NATIVE TREE AND SHRUB PLANTINGS
A very happy seedling emerging from the top of a 5' tall shelter.
Protecting large, mature trees to make sure they live long, healthy lives is critical. Their long-term environmental benefits are hard to immediately replace. But it's also important to plant new seedlings, as native plants struggle to naturally regenerate in areas where they face competition from invasive species.
With the help of contractors and volunteers, the Rivanna Conservation Alliance has planted more than 1800 native trees and shrubs to restore the canopy of the riparian buffers in the urban corridor of the Rivanna River. The plantings are completed when the seedlings are still dormant (late fall and early spring) and with tube shelters, to help improve their chances of survival. The shelters they are in protect them from damage by deer (eating, and rubbing), and machinery (mowers).
The tops of the taller shelters are covered with a net to protect birds and other wildlife from getting stuck inside. When the trees have grown to the top of the shelters, this netting is removed. The shelters themselves will also be removed when the trees are large enough to fill the tube. This can take as little as 5 years, depending on how fast the trees grow.
The seedlings are cared for in a shared effort by employees of organizations in the partnership, and volunteers. This maintenance includes cutting down other plants that may be growing in or around the trees, picking up fallen tubes or stakes, removing nets, and counting dead seedlings. These are later replaced in a round of replanting, which constitutes the additional planting lists you may see listed below.
SPECIES LISTS BY PLANTING LOCATION
Darden Towe Park
Currently 510 trees across
4.6 acres of park land.
Free Bridge
Currently 210 trees across
1.2 acres of public land.
Pen Park
Currently 620 trees across
11 acres of park land.
Riverview Park
Currently 470 trees across
7.4 acres of park land.
Last updated on February 2nd, 2026.