By James
On Monday, June 24th, the Tree Team had the opportunity to Zoom with Lauren Doran, Professional Landscape Architect and Conservation Programs Manager at the Green Infrastructure Center – or GIC – in Charlottesville.
Ms. Doran explained how the Green Infrastructure Center works with towns and communities to help them make decisions about their green infrastructure. ("Green infrastructure" refers to natural elements – like trees – that protect against flooding and extreme heat while improving air, soil, and water quality.) The first step in this process is mapping. This is because the GIC needs to get an idea of if an area needs more trees or not. They do this by identifying where trees already are and where new trees can be planted. They also examine where trees cannot go, such as a ball filed or a parking lot.
The GIC is actually working with Buena Vista as part of the BV Cool Trees project. They have already mapped the City, and we learned that 44% of Buena Vista is covered in trees. Ms. Doran explained that the goal of any GIC project is not to get 100% tree coverage in any given location, but to figure out how many more trees will benefit the community. In addition, the GIC will not be in charge of planting Buena Vista's new trees, but will instead be helping the City to set useful goals for tree planting.
This conversation helped us learn just how much planning and communication is needed for a large project like BV Cool Trees. We are looking forward to seeing how the Green Infrastructure Center will benefit our town and our trees.
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