In the News: Richmond kicks off Cool the City campaign
VPM, April 21, 2025
by Patrick Larson
The City of Richmond is celebrating Earth Day by throwing a party — specifically, one that kicks off its Cool the City campaign.
Cool the City is a five-year greening and capacity building project, funded by a $6 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. It’s based on years of planning, outreach and research on the part of the city and partner organizations.
You can plant a lot of trees with millions of dollars — and that’s part of the plan. But there’s more to it.
“I think that people see a lot of tree work happening but they don’t understand why, and so it’s our job to help to explain that work to those that don’t understand or know the benefits of trees,” said Southside ReLeaf Co-founder Amy Wentz.
Southside ReLeaf is one of four nonprofits helping the city put the grant money to use, alongside Groundwork RVA, Happily Natural Day, and Virginia Interfaith, Power and Light.
One of the project’s goals is to get more people involved in greening the city; Southside ReLeaf will host informational sessions and workdays where people can learn about how trees can improve health outcomes.
