Save Our Trees helps protect Annapolis urban tree canopy
“Once you see it, you can’t unsee it!”
Susan Wheatley is speaking of great cords of English ivy wrapped tightly around the trunks of trees in our yards, our neighborhoods, and our parks. English ivy is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Instead of an innocent and lovely cascade of shiny green leaves, when you see a tree wrapped in ivy, you’re seeing a tree fighting to stay alive—a tree being suffocated by that English ivy.
The non-profit organization, Save Our Trees began almost three years ago as a small band of determined Annapolitans who decided to do something to rescue the County and City’s beautiful trees, both young and old, from invasive vines. The group began organizing volunteers to meet at local parks to simply free the trees—to cut away the murderous bands of English ivy vines.
Armed with shovels, sheers, and determination, Susan Wheatley, Ginger Woolridge (co-author of Essential Native Trees and Shrubs for the Eastern United States: The Guide to Creating a Sustainable Landscape), Terri McKenna, Nina Fisher, and Mary Ann Marbury gathered friends and neighbors in Truxtun Park where they began cutting ivy away from the boles (bases) of the park’s trees. Ivy grows rapidly, clings to a tree’s bark, holding in moisture that rots a tree’s skin and allows ticks and other insects to take up residence—bad for the tree and for humans too. As the ivy climbs the tree, it chokes the branches, preventing leaves from growing or photosynthesis from taking place. Eventually, the tree starves or suffocates. The simple act of cutting away the ivy at a tree’s base kills all the ivy on that tree and gives the tree a chance to recover and grow.
The initial gatherings of volunteers in the park led to more volunteers and more brigades of ivy-hunters! Save Our Trees (SOT) now has more than 400 volunteers. Almost every weekend there are gatherings in community parks where eager volunteers continue this simple and important work. Broadneck Peninsula resident, Brian Gugerty is the organization’s “super volunteer.” He has organized tree battalions of committed ivy-hunters that tackle English Ivy throughout the Peninsula. He’s turned the task into a series of popular family outings. “We can do something tangible, this one simple task, cutting invasive vines off trees, saves trees. ‘Tangible’ results encourage folks to help,” Brian observes. “It’s easy to volunteer and in 10 to 15 minutes learn all you need to know to have an impact.”
Annapolis’ Urban Forester, Brian Adams has worked closely with SOT to get the word out that our area’s wealth of trees need protection. Annapolis has a “Canopy Goal” of 50 percent by 2050; that means half the city’s streets, sidewalks, and residents will enjoy the protection of native trees. SOT is determined to meet that goal by 2040. The canopy’s coverage now stands at 43 percent, and that’s moving up dramatically with trees being rescued and new trees planted every week. And since 2022, SOT has rescued over 6,000 trees. Their goal for the 2024–25 season of work is an additional 5,000 trees. (Volunteer teams gather most weekends for 9–10 months of the year. The group doesn’t work among the trees in the heat of summer when ticks are widespread, and heat and humidity make it too dangerous to work outdoors.)
How are they planning to achieve such an ambitious goal? SOT’s motto is “Act, Educate, Advocate.” Think about whose future depends on clean, cool air—young people! SOT recognizes the importance of encouraging young people to see the tree canopy as theirs, a legacy they’ll pass along to the next generation. Anne Arundel County’s young men and women are joining the fight to rescue and restore the tree canopy. SOT works with students at two high schools, Annapolis and Broadneck. They hope to add more County high schools. Students regularly volunteer to spend a day working in the parks. Recently, 42 students from Annapolis High School spent a day rescuing city trees.
To expand their outreach and provide an umbrella organization, SOT joined with Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA). The organization focuses on restoring the region’s waterways. As part of that goal, WSA has planted over 254,000 native trees and plants since 2009, a good fit with SOT’s goal of protecting and expanding the area’s tree canopy.
Everyone involved with Save Our Trees is dedicated and energized by their work and their successes. Mary Ann Marbury points out: “What’s so wonderful about what we do…this is so easy; it’s do-able. Save one tree!”
Save Our Trees is eager to meet with more groups to explain the simple and safe activity of rescuing trees. The group’s co-founders are always looking for opportunities to speak at Community Association meetings, at the public libraries, and before Homeowners Associations. They’ll speak to any organization concerned about protecting trees; SOT members want to explain to potential volunteers what is needed and how the work is done, and if they’re invited to speak to your group, they’ll help organize and host the first Ivy-Hunt event.
Contact Save Our Trees via their web site saveourtreestogether.org.
