NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk City Council announce on Monday a major tree-planting initiative in the city coordinated by Friends of Norfolk’s Environment (FONE) and largely funded by Bank of America and the Arbor Day Foundation.
The organizations will use $60,500 that was donated to establish five new Living Legacy Groves at Southside STEM Academy, Poplar Hall Park, Sarah Constant Beach Park, Little Creek Elementary, and Community Beach Park.
Living Legacy Groves are planned groupings of trees and other native plantings on City of Norfolk property. Across all five projects, volunteers will plant over 200 native trees and hundreds of shrubs, grasses, and perennials.
Bank of America donated $50,000 to the project, and $10,500 of the funding came from private contributions.
Volunteers and Department of Recreation, Parks and Open Space (RPOS) Forestry and Conservation Division staff will start install trees during the Fall 2019 and Winter 2020 planting season.
“We are thrilled to partner with FONE and the City of Norfolk on this initiative, which highlights both our commitment to environmental stewardship and our deep roots in Coastal Virginia,” said Charlie Henderson, Hampton Roads Market President for Bank of America.
Since the Celebrate Trees initiative was established in 2010, 13 Living Legacy Groves have already been planted throughout Norfolk. The RPOS Forestry and Conservation Division maintains the trees.
The groves are a key part of the City’s resilience strategy to increase the tree canopy to mitigate impacts from stormwater, tidal surge, and provide clean air and water.
Below are the tree planting event dates, scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon:
- October 18: Southside STEM Academy, 1106 Campostella Road
- October 26: Little Creek Elementary, 7901 Nancy Drive
- November 2: Poplar Hall Park, 101 N. Military Highway
- November 9: Sarah Constant Beach Park, 300 W. Ocean View Avenue