Singing in Harmony: BV & Trees

What makes a great musical collaboration? Even beyond skill or finesse, we might say listening comes first. That’s been the case for Boxerwood’s ongoing collaboration with the City of Buena Vista. Following close work with the City over several years – in which both partners have listened to the needs, resources, and creative capacity of the other – Boxerwood secured a grant in 2024 from the Virginia Department of Forestry to plant 250+ trees in the City over three years – and promote civic engagement. Now in Year Two, we’re making great music together!

This spring, the project has not only facilitated several tree plantings – including an entire hillside on the SVU campus – it has also advanced green community infrastructure. Boxerwood educator Catherine Epstein, for example, worked alongside Buena Vista Director of Community Development Tom Roberts to help the City establish its first Tree Board – a group of six BV citizens who will assist the City in the long-term planning, planting, preservation, and maintenance of trees. Boxerwood’s own Garden Steward, Karen Stanley, will advise the Board as a certified arborist during the grant period. Educator Ginny Johnson, meanwhile, is taking the lead on increasing the number of native seedlings in the BV tree nursery, with help from local students.

The collaboration continued bearing fruit as BV proclaimed its very first Arbor Day on April 25, 2025. The City marked the occasion with the planting of four river birches as part of the new landscape design for City Hall. Native to our region, the birches were purchased as part of the BV Cool Trees initiative. They were planted by Parry McCluer High School students in Ms. Jessica Moala’s Ecology class, as part of ongoing watershed education activities with Boxerwood, with Karen Stanley helping to facilitate the planting.

Listening might seem passive, but as Boxerwood and Buena Vista are discovering, listening can also be deeply active, collaborative, and fruitful. Listening can even make new things grow.

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