The City of Falls Church Public Works Department, Urban Forestry Division, is working with the Virginia Department of Forestry and researchers at Virginia Tech who are undertaking a study of trees and forests in the City this summer, beginning this month. The purpose of the study is to collect information about the health, composition, and function of trees in Falls Church to help improve the protection, management, and utilization of this valuable natural resource.

Over the next few weeks, Virginia Tech researchers will measure trees on numerous private and public properties throughout the City. Researchers will contact owners of parcels to request permission to access the property to measure the trees in advance. Once approval is obtained, researchers will measure the height and girth of individual trees and their distance to nearby buildings. Using field data collected, the researchers will then estimate the abundance, composition, and condition of Falls Church City’s urban trees using a software program called i-Tree Eco.

For more information contact Benjamin Thompson, city arborist, at bthompson@fallschurchva.gov or 703-248-5183.