The Urban Forest Alliance, a small neighborhood group that banned together in 2020, is joining forces with the FACA in the mission of protecting our precious tree canopy and greenspaces through education, restoration, advocacy, and community. Some of the projects we have undertaken during the past year-and-a-half include:

• Clearing weeds and invasive plants from Fairfax County land at the intersection of Birch Road and Lorraine Avenue; and planting a native garden there, for all of FP&F to enjoy
• Sponsoring a native plant giveaway at the 2021 Franklin Park Halloween Parade
• Creating a beautiful UFA website (www.urbanforestalliance.org)
• Supporting the “Reforest the Forest” project, which sells trees to FP&F neighbors at significant discounts, and then expertly plants them
• Writing and distributing periodic newsletters to neighborhood homes
• Organizing several weedings, with assistance from FACA members, on the strip of land between Vermont Avenue and Old Dominion Drive
• Educating ourselves and others interested in learning about native plants, creating meadows in one’s yard, supporting honey bees, and more
• Organizing a series of yard walks, so that people could see the many different approaches to planting and caring for the trees, flowers, shrubs, and bushes in the neighborhood
• Engaging a Tree Steward to lead about 30 neighbors on a walk to learn about some of the exceptional trees here in FP&F, and how to protect them
• Creating a display for theDolley Madison Library, with brochures from Plant Nova Natives, as well as other display materials, which was on view for the month of September
• Developing several activities to conduct with the students at Chesterbrook Elementary School, which the UFA hopes to implement in the coming year

Let’s all aspire to be Neighbors Helping Neighbors to keep our community Healthy and Beautiful.

Maureen O’Donnell
Co-Founder