Garden Club of America Zone VII Project
Co-chaired by James River Garden Club &
The Tuckahoe Garden Club of Westhampton
Project Coordinator: Meg Turner
Start Date: March 20, 2018
The James River Park System (JRPS) is 650 acres of natural habitat spanning the fall-line of the James River in Richmond, Virginia. Millions of visitors (est. 2 Million/Yr.) use the network of trails that pass through this unique urban wilderness. Invasive plant species have been documented as an extreme threat to the native tree canopy, shrubs, and ground cover growing throughout the JRPS. To combat this threat, and to best leverage the work of many stakeholders and supporting non-profit organizations, an invasive plant task force was formed in April of 2015. Since then, the JRPS Invasive Plant Species Task Force (the “Task Force”) has conducted an invasive plant inventory of the entire park, led by botanists from environmental engineering firm VHB and assisted by experts from other conservation organizations. Using data from the inventory, the Task Force has prioritized four distinct areas/units of the JRPS to concentrate invasive plant removal.
The Low Line
Great Shiplock Park
14th Street Initiative
Capital Trees traces its origins to the Garden Club of Virginia, an organization focused on the thoughtful planning and planting of trees. In 2010, four Richmond area clubs including Tuckahoe Garden Club, whose members include arborists, horticulturalists and landscape designers, came together to study the environmental and civic benefits of enhancing urban landscapes. The team soon identified multiple places in Richmond where there was an opportunity to create or improve green spaces. From these local roots, Capital Trees was born.
To this day, Tuckahoe Garden Club remains involved with Capital Trees planting bulbs, trees, removing weeds and other invasive plants. We have been involved with our time and expertise with Capital Trees three signature projects all located near the James River.