Tree Rescuers Volunteer Education Program
Join our Northern Virginia program of community volunteers
to help save our native trees from invasive non-native vines!
Please note: This is a public education program to inspire others to control invasive vines. To volunteer to do the actual vine removal, please see this page.
Interested? Watch a video
-
2 minute intro or 8 minute intro
-
Introductory webinar (37 minutes)
Then
Sign up here
And check out the handbook
Does it make you sad to see trees smothered by vines?
You can do something about it!
This is a very easy volunteer opportunity. All you need to do (after watching the video and reading the instructions) is
-
* Walk around counting trees at risk from invasive vines
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* Drop off brochures (which we will mail you) for the landowners to alert them to the problem
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* Report back to us
See the Tree Rescuers Handbook for complete instructions
Note: Don't cut the native vines!
Our native vines seldom injure trees and are an important food source for birds.
Look carefully before you cut!
What if you want to also help clip invasive vines?
There are many organizations that need volunteers to do this. These groups are well set up to train you and ensure safety. Events take place year round and always need more help. In many situations you may work independently on your own schedule as well once you are on-boarded. See the list here.
Natives commonly
seen in the wild
Natives less commonly
seen in the wild
Older summer grape stems are a rich brown. The shaggy bark peels in long strips (unlike Porcelain Berry, which is more gray and peels in squares)
Older summer grape stems are a rich brown. The shaggy bark peels in long strips (unlike Porcelain Berry, which is more gray and peels in squares)
An excellent vine for the garden
The flowers are smaller and more compact than Asian Wisteria. The seed pods are smooth, whereas Asian seed pods are fuzzy.
An excellent vine for the garden
How to ID invasive vines (and one climbing shrub)
Click on each photo to go directly to the plant, or click here to view all the species.
Within each species link, click on the photos to enlarge them.
Need a cheat sheet? The text below is summarized on this page that you can print and carry with you. And here is a longer version.
Need more help? We might be able to tell what the vine is from photos, if they are detailed enough. Send well-focused, original size photos of the plant as a whole and closeups of leaves, stems, flowers, berries - whatever is on the vine at that time - to treerescuers@gmail.com.
Our goal:
4000 rescues by 12/2022
Residential Properties
-
572 alerted
-
3047 trees at risk
Non-residential
-
1617 acres surveyed
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18,333 trees at risk
Since 9/1/2021, as of 5/13/2022
Oriental Bittersweet vines
.