About Us
Our Mission
To restore and maintain a vibrant urban forest in the City of Fredericksburg
Who We Are
Anne and Carl Little moved to Fredericksburg in 2002. Anne had a native plant landscape company, Through the Garden Gate. Anne & Carl wanted to help plant a few trees in the park next to their house. They gathered the neighbors and got permission to plant 17 trees in 2007. The next year they planted 58 trees in another park. The third year they planted 200 trees and Tree Fredericksburg was born. Tree Fredericksburg was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2008. Tree Fredericksburg has planted over 9,000 trees along the street, in the parks and at the schools in the city of Fredericksburg and has given away thousands of trees to residents to plant in their yards. Tree Fredericksburg has educated over 75 Tree Stewards to work with residents – teaching them about trees and the value of trees to our city.
Anne and Carl Little, Tree Fredericksburg Founders
Board of Directors
Frank Widic Michael Roberson
Anne Beals Rebecca Hanmer
David Dorsey
Awards
Scenic Virginia Special Recognition Tree Program – 2009
Board of Directors
Frank Widic
A 30-year resident of Fredericksburg. A retired Air Force Officer and a retired local business owner. His community service includes membership on the Boards of Historic Fredericksburg, Past President of the Darbytown Civic Assoc., former member of Fredericksburg Clean and Green Commission, and past chair of the Green Committee. He is a certified Tree Steward.
Anne Beals
Former member of the Board of The Central Rappahannock Regional Library. Member of the Rappahannock Valley Garden Club, Garden Club of Virginia. Former board member of Tri-County/City Soil & Water Board and past owner of Oakley Farm.
Nick Cadwallender
Michael Roberson
An award winning, nationally recognized interior designer, Michael Roberson moved to Fredericksburg after retiring in 2015. A Tree Steward and also a member of the Green Committee. A member of the Main Street Downtown Design Committee.
Rebecca Hanmer
Rebecca Hanmer came to Fredericksburg in 2007 after a career in environmental management at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and international Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. She chairs the Forestry Workgroup at the Chesapeake Bay Program and is active in several conservation organizations.
Our Story
Tree Fredericksburg was established in 2008 by Anne and Carl Little to restore and maintain a vibrant urban forest in the City of Fredericksburg.
Over the years, Tree Fredericksburg has partnered with the City of Fredericksburg Department of Public Works and Department of Parks & Recreation to plant more than 8,500 trees in the city. We also advocate to preserve the natural forested areas and the greenways within the city.
Today Tree Fredericksburg continues to add to Fredericksburg’s urban forest. We provide education on tree planting and maintenance to the public and educational programming to the city’s schools.
Making an Impact
Back in 2008, our first project was planting 17 trees in Maury Playground to give shade to the kids as they played. This is how the park looked before trees were planted around the playground.
Today Maury Playground is full of mature trees that provide ample shade and aesthetic beauty to the park. Tree Fredericksburg’s efforts today mean beautiful trees for generations to come.
In 2016, the city needed 175 trees planted along the Heritage Trail. Here’s what the trail looked like before the planting.
Tree Fredericksburg volunteers planted trees along the trail providing a new buffer between the street and the trail.
Today the trees have grown since 2016, providing shade and a larger buffer with the road. In the future, these trees will provide a large canopy for pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy.