Posted October 29, 2025

 ~ Arbor Day Ceremonial Planting and Tree City USA Recognition with Mayor Avula November 8 ~

Richmond, VA – The Department of Public Works (DPW) invites residents to celebrate the beauty and importance of trees during Richmond Tree Week, November 1 – 8, with a call to action to plant, protect and appreciate trees. Richmond Tree Week is a collaborative effort with over 30 events hosted by many City departments and community organizations, coordinated by Reforest Richmond.

In conjunction to celebrating tree week, the department is announcing the launch of its first-ever Urban Forest Master Plan, a visionary roadmap to protect, expand, and enhance the city’s tree canopy. Developed in collaboration with community stakeholders and a multi-disciplinary consultant team, the Richmond Tree Plan will include strategies to help maximize benefits from the ecological, economic, and health advantages of a thriving urban forest. 

Key goals of the Richmond Tree Plan include:

• “Right Tree, Right Place” for the proper tree species selection for the site and maximizing urban heat mitigation
• Objective based tree maintenance and preservation through modern urban forestry policies
• Create a publicly accessible tree canopy assessment and track canopy change over time
• Expand outreach and education about tree stewardship and the benefits of trees

Public engagement is key to the development of the Richmond Tree Plan.  Join DPW’s Urban Forestry Division and partners at Weston & Sampson at one of the pop-up events below. Stop by, meet the team, enjoy refreshments, get creative with a tree-inspired craft, and discover how the Richmond Tree Plan is growing the city’s canopy.  

Events include:

1. Pop-Up: Wednesday, November 5 from 7 – 9 a.m.
   GRTC Downtown Bus Transfer Station

   808 E Clay Street, Richmond, VA 23219

2. Pop-Up: Wednesday, November 5 from 4 – 6 p.m.

   Broad Rock Community Center
   4615 Ferguson Lane, Richmond, VA 23234

    

3. Tree Storytime at Richmond Public Libraries

   November 1 – 8

   For schedule details, go to Kids Programming - Richmond Public Library

4. Cool the City Crafternoon at Abuelita’s

   Thursday, November 6 from 4 – 6 p.m.

   6400 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23225

   Join the Cool the City coalition for a fun afternoon of crafts, trees, and delicious food from Abuelita's. There will be a tree giveaway, tree-related crafts, information on Cool the City and the Richmond Tree Plan, and did we mention — delicious food from Abuelita's

    

5. Arbor Day Ceremonial Tree Planting with Mayor Avula & Tree City USA Celebration

   Saturday, November 8 at 9 a.m.

   Chimborazo Park (in the front semi-circle)

   3215 East Broad Street, Richmond VA 23223

    

   Mayor Avula will join community members, volunteers, partners, and employees for the annual ceremonial tree planting event in the park. This year marks Richmond’s 34th year being recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, highlighting the city’s long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability and stewardship.

    

   Approximately 50 volunteers are expected to take part in the tree planting portion of the event. There will be 95 new trees planted in the park over a two-day planting effort. Note: Pre-registration is required to participate in the volunteer planting portion of the event, please register at https://events.cbf.org/treeweek.

    

The culminating event is hosted by DPW’s Urban Forestry Division, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the Friends of Chimborazo Park. 

Learn more at rva.gov/public-works/urban-forestry or email AskPublicWorks@rva.gov

We’re Social! For updates on DPW-related projects, activities and events visit us on X @DPW_RichmondVA

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The City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is one of only 195 currently accredited public works agencies in the United States. DPW’s portfolio comprises a wide array of services to include leaf collection; street, sidewalk and alley maintenance; trash collection; recycling; grass cutting; graffiti removal; parking enforcement; urban forestry; street signs; traffic signals and pavement markings and civil engineering. In addition, DPW issues permits for working in the city’s right-of-way; manages Main Street Station, the RVA Bike Share program. DPW’s operating budget comes from the general fund of the City of Richmond.  For more information about DPW services, click here or call 3-1-1

The Richmond Tree Plan is funded by a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the largest award in Virginia for urban forestry. This major federal investment underscores the city’s leadership in sustainability and equity-driven urban canopy management. Richmond’s Department of Public Works Urban Forestry Division is leading the plan, with support from the Office of Sustainability, the Department of Parks and Recreation, Groundwork RVA, Happily Natural, Southside ReLeaf, Virginia Interfaith Power, and Light, and other community partners.