictured here, in addition to the ‘White Swan’ cultivar) in multiple spots at the Low Line Gardens, Low Line Green, and Great Shiplock Park. This hardy perennial thrives in harsh urban conditions and isn’t discouraged by poor soil, extreme heat, or drought. When it’s in bloom, you’ll see a variety of pollinators visiting it for nectar. Once the plants start to dry out in the fall, it sees renewed attention by songbirds who will stop by to enjoy the dried seeds. And in between, it’s a beautiful addition to the greenspace!

We fill our urban landscapes with a variety of pla

We fill our urban landscapes with a variety of plants to support pollinators and wildlife, large and small. It’s about more than the honeybee after all! We love seeing diverse pollinator engagement including butterflies, wasps, and especially our native bees, like the mason bee pictured here. In addition, birds and other animals find food and shelter in the urban green spaces we create. Want to help do your part? You can support our work here: capitaltrees.org/get-involved/donate/

When it comes to planning an urban landscape, we h

When it comes to planning an urban landscape, we have to choose plants that are able to thrive in the harsh urban conditions they’ll be exposed to, including periods of extreme heat and drought. You can see a variety of flowering plants in this picture of the Low Line, including black eyed susans, coneflowers, and Joe-Pye weed — all chosen for their resilience.

Last weekend's community workday had a great turno

Last weekend's community workday had a great turnout, we loved seeing both new and returning volunteers — including the new group of fellows from Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. We were able to tackle a significant amount of maintenance and upkeep at Great Shiplock Park thanks to everyone's hard work.

We also appreciate our friends at @mainstreetrealty for sponsoring yet another workday, your ongoing support of our work is much appreciated!

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