Tree Planting Near Harrisonburg

OVERVIEW

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) will be planting a riparian buffer on a farm in Rockingham County on Saturday, November 16th. Planting trees and shrubs (i.e. a buffer) is critical to reducing runoff into streams, and the efficacy of reducing runoff is well established. In short, helping plant this buffer helps the stream itself, and everything downstream!

We will be planting on Mr. J. Owen Long’s farm on the Dry Fork, which feeds into the Smith Creek and into the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. The Dry Fork drains part of the City of Harrisonburg and flows north into the Smith Creek. It all drains into the Chesapeake Bay, and what we do up here in the headwaters areas benefits all those that live downstream. Remember, we all live downstream from somebody, and somebody lives downstream from us! For more info on the Smith Creek watershed, go to this link for some great info: http://www.shenandoahrcd.org/SmithCreekWatershed.htm.

Volunteers should bring a sun hat, sun screen, work gloves, and bug spray. Optional tools to bring: a spade shovel that you can identify with marking or initials. Wear long pants and sturdy shoes that can get wet and muddy. Volunteers are also asked to bring a packed lunch. Light refreshments will be provided.

Outdoors@UVa will provide gas + tip. Drivers, be sure to come with full tanks. We’ll stop at a gas station in Charlottesville when we return, and I’ll get signatures and receipts then.

The head contact for us is Robert Jennings (with CBF), and has asked people to respond by October 31st. Because I know students don’t always have their schedule together two weeks in advance, I asked if we could get back to him closer to the planting. Sign up by midnight Thursday (aka Friday at 00:00:00am)!

Word on the street is that JMU is bringing 25 students. Let’s show up in their backyard with a larger presence. Talking smack about who can plant more trees is optional.