The Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards had much to celebrate by the end of October, a month in which we provided new trees to local households, cleaned up public greenspaces, planted new trees in a community park, and paid a special tribute to our founders.
It started with one of our best Fall Tree Sales ever, pictured here. On October 9 at Tufton Farm, our volunteers sold 285 trees and shrubs, raising a record $2,800 for our organization. At the same time, we helped customers select trees that are appropriate for their landscapes and advised them on how to plant, protect and care for their new trees. A huge thank you to the team that managed the logistical feat of making this sale such a success.
Later in the month, the Tree Stewards continued to improve public landscapes in our area, including The Grove at McIntire Park, below. On October 14, with the help of community partners, CATS volunteers weeded and mulched the trees and shrubs we planted earlier on this hillside. All of them are thriving. We also expanded and improved the network of trails through the site.
We devoted two workdays—on October 20 and 21—to weeding and mulching the trees at the CATS Arboretum and nursery at the Virginia Department of Forestry’s headquarters in the Fontaine Research Park. That same week, on October 23, the Tree Stewards planted 17 trees at Darden Towe Park, below, including Willow Oaks (Quercus phellos), Swamp White Oaks (Quercus bicolor), Blackgums (Nyssa sylvatica) and Tulip Trees (Liriodendron tulipifera), among others. Placed around the dog park and pavilion area, the trees are the beginning of a major reforestation of the park, where many trees have been lost to the emerald ash borer.
A
nd finally, on October 27, we returned to the Arboretum at the Virginia Department of Forestry to dedicate a Hackberry tree (Celtis occidentalis) planted a year ago in honor of the visionaries who set CATS in motion. Our friends at VDOF–including State Forester Rob Farrell, shown here with CATS President Barbara White–joined us for the ceremony. It included the unveiling of a plaque listing the 14 founders and initial board members who formally established the Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards in 2008.
