Public Works and Environmental Services Alert:
A Friends of Trees award recognizes efforts made for exceptional, outstanding, and innovative conservation-based tree actions in Fairfax County that do one or more of the following criteria:
Nominee Categories:
Winners will be announced in the fall, 2023.
Fort Hunt Elementary School in Alexandria has been awarded the Friends of Trees Award for its ambitious tree planting initiative. Led by Principal Tim Slayter and Assistant Principal Katie Pluntke, the school set a goal of planting 32 regionally native trees on school grounds with the help of students. The multi-phased planting plan includes deer protection, pruning, mulching and irrigation to minimize potential stress.
The planting events are incorporated into the school's curriculum and initiatives to maximize learning opportunities for students. This gives students hands-on experience with planting and caring for trees, as well as the opportunity to learn about stewardship and how trees help improve stormwater management and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Greenbriar West Elementary School in Fairfax has been awarded the Friends of Trees Award for implementing a multi-phased tree planting goal. Led by Principal Andrew Blount, the school will plant a total of 38 regionally native trees on the school grounds with the help of students. Additionally, the school's plan incorporates details for tree care throughout the calendar year, including irrigation, pruning, mulching, and deer protection.
The planting events are incorporated into the school's initiatives and curriculum to maximize learning opportunities for students. This gives students hands-on experience with planting and caring for trees, as well as the opportunity to learn about stewardship and how trees help improve stormwater management and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Loft Ridge Homeowners Association’s (HOA) in Alexandria has been awarded the Friends of Trees Award for its commitment to improving tree canopy and maintaining ecologically sustainable common property. The HOA started its initiative by planting 25 trees in 2017.
HOA Board of Directors have demonstrated their dedication to their goal by replacing non-survivors and planting more trees throughout the HOA common property. In 2022 volunteers from the neighborhood planted an additional 54 native trees and shrubs. The HOA also has the ambitious goal of planting 24 street trees in the neighborhood.
The HOA's Board of Directors understand the ecological benefit to preserving a healthy tree canopy and have demonstrated its steadfast commitment to protect, preserve, and expand this community asset through recognizing the importance of sustainable land management and preservation of native species. The HOA hires professionals to improve its landscaping practices, develop and pursue a multi-year tree assessment and maintenance plan, and actively mitigate invasive plant species that threaten native habitat.
The Great Falls Citizens Association (GFCA) has been awarded the Friends of Trees Award for its work to protect and preserve the large trees along Georgetown Pike in Great Falls.
In recent years, the population of Great Falls has more than tripled, and new housing developments have threatened to clear-cut these trees. In response to this threat, the GFCA launched a tree inventory project in early 2022 to collect data of tree species, size and health. Led by the President of GFCA, Bill Canis, and the heads of the Environment and Parks and the Land Use and Zoning Committees, over a dozen volunteers surveyed the mature trees within 20 feet of the pavement.
The inventory is already being used to protect the canopy along Georgetown Pike threatened by two new residential developments. A copy of the inventory is also being provided to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for its use in monitoring tree health for safety issues.
Margaret Fisher and Heidi Allen are a recipients of the Friends of Trees Award for their commitment and ingenuity in creating the Tree Rescuers volunteer opportunity. This initiative allows residents to save trees on private and public lands by cutting non-native invasive vines and freeing trees and supporting healthy wildlife habitat.
Fisher and Allen worked with Fairfax County Park Authority Invasive Management Area (IMA) Program staff to create a sub-category volunteer opportunity called Tree Rescuers. They created information sheets, helped manage volunteer sign-ups and in the field trainings and therefore took a huge load of work from staff in this process.
Fisher and Allen also compiled a Tree Rescuers webpage with key information and helpful tools, such as training videos to identify native and invasive vines. The Tree Rescuers webpage has been a valuable resource for volunteers and homeowners alike.
Cathy Ledec is a recipient of the Friends of Trees Award for her instrumental role in saving natural resources and local ecosystems through tree advocacy, including community education, civic testimony, and county-wide planting projects.
For more than 20 years, Ledec has participated in and led numerous conservation projects including, but not limited to:
Cathy also served the community in multiple roles including on the Mt. Vernon Environmental Council, advising the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors; the community advisory group for Fairfax County’s Community-wide Climate Action Plan; six years on the Fairfax County Tree Commission; and served as a mentor to others.
Ledec approaches every project with enthusiasm and tireless effort: she does not hesitate to speak out and speak often; she seeks organizational partnerships to help expand her volunteer efforts; she researches and understands county policy and does not hesitate to speak to elected officials or agency directors and staff on the subject of trees and natural resources and she never stops learning and sharing that learning with others.
Girl Scout Troop 5532, led by Kelly Wevley, has been awarded the Friends of Trees Award for the ambitious goal of planting 25 regionally native trees on the school grounds at Washington Irving Middle School in Springfield.
The troop's multi-phased planting project, which began in the spring of 2021 and was completed in the fall of 2022, included deer protection, pruning, mulching, and irrigation to minimize potential stress for the trees.
This initiative gave the Girl Scouts hands-on experience with planting and caring for trees, as well as the opportunity to learn about stewardship and how trees help improve stormwater management and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Justice High School in Falls Church has been awarded the Friends of Trees Award for implementing a multi-phased tree planting goal.
Led by Sharon Ponton and the school’s Eco Club, the school is planting 23 regionally native trees on the school grounds with the help of students. Additionally, the school’s plans incorporate details for tree care throughout the calendar year including irrigation, pruning, mulching, and deer protection.
The planting events are incorporated into the school's initiatives and curriculum to maximize learning opportunities for students. This gives students hands-on experience with planting and caring for trees, as well as the opportunity to learn about stewardship and how trees help improve stormwater management and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Stantec Consulting, in particular designers Megan McCollough and Daniel Malone, have been awarded the Friends of Trees Award for their commitment to protecting trees while meeting Fairfax County’s requirement to improve stream water quality.
The design team, led by McCollough and Malone, went above and beyond to contribute design solutions at each of the design milestones, refining the tree preservation measures as the stream design advanced and resident priorities became better defined.
Their work on a recent project for Fairfax County illustrates innovative practices and the value of combining multiple best practices in an integrated manner. Practices included a combination of tree protection fencing, tree wrapping and root barriers, as well as a design that protected existing tree canopy and installed trees to replace those that were lost. In collaboration with County staff and the Hollin Hills Civic Association (landowner), the design team implemented several innovative measures to protect the existing tree canopy and enhance the restored landscape.
Walt Whitman Middle School in Alexandria is the recipient of the Friends of Trees Award for the ambitious goal of planting 33 regionally native trees on school grounds. The school, led by Latasha Watson, STEAM Resource Teacher; Jessica Fish, Biology Teacher; and Chris Tippins, After School Specialist, implemented a multi-phased planting plan with the help of students.
Additionally, the school’s plans incorporate details for tree care throughout the calendar year including irrigation, pruning, mulching, and deer protection.
The planting events are incorporated into the school's initiatives and curriculum to maximize learning opportunities for students. This gives students hands-on experience with planting and caring for trees, as well as the opportunity to learn about stewardship and how trees help improve stormwater management and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Taylor Beach is the executive director of Fairfax ReLeaf. Fairfax ReLeaf, an independent, non-profit organization of volunteers who plant and preserve trees, improve community appearance, and restore habitat on public and common land in Northern Virginia. Fairfax ReLeaf also serves as a practical laboratory for assessing techniques to lessen the impact of development. Since she came to the helm, Taylor alongside many eager volunteers, has planted over 75,000 tree seedlings, maintained previously planted trees, removed invasive plants, and educated the greater public.
Under her direction every year, Fairfax ReLeaf averages 800 volunteers, totaling at least 2,000 volunteer hours. That is an incredible accomplishment!
When the Waples Mill Elementary School Science, Technology, Art, Music, and Philanthropy committee (known as STAMP) decided to plant native trees as a community service project, Taylor transformed children of all ages, abilities, languages, and experiences and their parents into tree planters. Many had never planted a tree or dug a hole in the ground with a shovel. Everyone left the session full of pride in their accomplishment of planting close to one hundred trees.
Taylor has provided tree seedlings and organized sessions for Cub Scout packs and Girl Scout troops. She has mastered the ability to capture the attention of children as she teaches them the importance of trees, and the damage done by invasive plants. Taylor is highly committed to tree conservation and environmental best practices. She is knowledgeable, helpful, and patient. She has done an outstanding job in expanding the tree canopy in Fairfax County.
Since 2017, Will Friedman has consistently focused his efforts on tree planting and preservation projects.
He saw the need for trees at his school, Carl Sandberg Middle School. In 2019, with help from his teacher, he applied for and was awarded the Fairfax County’s Tree Preservation and Planting Fund. He organized classmates and community volunteers to plant 12 large shade trees at the school. Will went on to launch an effort to plant trees at 20 additional Fairfax County Public Schools.
Will’s efforts to support trees were not stopped by the pandemic. Far from it. He helped Arcadia Food plant 72 fruit trees that will provide food for their Mobile Market that visits food deserts in our area. Will also utilized Weed Warrior training to save trees in his neighborhood from non-native invasive vines. To inspire others, Will and his mother produced a video of how easy invasive vine removal is on their Nextdoor neighborhood social media site.
Will also delivered public testimony at a Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors Public Hearing defending a remarkably large swamp chestnut oak from destruction by the construction of a transportation corridor at Huntley Meadows Park. His testimony helped convince the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors to protect the tree and remove the proposed conceptual trails from the County’s plans.
Master Naturalist, Monica Perz-Wadington, was the organizer behind a series of tree plantings at schools in Lee District. She achieved the buy-in of teachers and principals to organize tree plantings in collaboration with Fairfax County Urban Forest Management and Fairfax County public School administration.
The students enjoyed getting their hands dirty while learning how to plant and care for the trees. Through this opportunity they learned how they can become stewards of trees and our environment.
Ms. Perz-Wadington was engaged with the students and even performed a song she wrote with her guitar for each occasion. She demonstrated environmental action through education and planting. Her initiative will impact generations to come.
George Mason University – Engineers for International Development (EfID)
In the spring and fall of 2020, Urban Forest Management Division collaborated with George Mason University Engineers for International Development (EfID) for several tree planting projects across the County including: Fairfax County Government Center, Lakeside Park, Bull Run Elementary School, and Mason District Government Center.
Their role at the Bull Run Elementary School planting was integral since they were able to help when students were not able to participate due to the pandemic.
Thank you to the hardworking team of EFID and President Caleb Hanneman for your dedication and environmental stewardship.
In the spring and fall of 2020, Urban Forest Management Division collaborated with Fairfax County Public Schools. At Crestwood Elementary, children planted several trees on a hillside to help with erosion and provide shade to classrooms.
During a tree planting event at Forestdale elementary, children learned how important proper mulching is to help support new trees.
At Lynbrook Elementary, staff and students dug deep to make a perfect home of these saplings.
Teamwork at Westlawn Elementary helped to find a perfect home for this tree. Thank you to all the Fairfax County elementary school children for your contribution to increasing Fairfax County’s tree canopy!
Nestled in central Fairfax County, Hickory Farms Community Association maintains over 15 acres of urban forest and five acres of urban open space to benefit the community and other Fairfax County residents. There are multiple forested areas within the community that is maintained and improved through the hard work of the community members with the active support of the Hickory Farms Community Association Board of Directors.
Commencing in 2017, the HFCA board approved funds to hire a company that provides low-impact land clearing, bush hogging, and land management services. In Bamboo Grove (Upper Commons), after efforts to removing 3/4 acres of bamboo - native tree species (e.g., Virginia Cedar, Redbud, Tulip Poplar) have begun to grow in this area. Leading to nearly an acre of new native trees and flowering plants after management.
Upper commons “main island” was similarly cleared of invasive vines, vine-damaged trees, and non-native ground cover, and a small native-plant perennial garden was started. In 2018 and 2019, additional native plants were added by community volunteers.
The American Boxwoods in this location are perhaps 100 years old and stood next to the Gilbertson house that was on the property when it was purchased in 1972 to create Hickory Farms. Vines were beginning to cover the boxwoods and climb up the cedars' trunks. After removal of invasive plants, the area now is thriving with access to more sunlight and less competition.
After numerous removals of tree of heaven, vines and other invasives were removed from area many mature trees are thriving. Native plantings were done in the lower commons along with an Eagle Scout project to install a bench.
2021 Friends of Trees Award Ceremony
The Tree Preservation and Planting awards have been combined with the Friends of Trees Awards. Historical information about past Tree Preservation and Planting winners can be found at the link below.