Do Trees Matter?

Of course they do! With National Arbor Day this week, it seemed like a great time to share Virginia Beach’s “Treeport Card.” Did you know the City has over 3 million trees? And apparently money does grow on trees because the tree canopy equates to over $263 million in savings and benefits each year!

• Property Value: $117M increase per year
• Stormwater runoff Reduction: $84.6M in benefits per year
• Energy Conservation: $34.3M in savings per year
• Air Quality Improvement: $18.4M in benefits per year
• Carbon Dioxide Reduction: $9.1M in benefits per year

The Treeport Card breaks down how we fare in categories like vegetative resource, community framework, and resource management. And this year, our overall grade was a B! We’re proud of the efforts our Landscape Management Division has made to contribute to the growth of the city's urban tree canopy and its benefits.

Going forward we aim to to utilize technology (LIDAR imagery) to carry out imagery analysis during assessments, plant new trees, preserve mature plantings on public properties, and maintain neighborhood trees through the Cyclical Residential Tree Maintenance Program. With a city as large as ours, collaboration with educators, residents and volunteers is also very important!

Ways You Can Get Involved

1. Donate

Support the Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Foundation’s Tree Buddies program which plants beautiful native trees in our parks and other municipal properties. Tree planting includes a plaque bearing your own dedication, and it’s maintained for up to 10 years.

2. Contribute

Help towards Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Foundation’s Urban Tree Canopy Fund which finances tree plantings and tree preservation efforts along roadway and on other city properties. Email landscape@VBgov.com for details.

3. Educate

Get involved with the Virginia Trees for Clean Water program through Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation in partnership with Virginia Beach City Public Schools. This environmental education program is designed to engage 4th and 5th grade students about the importance of trees in their communities with low Urban Tree Canopy scores. Email landscape@VBgov.com for details.

4. Plant a Tree

One the most powerful ways to make a difference for our environment is to simply plant a tree in your own backyard. This increases your property value, air quality, and saves energy to improve your home and community.

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Learn more about Urban Forestry at VBgov.com/trees

Read the full State of the Urban Forest Report