Casey Trees is a Washington, DC based nonprofit. Established in 2001, they are committed to restoring, enhancing and protecting the tree canopy of the nation’s capital. To fulfill this mission, they plant trees, engage thousands of volunteers of all ages in tree planting and care, provide year-round continuing education courses, monitor the city’s tree canopy, and develop interactive online tree tools. Since inception, Casey Trees has played a significant role in assisting policy makers and residents to foster the growth and maintenance of our urban forest to ensure we reach our equitable development goals and improve climate resilience. Casey Trees has an organizational focus on Wards 5,7 and 8, prioritizing the enhancement of tree canopy and the health and resiliency benefits it provides to disinvested communities in the District.
Buena Vista Terrace is a site owned by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development. With the partnership of the City and other organizations, this site would be an ideal home for a Sacred Place. Casey Trees has a conservation easement on the site, enabling this Sacred Place to overlay goals of environmental restoration and healing. This would be Nature Sacred’s second site with Casey Trees, and offer pathways to future projects utilizing more of Casey Trees’ easements as potential Sacred Places. Community leaders in the area have instigated a process of revitalization at the site, enlisting the DC Department of Transportation to remove hazardous trees and other vegetation on the site. Community members have long been advocating for this space to be turned into a gathering space, and have begun using sidewalk art to visualize their goals for the site, hoping to turn it into a place for meditation and healing.
