Downtown Tree Mapping
In 2025, the Tree Team received an inventory and assessment project from the Buena Vista Tree Board. As a newly-formed civic group, the Board needed an accurate assessment of the trees currently in Buena Vista to begin its work.
The Tree Board was particularly interested in assessing the blocks from Forest to Maple Avenues and from 21st and 25th Street. Given this expansive area, the Tree Team split up into four small groups. On their assigned blocks, the interns identified tree species using a Virginia tree identification book. They also assessed each tree's health and whether it was native to the region, along with its potential hazards (buckling sidewalks) and benefits (shade) for the surrounding community.
To digitally map and record information for each tree, the interns used an app called Field Maps, which had been customized for BV Cool Trees by Lauren Doran and Kentrell Richardson at the Green Infrastructure Center in Charlottesville. Over the course of just two mornings, the interns were able to inventory and assess 93 trees!
To see the digital map, click here or on the image at right.


