Recent News – Page 2 – Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards

Tree Commission Volunteer Opportunity

Posted on February 24, 2023February 24, 2023 by Mary Spear

Volunteer Opportunity: Charlottesville Tree Commission Has Several Openings – Applications Due March 10, 2023 by 5pm

Would you like to help the City of Charlottesville reverse the steep decline in its tree canopy, raise its tree equity score, or strengthen legal protections for trees during development? Please consider joining the Cville Tree Commission! You can make a difference! More information and registration form here

State of the Urban Forest – FY2022: Report of the Charlottesville Tree Commission

The Tree Commission works with the Parks & Recreation Department to protect and improve the urban forest so that the City can reach its goals for public health, energy conservation, climate sustainability, stormwater management, water and air quality, and environmental justice and equity.

View the complete report here

Projects Add Trees to County Parks

Posted on November 21, 2022November 21, 2022 by Bill Sublette

Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards and members of this year’s CATS training class have added nearly 50 trees to Albemarle County parklands in recent weeks.

On November 5, 30 trainees and 17 CATS mentors planted 22 trees at Darden Towe Park, including black gums (Nyssa sylvatica), white oaks (Quercus alba), tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera), Kentucky coffee trees (Gymnocladus dioicus), eastern redbuds (Cercis canadensis) and Osage orange trees (Maclura pomifera).

On November 12, 21 CATS members and trainees, along with three student volunteers from U.Va. and three community volunteers from the Crozet area, planted 19 trees at Mint Springs Valley Park. Among them were bald cypresses (Taxodium distichum), sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and swamp white oaks (Quercus bicolor), as well as tulip trees and black gums. Earlier, several CATS volunteers planted two Osage oranges and four Kentucky coffee trees at Mint Springs.

The Tree Stewards worked with the Albemarle County Parks and Recreation Department to select the tree species and planting locations. Many thanks to County parks staff for preparing the planting holes and for providing water and mulch for the projects, which were made possible by a Virginia Trees for Clean Water grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Below, tree planting at Darden Towe Park. Photos by JoAnn Dalley.

Below, tree planting at Mint Springs Valley Park

Tree Stewards Hold Another Successful Tree Sale

Posted on October 3, 2022October 6, 2022 by Bill Sublette

Unfazed by intermittent rain from Hurricane Ian, the Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards held another successful Tree Sale on Saturday, October 1. The smooth and well-organized operation provided a total of 334 young, mostly native trees to members of the community. Every tree was purchased. Held on the grounds of the Virginia Department of Forestry’s headquarters, where CATS volunteers maintain a tree nursery, the sale offered small trees and shrubs such as American Beautyberry, Red Osier Dogwood, and Blackhaw Viburnum; medium-sized trees such as Pagoda Dogwood, Fringe Tree and Downy Serviceberry; and large trees such as Bald Cypress, White Oak, Willow Oak and Sycamore. The Tree Stewards also offered materials for protecting newly planted trees from deer browsing and other damage from wildlife.