‘Tree rescuers’ sought for Roundtree Park
Friends of Holmes Run encourages local residents to become “tree rescuers” by removing non-native vines that are damaging the health of mature trees.
FOHR invites the community to a “free the trees” event at Roundtree Park on Tuesday, March 1.
The organization has teamed up with Plant NOVA Natives and the Fairfax County Park Authority on a five-year campaign to train community volunteers to identify at-risk trees in parks and neighborhoods and free them from invasive vines.
This two-minute video explains how to become a tree rescuer.
You don’t need any special training to participate in the March 1 “free the trees” event at Roundtree Park on Annandale Road. Meet at the parking lot by the tennis courts at 9:30 a.m.
Bring a pair of garden loppers or clippers and gardening gloves. Wear long sleeves, long pants, and sturdy shoes. FOHR plans to repeat this activity every Tuesday in March.
It’s important to rescue trees smothered by non-native vines, such as English Ivy and Wintercreeper, because the vines undermine a tree’s ability to fulfill its role in the ecosystem and eventually cause the tree to topple
Visit the Plant NOVA Natives website to learn more about the Tree Rescue program, watch a 37-minute training video, and sign up to be a qualified tree rescue volunteer. You’ll then be able to organize a tree rescue effort in your neighborhood.
Tree rescuers look for trees inundated with non-native vines in neighborhoods and talk to the homeowner or leave a brochure explaining how the vines hurt the tree and how they can be removed.
They also take a census of at-risk trees so Plant NOVA Natives can inform policymakers about the extent of the problem.
For more information about the Roundtree effort, or in case of inclement weather, email f[email protected].
4 responses to “‘Tree rescuers’ sought for Roundtree Park”
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Important issue along Braddock road between Backlick and Ravensworth. Numerous vine covered trees are probably going to crash on vehicles or a house before county mitigates.
Popo, et al – If you can do it, join the effort by becoming a tree rescuer! It’s very satisfying to save the trees. As for the Braddock Road stretch you are referring to… Alas, the problem is so widespread that the county does not have the resources to address this problem by itself, so it must rely on volunteers. It would be helpful if the county could hire enough ecologists, though, to help plan the attack; the national norm is having something like 1 ecologist per 1,000 acres of parkland to manage natural resources, but our park authority has only 5 for something like 17,000 acres. Nor is that the type of expenditure that a park bond referendum can cover; personnel costs come from the main county budget. Someone told me the county spends something like less than 1 percent of its budget on parks. The FCPA needs some love!
Many thanks to the volunteers who joined this effort. Many thanks also to volunteers who engage in other parts of the struggle to control invasive exotic species causing so much decline of native habitat in our parks and natural areas.
I want be part of the County tree Rescue