Fall is a great time for planting most anything - but particularly a forest. We are excited to once again work with our partners at Montgomery County Planning" Reforest Montgomery  and contractors Gardens By Garth. Shown here 400 trees on 2 acres leafing out nicely for Fall. This season's planting will be 4 acres, and another six acres next year. With this Spring's efforts we will be planting our 5000th tree through our Re-Leaf Program!
There are a number of ways to get involved in reforesting stream buffers in the Ag Reserve:

• Sign up to host a forever forest with an easement and planting on your property
• Volunteer for planting or aftercare of the trees
• Give a thoughtful and clutter free gift with a Re-Leaf Honor Card sent to your loved one. 
• There are tree programs for downcounty residents too. 

​Fall Re-Leaf the Reserve planting is underway! 
First of 3 sites being planted by our contractor Gardens by Garth on 1.5 acres of upland ground near Barnesville. Mixed native deciduous and evergreen trees from Schott Nursery are good sized 5-7 feet and will have 6 months to establish root systems before summer’s heat kicks in.

The property owner seeks to slow stormwater, provide habitat and wind break, and sequester carbon.  Further great news: The Reserve farm will also host a new farmer who moved from Massachusetts to produce regeneratively grown table crops.

3rd graders from a MC school learned about the value of trees and how getting messy in soil is both fun and good for you. JOY!

Cheers to all that attended the Re-Leaf the Reserve Program Launch. With a backdrop of 200 trees on Re-Leaf's first acre along the Little Monocacy, Gwen Wright from Montgomery County Planning heralded the "beginning of a beautiful relationship" - recognizing MCA and her own staff members for taking the program from an idea to trees in the ground in just a few months, cutting through the paperwork to work at the speed befitting the warming climate we face. 

But- this is just the beginning. While one acre planted is the equivalent of taking 17 cars off the road, we have much bigger goals. MCA has identified 80 acres of stream-adjacent land in need of similar reforestation.  You can be part of this program! Sign up to host trees or help with planting here.  Downcounty residents can take advantage of programs to reforest their properties too. 

Amy Seely was there to represent Gardens by Garth who ably planted the trees. 
President of the Town of Poolesville Commissioners Jerry Kolbukowski and planning staff members Robert Kronenberg and Mark Pfefferle were also in attendence. Thanks to all that were there to witness the start of a new forest!

Our ED Caroline Taylor gives the 6 minute explanation of Re-Leaf the Reserve on My MC Media's Week in Review.

Where to next? 
How the Reserve can Fight Climate Change
​Poolesville High School Visits Local Farms

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.