Are trees really a cure-all?  Let’s do a quick check:

• • Air quality. Trees serve as living filters, swapping out carbon dioxide for oxygen.
  • Water quality. Tree canopies soften impact of hard rains; their roots also hold the earth and uptake pollutants. They restore streams.
  • Wildlife habitat:  It’s way more than bird nests. Trees help life flourish through myriad energy transfers and food webs. Their branches, leaves, flowers, seeds and nuts help animals thrive both on land and in water.
  • Climate regulation: Trees draw excess carbon from the atmosphere and store it; their summer shade cools cities and streams; they even facilitate rain, releasing water vapor for clouds and life-giving precipitation.

Trees do everything but make the world go round — and if you value beauty and serenity, they’ll do that too. Mighty oaks, delicate dogwoods, all those sweet smelling cedars: it’s hard to imagine Rockbridge County without our trees.

The greater the number of trees in Rockbridge, the greater the benefits — especially if we plant natives.

Species like redbud, sycamore, white oak, and persimmon co-evolved with native insects, birds, and animals. In an interdependent world, these native species need and help each other.

Planting trees helps Rockbridge manage environmental challenges with resiliency. But resiliency also depends on people. For this reason, our planting projects have a dual purpose. We plant trees to protect the places we love and to strengthen communities.  It might be quicker to hire outside groups to plant trees, but that’s not the point.

The point is to bring local people together on a bright blue day for shared learning and action. Community tree-planting projects can bring out the best in us as we dig and plant on literal common ground. COREworks tree-planting projects by design bring youth, families and civic groups together for this important work.

In the end, planting a new forest together is more than just about the trees. It’s about tending the roots that connect us to one another and the land. From these roots, all good things flourish.