THE LEAFLET

Communities are powerful and so is the value a greenspace can provide when strengthening and nurturing communities. While each and every one of our plantings are special, there is something poignant about working with various community members and partners to bring trees to a widely loved space and help add beauty, benefits, and a secure sense of place and caring.

With that in mind, we saved one of the best for last – our last weekend Community Tree Planting of 2019! Pairing up with indispensable Arbor Day Foundation, railroad giant CSX, and frequent friend DPR, we were thrilled to be a part of adding much-needed trees to Virginia Ave Park in Southeast. 

Virginia Ave Park certainly has a lot going on – it’s bound by I-395, CSX’s brand new, Virginia Ave tunnel, and various residential streets. This community treasure boasts a dog park and community garden and now 30 additional trees!

The trees will provide shade to the walkways, dog park, and other areas of the park to increase diversity, invite pollinators to and from the community garden, incorporate color into the landscape with spring flowers and fall colors. After years of fighting for the renovation of the park, the community, which has grown significantly in the past couple of years, will finally have a place to walk, play, run, and enjoy the outdoors in a beautiful space. We were humbled to team up with other dedicated folks to play a small role.

CSX and Arbor Day Foundation have a long history of working together to reach shared sustainability goals and enhance and benefit the communities that CSX serves. Being an environmentally sustainable transportation option and stewards of the planet is an important part of what CSX offers — and those values clearly extend into their work in the community.