Local civic groups round out the year with another collaborative tree planting

Earlier this year, the Front Royal Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC), in partnership with the Front Royal Department of Public Works, Warren County Department of Parks and Recreation, the Front Royal Tree Stewards, and the Warren County Virginia Democratic Committee (WCDC), collectively won a $5500 grant from the VA Department of Forestry’s Virginia Trees for Clean Water program.

These funds were put to good use on December 10th, when members of each organization, along with community volunteers, braved a chilly morning to come together and plant 26 native trees in and around Lions Community Park, Gertrude E. Miller Community Park, and the Bing Stadium area here in Front Royal.

Volunteers celebrate the successful planting of the first tree of the day. 25 more to go!

Tree species planted included a diverse mix of natives known to tolerate suburban landscapes and benefit local wildlife: Red Maple “Autumn Blaze”, Nuttall Oak, River Birch “Dura Heat”, Bald Cypress, and Redbud.

Jim Osborn, Chair of ESAC and the Town’s Arborist, gives us an overview of the project: “Last year we were able to tap into this DOF funding pool to plant a handful of Willow Oaks around Gertrude E. Miller Community Park, in an effort to bring some nature and shade to the children’s playground area. The project went so well, and we received so much positive feedback from the community, that we decided to apply for funding again this year and go even bigger. We ended up planting more than four times the number of trees across the entire Lions-Miller-Bing complex, filling in open gaps, planning for the succession of some trees that will be aging out soon, and improving the natural aesthetics of an area that receives a lot of use by our community.”

Planting larger-sized trees means more hands on deck to get them into the ground, but it also means that we won’t have to wait as long to see them grow to maturity!

Justin Proctor, ESAC member and conservation biologist, reminds us why planting native trees is something we should all be doing more of: “Getting more native trees on our local landscapes is a win-win across the board. They provide shade during the hot summer months, help control stormwater runoff, create food and habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife, and clean our air. We can’t live without them, so let’s keep planting!”

For Paul Miller, Chair of the WCDC, trees help create a “sense of place”. “Any direction you look from our town, you are reminded that we are surrounded by some of the most amazing swaths of forests in the Mid-Atlantic. The health, beauty, and character of those forests is an element of Front Royal that we all can identify with. And so bringing that nature right into our town, by planting more trees where we recreate and spend time, is a perfect way for our community to show its ongoing stewardship of our local landscapes.”

It has been a busy year of planting here in Front Royal, and this final planting of the year is a feather in the cap for our local Tree Stewards. Melody Hotek, President of the Tree Stewards, is excited to close out the year with another successful event: “This past year has seen nonstop action in terms of getting more trees in the ground, building out new partnerships, and engaging more of our local community in environmental projects—and we love it! We already have a list of projects and events brewing for 2023, and encourage new faces to come join in all the fun and make some new friends.”

Volunteers take a breather after finishing planting the last tree of the day.

Keep an eye on the Tree Stewards website for information on more events coming up in the near future, all of which are open to the public.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this tree planting—it was a big success! And a special thank you to staff from the Department of Public Works that helped set the stage to make this event possible.

Remember—it’s not too soon to get excited about how great all of these new trees will look when they leaf out in the Spring!