In a flurry of recent developments, the City of Buena Vista continues to advance its multiple tree initiatives through a multi-year community collaboration. Funded by a 3-year award from the Virginia Department of Forestry and secured by Boxerwood, the goal of BV Cool Trees is to strengthen the urban canopy in the City while also increasing citizen engagement and youth service-learning. Now in its second year, the initiative realized several milestones this spring. In the past six weeks, project activities have resulted in several completed tree-planting projects (including the largest so far on the SVU hillside); the creation of the City’s fist citizen Tree Board; government proclamation of Arbor Day; increased capacity at the project’s BV tree nursery and the hiring of fourteen PMHS interns to advance project goals this summer.

 “These forward strides could not be possible without ongoing collaboration between the City and public and private entities,” said Elise Sheffield, Boxerwood’s program director and administrator of the BV Cool Trees project. “In fact,” she added, “these outcomes are the fruit of a highly productive partnership.” Key to success, she said, is the can-do approach of the City, with ongoing support from the office of community development and director Tom Roberts. “Trees bring many benefits,” said Sheffield, “and city leadership is championing that. In addition to helping with erosion, stormwater, and cooling, well-tended trees bring beauty and vitality to downtown areas. It’s exciting to see the City endorse and advance this good work.”

The $93,000 project has enabled Boxerwood to provide educational and technical expertise at no cost as well as purchase trees and materials. The SVU planting, for example, arose after Boxerwood-facilitation between SVU staff, students, and University leaders. “The mission of our non-profit to educate and inspire people of all ages to become successful stewards of the Earth,” she said, noting how this earthcare mission dovetails with community needs. “The grant enabled us to provide the SVU trees without cost, and getting the college students involved in planting increased their stewardship commitments,” she said. This spring Boxerwood also provided additional tree-planting opportunities for all Buena Vista 4^th graders, who potted up almost one hundred native seedlings for the project’s grow-out nursery located at Enderly Heights ES. The project also anticipates another hundred trees for the nursery with upcoming help from PMMS students. PMHS Ecology students, meanwhile, helped plant four new river birches in front of City Hall this month, as part of the City’s long-planned landscaping improvements. These larger trees were also purchased with grant funds, which come from the both state and federal (IRA) sources.

Tree-planting, however, is only part of the project. Equally important, said Sheffield, is building citizen support and understanding for these green infrastructure initiatives. To that end, the Buena Vista City Council formally created the City’s first Tree Board last month. Common in many municipalities, this advisory group is tasked with community tree stewardship. Appointed for staggered terms were: Krista Carter, Ron Cash, Teresa Ellison, Sam Hirt, Tim Petrie, and Michelle Poluikis; with non-voting, technical advising provided for the duration of the grant by Boxerwood Garden Steward and professional arborist, Karen Stanley.   During the same April 25 meeting, City Council also adopted the City’s first Arbor Day proclamation, noting the value of tree for economic and societal benefits, and urging “all citizens to plant trees to gladden the heart and promote the well-being of this and future generations.” The annual recognition of Arbor Day along with an active Tree Board are two essential steps toward Buena Vista earning recognition as a “Tree City USA,” said Roberts, explaining that designation opens up future funding opportunities and benefits. “We’re very pleased by the progress of this partnership,” he said. Roberts anticipates additional tree plantings and even a community tree give-away this fall.

Sheffield too is optimistic. “We just finished recruiting BV youth for a second season of paid summer employment with the project,” said Sheffield, “and the interest among teens was phenomenal.” Grant funds are able to support 60 hours of work/learn opportunity for fourteen teens this summer, but demand for the positions was almost twice that, she said. “Many teens are ready to make a difference for their hometown,” she said, “we’re really grateful resources from the state as well as the federal IRA funding have enabled us to create this opportunities with the Buena Vista.” For more information about the project, visit the project website, www.bvcooltrees.org/. Property owners within the City interested in planting more trees on their land can also register their interest at this site.

What makes for a great musical collaboration? Even beyond skill or finesse, we might say listening comes first. That’s certainly been the case for Boxerwood’s ongoing collaboration with the City of Buena Vista. Following close work with the City over the last several years – in which both partners have listened to the needs, resources, and creative capacity of the other – Boxerwood secured a new urban forestry grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry to fund BV Cool Trees – an initiative to plant 250+ trees in Buena Vista over the three years. 

Through this tree planting, the project is specifically designed to strengthen civic engagement and youth service-learning. The City’s new trees will soak up rain, prevent erosion, cool down hot city streets, and beautify downtown, all at no cost to residents. In other words, some generative new harmonies have emerged from this close mutual listening. 

Most recently, Boxerwood staff worked alongside Buena Vista Director of Community Development Tom Roberts to establish the City’s first Tree Board – a group of seven BV citizens who will assist the City in the long-term planning, planting, preservation, and maintenance of trees. Boxerwood’s own Garden Steward, Karen Stanley, will advise the board during its launching period as a certified arborist. 

The collaboration continued bearing fruit as BV proclaimed its very first Arbor Day on April 25, 2025. The festivities included a planting of four river birches as part of the new landscape design for Buena Vista’s City Hall. Native to our region, the birches were purchased as part of the BV Cool Trees initiative. They were planted by Parry McCluer High School students in Jessica Moala’s Ecology class – who have worked closely with Boxerwood Program Director Elise Sheffield since the fall – and Karen Stanley helped to facilitate the planting.

Listening might seem to be passive, but as Boxerwood and Buena Vista have shown, it can be deeply active, collaborative, and fruitful. Listening can even make new things grow.

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