Our Mission: To enhance the quality of life through the stewardship of our Commonwealth’s urban and community trees.

Above photos: Delaney Long

Nansemond Indian Nation

Canoe Cypress Log

Above photo: Taken by Heather Gargano

The Virginia Department of Forestry's Urban Wood Program was honored to partner with the Urban & Community Forestry team and Saunders Lumber of Suffolk for the acquisition and delivery of a large cypress log to the Nansemond Indian Nation at Mattanock Town, located near Suffolk, VA.

The log, which is 16 feet long and almost ten feet in circumference, will be used for the Tribe’s dugout canoe outreach education programs. The Nansemond Indian Nation exemplifies dedication to environmental resilience and education in the community.

Finalizing

a Tree Preservation Plan

Above Photo: Mary Ann Hansen, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org

Trees Virginia Board Member and arborist Keith Pitchford walks us through 5 important factors that must be considered when finalizing a tree preservation plan:

1. Species tolerance to root loss
2. Percentage of critical root zone lost
3. Tree condition
4. Seasonal timing of root loss
5. The number of "sides" impacted around the tree

Thank you Keith, for sharing your decades of expertise with us! Read on to learn about his quantitative approach that has proven impactful and effective.

Virginia Honors its Legacy Oaks! 

Above Photo:

Thomas Harrison Middle School White Oak- Harrisonburg, VA

Photo taken by Virginia Department of Forestry

 In the fall of 2024, teams of Virginia Department of Forestry personnel and community members collected acorns from some of Virginia’s most historic oaks to grow seedlings of these iconic trees for the 250th celebration of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 2026. Very special places such as Virginia Tech’s Stadium Woods, James Madison's Montpelier, and Cypress Bridge Swamp supplied the acorns for this very special program. These one-year-old oak seedlings are now available for purchase at the DOF’s on-line seedling store which can be found at: https://buyvatrees.com/

Use the drop down menu and search for hardwoods>oaks>legacy white to purchase your piece of history! 

Additionally, the 2026 DOF wall calendar features many of the historic oaks from across the Commonwealth, some of which supplied acorns for the legacy tree program. Calendars can be obtained at your nearest DOF field office.

Note: Any photo/image without a credit source listed in this newsletter is sourced from Constant Contact stock images.

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