Greening Southside Richmond
Addressing historic inequities by expanding Southside’s tree canopy through tree plantings, giveaways, and ongoing maintenance.
Volunteers plant a tree at Swansboro Playground.
A group of volunteers observe a tree planting demonstration at Hickory Hill.
Challenge
South Richmond has fewer trees than other, wealthier and whiter areas in the city due to a legacy of redlining. Without a robust tree canopy providing stormwater management and cooling benefits, Southside disproportionately experiences the urban heat island effect and flooding that impacts the quality and quantity of life for residents.
The Greening Southside Richmond grant through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund provided an opportunity to increase the tree canopy on both public and private lands through tree giveaway and tree planting events as well as to engage the community around the need for more trees in Southside.
We worked closely with community residents to ensure they were involved from day one and that we had community buy-in for the project.
A Southside resident receives two free trees as part of our Tree Giveaway.
“That’s really the only way for any project to be successful. We can’t just plant a tree or say we’re going to do a community garden and say that the work is done. It takes education, community engagement, and of course follow-up to make sure that young trees or any of these green spaces are able to survive and thrive.
With that education for the community we’re talking about all the wonderful things about trees and the benefits they provide, but we’re also looking at the historic context of how we got to this place and figuring out how as a community we can start to dismantle redlining and move toward a ‘greenlining’ process.”
Project Timeline
The work for the Greening Southside Richmond project took place between 2020 and 2022.
Our Partners
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Richmond Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities (PRCF)
Richmond Tree Stewards
Friends of Swansboro Park
Groundwork RVA
Richmond Community ToolBank
Results
Tree planting: We planted 100 trees at Hickory Hill Community Center and 75 trees at Swansboro Playground with volunteer support from small businesses, churches, community organizations, and youth groups. These planting locations were identified using the Climate Equity Index, which maps where green space is most needed to reduce heat and improve the health of residents, in collaboration with the city. The residents of the census tracts that include these parks are 86% African American and Hispanic.
Tree giveaway: We successfully gave away 400 trees across two different giveaways, one in 2021 at Hickory Hill Community Center and a second in 2022 at Southside Community Center. Residents were provided with planting instructions and received free tree delivery and planting assistance when requested.
Tree maintenance: In March 2023, we hosted a workday at Swansboro Playground in partnership with Richmond Tree Stewards to provide structural pruning on 75 trees to help with growth. As our co-founder, Sheri, was training to earn her Tree Steward Certification, she worked with the Richmond Tree Stewards to prune an additional 20 trees at Swansboro Playground. Groundwork RVA provided regular watering to all the trees that were planted as part of this project. We continue to maintain these trees today, hosting community workdays in the spring and fall, and working with PRCF and Richmond Tree Stewards for ongoing pruning.
New trees planted at Swansboro Playground to create much-needed shade.
Melissa and Sheri from Southside ReLeaf planting a tree at Hickory Hill.
Impact
The trees we planted at Hickory Hill Community Center and Swansboro Playground will reduce temperatures and enhance the air quality in the neighborhood as they mature. The shade and beauty provided by these trees are encouraging more neighbors to utilize these outdoor spaces, something that is proven to lower blood pressure and reduce stress. By giving away 400 trees that will become part of Southside’s canopy as they mature, the impact of the urban heat island effect will be reduced and there will be more trees to absorb stormwater when it rains, preventing flooding and supporting the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
This project provided us with an opportunity to expand our network as an organization and build new relationships with residents and community groups in the city. These relationships and networks laid the groundwork for future projects of even larger scope and impact. We were also able to build capacity as an organization and gain experience with the grant process.
As a result of the work we did during this project, Southside ReLeaf was highlighted in a short film Breathing Life Back Into Richmond, along with the work of other environmental advocates in the city. The film premiered at the RVA Environmental Film Festival.
Hear about the Greening Southside Richmond project from the partners who worked on it and the neighbors who are benefiting from our collaborative efforts to green Southside.
Ongoing Work
We continue to maintain the trees we planted at Hickory Hill Community Center and Swansboro Playground by hosting community workdays in the spring and fall, and working with PRCF and Richmond Tree Stewards for ongoing pruning. Recent maintenance work we’ve completed is outlined below.
On October 30, 2022, we partnered with the Richmond Tree Stewards to conduct a check-up on newly planted trees in Southside. Four volunteers provided maintenance to 75 trees.
On June 25, 2023, we hosted a workday and community cookout at Hickory Hill Community Center that supported the maintenance of 17 trees with the help of 15 volunteers.
On March 30, 2024, we partnered with the Greening Working Group to provide maintenance to 26 trees at Hickory Hill Community Center. Twenty-three volunteers assisted in the effort.
On June 21, 2024, we partnered with the Richmond Tree Stewards, Richmond PRCF's workforce development team, and 15 volunteers from HHHunt to provide maintenance to 40 trees at Hickory Hill Community Center.
A volunteer stands next to the tree he planted at Hickory Hill.