Cool the City

Cool the City A collaborative effort between the City of Richmond and local nonprofit organizations to make Richmond’s hottest neighborhoods even cooler!

Join the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities on June 26th from 9am-11am for a tree maintenance day...
06/17/2026

Join the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities on June 26th from 9am-11am for a tree maintenance day at Blackwell Park! Together with our friends at the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, we will be caring for trees planted by Cool the City last fall. Sign up at the link-in-bio!

06/05/2026

After we plant a tree, what happens next? Nathan Burrell, Executive Director of , shares a little bit about how Cool the City partners care for newly planted trees.
 
Trees are typically watered for 2-3 years after planting. The amount of watering may vary depending on the weather—watering needs look very different during a drought than they do during a rainstorm! 
 
After the trees have had a couple of years to establish themselves, they undergo structural pruning to shape their growth, promote tree health, and avoid future structural issues. 
 
Learn more about how you can water trees in your neighborhood at the link-in-bio!

Want to spend your fall outdoors, build hands-on skills, explore green careers, and help make Richmond cooler and health...
05/12/2026

Want to spend your fall outdoors, build hands-on skills, explore green careers, and help make Richmond cooler and healthier?🌳

Applications are now open for the next cohort of apprentices through Groundwork RVA’s Green Infrastructure & Arbor Care Apprenticeship Program!

Participants gain paid, hands-on experience in urban forestry, green infrastructure, and pre-employment skills. This isn’t just a job program — it’s a chance to build skills, connections, and experience while making a real impact in Richmond communities.

Applications are open through July 17, but we encourage interested applicants to apply as early as possible. Early applicants may have the opportunity to join a day in the field to experience the work firsthand and see if the program is the right fit for them. The apprenticeship runs from August 25 to December 11.

Learn more + apply: bit.ly/GWRVAapprentice

Swipe to check out photos from the first cohort in action. 📸

In celebration of Earth Month, we planted 48 trees at two different sites in April! 🪏🌱Groundwork RVA planted 35 street t...
05/06/2026

In celebration of Earth Month, we planted 48 trees at two different sites in April! 🪏🌱

Groundwork RVA planted 35 street trees in a new affordable housing development in Highland Grove, and the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities planted 13 trees at Smith-Peters Park in Carver. 🌳

A huge thank you to all the volunteers that came out and made these plantings possible! ✨

04/29/2026

🌳 What a day! 🌱

We sold out of pre-orders and kept things going with steady walk-up traffic, giving away 250+ trees at our Cool the City Free Tree Giveaway this past Saturday — primarily to Southside residents.

Every tree planted at home, whether in the ground or in a pot, brings us one step closer to Richmond’s goal of 60% canopy coverage by 2037.

We loved seeing so many families come out and turn this into a learning moment for the next generation — and were honored to welcome Delegate Rae Cousins and her family, too!

Thank you to everyone who showed up, pitched in, and took home a tree. This is how we grow a cooler city. 💚

Happy Arbor Day! On this day that celebrates trees, we want to take the opportunity to introduce the Cool the City coali...
04/24/2026

Happy Arbor Day! On this day that celebrates trees, we want to take the opportunity to introduce the Cool the City coalition to our new followers. 
 
Cool the City is a collaborative effort between the City of Richmond and four community-based organizations. Together, we are working to increase Richmond’s tree canopy in the neighborhoods that need it most by investing in urban greening projects, community engagement, green workforce development, and organizational capacity building.
 
That means you can find us planting and caring for trees, giving workshops in faith communities about the urban heat island effect, training recent high school graduates in arbor care, and writing new standard operating procedures—all in a day’s work! 
 
Learn more about our work at www.coolthecity.com.

Partners:




City of Richmond Department of Public Works - Urban Forestry

🌎🌱 Celebrate Earth Week by planting a tree! Cool the City has two opportunities to pick up a free tree this week and hel...
04/20/2026

🌎🌱 Celebrate Earth Week by planting a tree! Cool the City has two opportunities to pick up a free tree this week and help cool the hottest neighborhoods. 🌳

🌿 Earth Day Tree Giveaway + Workshop
📅 April 22 | ⏰ 5:30 - 7 p.m.
📍 Northside YMCA
Hosted by Virginia Interfaith Power & Light

Residents in Jackson Ward, Northside, Southside, East End, Church Hill, and Randolph are invited to receive a free tree and learn how to care for it. 👉🏾 Reserve your spot: bit.ly/4dx8Wtf (link in bio)

🌱 Cool the City Free Tree Giveaway
📅 April 25 | ⏰ 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
📍 Liberation Church
Hosted by Southside ReLeaf

Take home a free tree or seedling to plant. Priority will be given to residents in zip codes 23224, 23225, and 23234. 👉🏾 Reserve your free tree: southsidereleaf.org/tree (link in bio)

Address

P. O. Box 24066
Richmond, VA
23224

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