Capital Trees

06/22/2026

As we near the end of our fiscal year, we’re thrilled with all that we’ve accomplished this year. We also beam with pride at all of the folks who came together to help make it happen. So far this fiscal year 689 volunteers invested their time in our mission, including 88 volunteer workdays, to contribute an incredible 2,224 hours into our shared greenspaces. That’s a 21% increase from the year prior!

At our annual meeting, we honored 7 of our recurring maintenance volunteers who hit new milestones for their hours contributed. Many of our maintenance volunteers now have a deep well of knowledge and help lead other volunteering opportunities — they’ve become a force for good, helping to amplify our efforts and expand our impact.

To everyone who has rolled up their sleeves and gotten their hands in the dirt — THANK YOU.

06/19/2026

On June 8th, we had our Annual Meeting & Celebration, which provided an opportunity for us to come together to celebrate the successes we’ve had over the last fiscal year. We recognized our engaged board, talented staff, committed advisory council, dedicated volunteers, generous supporters, and strong community partners.

At the meeting, we highlighted some of the successes from the past year including:
🌱Celebrating the new public greenspace at Hotchkiss Green.
🌱Partnering to remove invasive kudzu at Canoe Run Park and inviting RVA Goats, and the community, to participate in the restoration process.
🌱Continuing targeted improvements at Byrd Park, including planting more than 50 trees, improving tree care, and beginning work to replace invasive species with native canopy.
🌱Planting well over 100 trees across the region, strengthening existing landscapes, and bringing people together around a shared vision for healthier public spaces.

The evening served as a wonderful reminder that together, we are cultivating vibrant public greenspaces that awaken, restore, and transform our region.

06/17/2026

We recently recapped a busy March filled with tree plantings, and April was just as packed as we celebrated Earth Month throughout .

In April we…
🌱Brought together 16 vendors at the 2nd annual Earth Day Festival at Hotchkiss Green
🌱Welcomed the community to hear keynote speaker Mickey Fearn and a panel conversation with local leaders
🌱Connected with the community at 9 outreach events
🌱Hosted 11 volunteer groups in the gardens

If you want to help us build on our work engaging the community – learn more, get involved, or give at capitaltrees.org

06/16/2026

The youth from First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Va joined us at Hotchkiss for a day of service and learning about the value of greenspace. They toured the Hotchkiss Green and helped with our sustainable management by weeding, mulching, and adding soil to the strawberry patch. Groundwork RVA also joined us to teach the group about urban heat islands. To help demonstrate the lesson, the group made guesses about the hottest and coolest spots in the gardens and got to use thermal cameras to test their hypotheses. Groundwork RVA's Green Team uses these thermal cameras to measure the surface temperatures at the Hotchkiss Green to record if the trees and plants we installed there are making a difference over time to combat the urban heat island effect. Much of the work we do is to benefit the next generation, and we're always eager to foster their interest in building a greener future.

06/15/2026

We were glad to host Hunton again for a volunteer workday! We had a great turnout and a very productive morning. We loved that some of the participants brought their kids along to help — we’re always eager to get the next generation excited about taking care of our planet. 🌎

Together the group:
👍 Built 2 picnic tables
👍 Added plants to the food forest
👍 Pulled weeds in the strawberry patch and entrance

Thanks to each of the volunteers for helping take care of the Hotchkiss Green — we appreciate you lending a hand!

06/12/2026

Greater Richmond Association for Commercial Real Estate (GRACRE) joined us again to get their hands in the dirt and volunteer, and they met us at the Hotchkiss Green. They brought plenty of enthusiasm with them and tackled some equally enthusiastic weeds in the strawberry patch. They also added several plantings to the food forest. Thank you again for stepping off the pavement and into the gardens, and helping us maintain this vital greenspace. 🌳🌱

06/11/2026

Murray Fisher was on the Today Show to share about the Less Lawn More Life Campaign and how rewilding our yards supports the local ecosystem. Watch the segment here: on.today.com/4ejtbJw

We're so glad we got to learn from Murray Fisher directly when we hosted him for a keynote presentation and panel discussion earlier this year. You can read more about that event on our website: bit.ly/MF-keynote

Joanna Hall, CEO of Wilder Places, and Murray Fisher, a partner in the company, join TODAY to discuss the Less Lawn More Life Campaign to restore nature to our own backyards. They also share how small changes you can make to rewild and restore nature to your lawn.

06/11/2026

In case you missed it, we were BUSY this spring! As we head towards the end of our fiscal year, here’s a look at what we were up to by the numbers:

In March we…

🌳Hosted 11 tree planting events
🌳Planted 6,000 tree seedlings at Nuckols Farm Elementary School
🌳Planted 72 additional trees at parks and recreation centers
🌳Engaged almost 300 volunteers!

If you believe that the future needs more trees — learn more, get involved, or give at capitaltrees.org

06/10/2026

Last week was a great reminder that growing a healthier, more connected Richmond takes all hands on deck.

Our projects are rooted in parks and public greenspaces but our work also happens in classrooms, community centers, listening sessions, and conversations with local leaders.

Shelly and Mary led Capital Trees' first tree identification and canopy training of the summer for community members and Henrico County staff. Anne joined fellow nonprofit leaders to learn about Henrico County's sustainability efforts through Henrico HEART. Jesse participated in the Virginia Tree Canopy Workgroup's Central Virginia listening session, helping elevate the importance of urban tree canopy across our region.

Creating vibrant public greenspaces takes more than planting trees — it takes education, collaboration, and advocacy. We're proud of the many ways our staff advances that mission every day.

Henrico County Government Henrico County Recreation & Parks

06/09/2026

Along with our friends at Capital Region Land Conservancy, we collaborated on a local event "Where Development Meets Greenspace" and spent the evening connecting with thoughtful leaders from Richmond’s development and real estate community. It was an opportunity to discuss how conserving and cultivating greenspaces strengthens community health, environmental resilience, placemaking, and long-term economic vitality.

At the event we were able to highlight the complementary roles of our organizations. Capital Region Land Conservancy focuses on conserving important land and natural resources, and Capital Trees focuses on cultivating vibrant, connected greenspaces that communities can actively use and enjoy. We’re grateful to be able to partner and collaborate with other organizations who share our vision of a greener . Together, and in our own ways, we’re working to increase access to parks and greenspace for all Richmond residents.

Thank you to everyone who spent the evening with us learning more. We’re always happy to connect with developers, legislators, and civic and community partners who want to take real action for the earth and the community.