What if we told you that you could get your strength and cardio workout in, spend time along the beautiful James River, and be a part of growing a forest all at the same time?! Well, we have a deal for you! The James River Association is looking for volunteers to help us water about 40 trees this summer on Chapel Island in Richmond, VA.
In Spring 2021, JRA along with volunteers, planted 480 trees on Chapel Island, a hidden gem of Richmond’s James River Park System. JRA is grateful for the 25 volunteers who gave 108 hours of their time to get the job done! This project was made possible by generous financial support from DuPont who provided funding for JRA to work with Virginia Forestry and Wildlife Group to remove 4 acres of invasive shrub species, and the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Trees for Clean Water initiative that provided funding for the 480 trees. Most of these trees were bareroot seedlings, but about 40 of them were container trees, which need a little more TLC to make it through our hot Richmond summers.
The first year of a tree’s life is critical to its survival, so we will be watering these trees all summer long to ensure they make it through. We are looking for folks to come down on select Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5pm until 7pm from June-October to assist JRA staff with watering these trees. So if you are looking for a beautiful place to get some exercise, soak up some Vitamin D, and help us grow a healthy native riparian forest, sign up for a slot here.