We are very excited to announce that the first acre in our Re-Leaf the Reserve program has been planted! This preliminary host site is on a working farm in Dickerson, Maryland alongside the Little Monocacy River. So not only are the new trees providing carbon sequestration and habitat, but they are also preventing erosion. 

Among the native trees chosen by our expert Re-Leaf Coordinator Carole Bergmann (founder of the County's Weed Warrior program and recently retired forest ecologist for the county) were red maple, sycamores, river birch, red bud and black willow. The trees came from Schotts Nursery and we had help installing them from the Seely family of  Gardens by Garth. Funding for these gorgeous native trees and professional help came from the Montgomery County Planning Department and specifically from the Forest Conservation Penalty Fund. Learn more about that here.  

Check out the pictures below. We've identified another 80 acres of sensitive Ag Reserve acreage to reforest. Site visits will start soon and planting will begin in the fall. With your help that is just the start. Learn how you can help out here. Or - learn how you can get discounted trees for your downcounty property here. 

High schoolers to farms on a perfect spring day. Brilliant! 
What connections and understanding of well-produced food and fiber can be fostered through meeting producers and seeing their craft first hand? PLENTY! Huge thanks to our education program director Joyce Bailey, of Shepherd's Hey Farm, Greg Glenn of Rocklands Farm Winery, and MCA's president Gene Kingsbury, 5th gen owner-operator of Kingsbury's Orchard.