All About Trees Presentation

There have been many people in our community wondering about our beautiful old trees in the parks, and along the streets of our oldest neighborhoods. Why do some struggle so with limbs that do not leaf out in the spring and some that simply do not make it through a moderate storm? Why are so many absent now and what can we do about it? We found the answers.

On Wednesday, October 1st, Mike Tidwell came to St. John’s Hall to speak about his book, The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue. Mike is a leading national activist and author, and the founder of Chesapeake Climate Action Network. His book strikingly chronicles the impact of climate change on his community of Takoma Park, Maryland and the trees of his neighborhood; as well as the specific impact of climate events on the tree populations in Maryland and Virginia- and how we can respond. Mike began with a short film that literally walked us through his neighborhood, identifying the trees, timeline of climate events and the unfortunate results. He covered how the unusual and catastrophic rainfall events beginning in 2018 resulted in it being wet for so long that a huge chain reaction was set in motion. This affected so many trees and would for years to come, ultimately resulting in a major loss of tree population across Maryland and Virginia. Additionally, with the heat of the summers continuing to climb, trees that were once native to Virginia now seem to struggle. With our City Arborist Michael Webb nodding along, it seems we now have to re-plant with more tree species normally found further south. As Mike’s neighborhood replanted, you see and, in a way, feel the new promise of the small, newly planted trees, some so little they could still have gardens underneath, patiently waiting to shade future generations. All told, an excellent presentation that captures both the urgency of our current climate experiences and pointed a hopeful way forward. His book is available at Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, our independent bookseller.

However, some questions remain, specific to our wonderful city of Richmond. The next speaker was Dr. Jeremy Hoffman. With a boatload of official credentials, research and awards, he is the definitive expert on urban heat island issues and mitigation strategies. With his presentation it became clear we have some very real problems with shade and heat mitigation in the East End (along with other areas of Richmond). The neighborhoods with low buildings and no/too few or too small trees, along with the heat generating properties of asphalt, combine in a dangerous mix to raise the already high temperatures of late Spring and Summer. There is a direct correlation with the concentration and rise of heat injuries in these areas. Cooling centers (now all the libraries in the City have been added), planting initiatives, shade sails, and taller buildings all help with diminishing the impact of the continuing heat issues in the City. For every 10% increase in tree canopy there is approximately a .5-degree F reduction in the heat we experience. In those places where the tree wells on the sidewalks have been paved over, the City is beginning to remove a portion of the concrete to enable street tree planting. Dr. Hoffman had so much valuable information and such a short time allotment, anyone interested in learning more can simply search his name and get right to his research and initiatives. His talk confirmed again we need to continue to learn, and quickly expand our planting initiatives.

Speaking of tree planting, Director Chris Frelke, from Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities spoke next about the on-going initiatives and partnerships within the department. Community Forestry Partnerships have created numerous planting initiatives with the support of Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Capitol Trees, Alliance for the Bay, as well as the Cool the City 1000-tree initiative. Anyone can get involved with the upcoming Tree Week, Saturday November 1st- Saturday November 8th. Contact emails: www.reforestrichmond.org or Community Forestry, Qui Nguyen ([email protected]). Tree week culminates with a major restoration planting (96 trees) in Chimborazo Park on November 7-8, beginning at 9 am.

Our last speaker truly provided the vision and hope for the future of trees in Richmond. Michael Webb, hired in 2023 as Richmond’s first Urban Forester, spoke about the upcoming launch of the Urban Forestry Master Plan. Come November, look for announcements where the plan will be tabled for input from all communities.

Our many thanks go out to all who supported and attended this presentation.