Anne Little may have functioned as the city’s proverbial arboreal grand marshal for nearly the past two decades, but her accomplishments with Tree Fredericksburg are rooted in a legion of volunteers.
“We couldn’t have done it without everybody,” Little said Thursday morning, during Fredericksburg’s 37th annual Arbor Day celebration. “You can lead a parade, but if you turn around and nobody’s there, it ain’t happening.”
During the celebration, Little and her husband Carl were honored for their contributions to the city of Fredericksburg through Tree Fredericksburg, the organization Anne founded over 17 years ago.
Maggie McCormick, the co-chair of Arbor Day, City Arborist Bicknell Robbins and community members gathered in Maury Park — the home of the first nettle oak tree that Little planted in 2008.
Since that first sapling, Little has helped plant over 10,000 trees in the Fredericksburg area.
A poster shows the location of various trees planted by Tree Fredericksburg. (Photo by Martina Nicholson)
Tree Fredericksburg board chair Frank Widic said that, to date, the organization has given away “over 60,000 native trees and shrubs helping restore our environment.”
The Littles’ dedication to maintaining the presence of trees around Fredericksburg has not been an easy task. However, Little describes it as a “labor of love”.
“What makes me the most proud of what we’ve done is bringing the community together to work on restoring our urban forest,” she said.
According to Robbins, 46% of the city’s current tree canopy was planted by Tree Fredericksburg.
“It’s been my honor for the last two years to sit at their feet and learn from them and be mentored by them,” Robbins added.
Little looked back to a 2005 tree study group that included David Dorsey, Jeanette Cadwallender, Widic, Eric Nelson and members of the city staff. Since that starting point, a growing cast of community members, service workers and mayors have come together to be a part of the tree planting process.
City Councilor Jannan Holmes said that the Littles are on a “short list” of people whose call for volunteers she’ll answer without hesitation.
“Because we start on time, we’re given a clear mission, there’s good safety, and we end on time with something accomplished,” said Holmes, who attended on behalf of Mayor Kerry Devine.
“I’ve personally looked to Anne and Carl as a, you know, beacon of mentorship throughout the Commonwealth and also Nationwide,” said Molly O’Liddy, the urban and community forestry partnership coordinator with the Virginia Department of Forestry.
According to Holmes, Fredericksburg has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation and will continue to be a city where trees are being planted.
For their past, the Littles are transitioning from planting trees to creating more educational opportunities by connecting schools and students to environmental opportunities. Anne Little is also planning to run for city council in November.
