FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2024

Buena Vista, VA (April 2024) – The momentum continues to build in Buena Vista with a significant stride towards enhancing the local environment. This week city leaders announced receipt of a three-year grant to increase the tree canopy within City limits. Secured through a first-time partnership between Boxerwood and the City of Buena Vista, the $93,000 award from the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) sets the stage for the “BV Cool Trees” Initiative.

The goal of the new project is to promote the economic and ecological well-being of Buena Vista by planting more shade trees across public and residential spaces.  This competitively awarded  endeavor requires no financial contribution  from either the City or Boxerwood, and is entirely funded by the Urban and Community Forest Program/VDOFand federal IRA funds, heralding a new era of sustainable growth for the Buena Vista community.

“It’s an honor to be selected for this project,” said Tom Roberts, Buena Vista Community Development Director, who worked closely with Boxerwood in developing the application. “This is the win for the City as well as its citizens and youth.” Emphasizing the unique fusion of green infrastructure upgrades (the tree planting) with civic engagement, Roberts highlighted the multifaced nature of the initiative. “That approach is the Boxerwood piece especially,”  Ihe remarked, underlining the project’s dual focus on tree-planting and education/workforce development components.

Through a professionally crafted paid youth internship program designed and led by Boxerwood, local teenagers will have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to their community for at least the next two summers. Elise Sheffield, Boxerwood’s Education Director, elaborated on the opportunity, saying, “We’re in the process of hiring ten PMHS teens for 3 weeks of work in June this summer, and we’re getting some great applicants.”

Operating from the heart of the community at the Ramsey Center on Magnolia Avenue, the teens will work with Boxerwood and the City on outreach initiatives.  Additionally, they will  receive career mentoring from green professionals, and of course, plant and tend some of the project’s native trees. Sheffield underscored the significance of this engagement, noting, “Many of the PMHS interns grew up participating in Boxerwood’s nature-based programs as part of their school day so it’s exciting that we can now work side-by-side with some of these teens in their own desire to help the Earth and their community. This project brings the Boxerwood earth care mission full circle.”

While Boxerwood is providing both education and administrative support, technical guidance is provided by the Green Infrastructure Center (GIC) in Charlottesville. As part of a pilot project for VDOF, the GIC  will help develop the City’s tree planting and maintenance plan, with all associated costs paid directly by VDOF. Selected because of the Boxerwood partnership, this collaborative approach solidifies Buena Vista’s position as a trailblazer in sustainable development.

The project goal is to have at least 250 more native trees thriving in Buena Vista soil by the end of 2026. Beyond enhancing aesthetics, these trees offer myriad benefits to the community, from mitigating stormwater runoff to providing vital wildlife habitats. Sheffield emphasized, “This project is a win-win in so many ways,” underscoring the additional positive impact of trees on both physical and emotional well-being.

As Boxerwood and the City of Buena Vista embark on this transformative journey, Sheffield expressed gratitude to City officials and Buena Vista City Public Schools for their unwavering support and partnership. With the unofficial motto, “Bloom where we are planted” guiding efforts for the “BV Cool Trees” initiative, she noted, “Boxerwood is really looking forward to working with the youth and citizens of Buena Vista on this valuable project in the months ahead.”

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