To celebrate Earth Day, VCN staff joined our Partners from Friends of the Rappahannock to plant 750 trees at Bell Isle State Park.

To celebrate Earth Day, VCN staff joined our Partners from Friends of the Rappahannock (FoR) to plant 750 trees over 6 acres of Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster County. A variety of trees, funded by Our Public Lands and Arbor Day Foundation, were chosen for their value as native, ecologically beneficial species for the region.

Friends of the Rappahannock are working towards their goal of 50,000 new trees planted within the Rappahannock River watershed this year. Trees play a vital role in helping natural filter water and keep our streams and rivers healthy.

Planting native trees helps our environment and our community by:

• Sequestering carbon to improve air quality;
• Regulating temperatures in our urban environments;
• Increasing property values in our neighborhoods;
• Catching and filtering polluted stormwater before it enters our local streams;
• Stabilizing soils and stream banks in order to prevent erosion; and
• Providing valuable forage and habitat for fish and wildlife.

Thank you to FoR for having us help you reach your tree planting goal!