Alexandria City Council member Paul Smedberg, Northridge Civic Association President Jeanne Snapp, Mayor Allison Silberberg, Tree Stewards Jane Seward and Lynn Gas and Council member Del Pepper at the Alexandria Beautification Awards. Alexandria Beautification Commission photo.

Tree Stewards Jane Seward, Lynn Gas, Meghan Rainey and their neighbors in urban forestry deserve rousing accolades for greatly improving their Northridge-Beverly Hills districts by conceiving and leading a project to have 139 trees planted in yards in their neighborhood. The massive project was a hit with homeowners and a “tremendous”success that earned them a 2018 Green Practices in Beautification Award from the City of Alexandria in ceremonies on Oct. 16.

The three homeowners enrolled in training by Tree Stewards of Arlington and Alexandria to understand and forge a course of action to address tree canopy decline in the rolling hills of their neighborhoods.

Going door-to-door with sleek brochures showing a plan to add mainly Oaks and Black gum trees to the landscape, these Tree Stewards of Arlington and Alexandria turned dismaying talk about tree loss into action with a positive outcome. They are true champions of trees on a scale rarely seen in already-beautiful neighborhoods.

Through bulk buying and planting agreements, they negotiated favorable terms for the new tree installations. Working through their civic associations, they advised owners of new trees about tree-watering requirements (25 gallons a week for their large-caliper trees unless it rains 1.5” inches in the previous or near-forecast week.) Note to tree owners: Buy a rain gauge.

Jane, Lynn, Meghan and their neighbors are exemplars of action trumping griping. Their drive to change the scene for the better should be a model for every Tree Steward, and every one of us in Northern Virginia. Here is a brilliant, award-winning way to improve the environment that is economical and brings communities together.

“Jane and I are so hoping other neighborhoods will take it on. We can be so helpful and save others so much time as we can help them avoid some of the mistakes we made,” Lynn said after the awards ceremony in the Lyceum.

We turned out for their amazing tree delivery, also celebrated by Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg. Tree Stewards again salute our tree heroines for all they do to promote, plant, and protect the trees that we and our neighbors cherish.

Well done, Tree Stewards and residents of Northridge and Beverly Hills! We are incomparably proud of your work and our mutual association!

Here’s  a glimpse of tree-delivery day.

Large container-grown trees arrived by flatbed in Alexandria’s Northridge neighborhood on Sept. 22, 2017 for planting in residential lots. Photos by Jo Allen

Tree Stewards involved in helping guide Jane Seward and Lynn Gas, center, in adding new trees to the yards of their neighbors turned out with others to watch as the 139 trees were unloaded.

Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg listens as Tree Steward Lynn Gas, center, with Tree Steward Jane Seward, thanks their civic association leaders and many others for supporting their effort to add canopy trees to their Northridge neighborhood and adjacent Beverly Hills.