Plantings for the Piedmont - The Piedmont Environmental Council

Top illustration by Nick Garnhart.

Have you seen the ribbon of green growing along a stream, edging fields and mountains with vibrant life? What you are looking at is a riparian buffer, an essential part of our ecosystem in Virginia’s Piedmont.

Riparian buffers are the vegetated areas along rivers, streams, creeks, and other waterways. These areas are one of the most effective means of protecting water quality throughout the Chesapeake Bay. With healthy riparian buffers, we can ensure the water we drink throughout the watershed is clean and can be a sustainable resource for future generations.

aerial of volunteers planting trees along a stream

Numerous programs across our nine-county region provide free technical assistance, project design, materials, and labor for the planting of native trees and shrubs in riparian zones on qualifying properties.

Find My Watershed

Plantings for the Piedmont Programs

Three people stand along the banks of a stream. Behind them, the field is covered with tree saplings protected by plastic tubing. — *PEC staff work with a landowner on a tree planting project along a stream in Fauquier County. Photo by Hugh Kenny*

PEC’s Plantings for the Piedmont programs are an effort to provide free technical assistance, project design, materials and labor for the planting of native trees and shrubs in riparian and upland zones on qualifying properties within the headwater counties of the Potomac, Rappahannock, and York River watersheds.

What is Covered by These Programs?

These tree planting programs, including the Headwater Stream Initiative and the Potomac Planting Program, help to cover 100% of the costs associated with technical assistance, project design, materials and installation, as well as three years of paid maintenance, for riparian buffers and upland (agricultural) tree planting projects.

Download printable Plantings for the Piedmont Program handout

Regional Programs

Headwater Stream Initiative

The Headwater Stream Initiative is a joint project of The Piedmont Environmental Council and Friends of the Rappahannock …

a green tree tube with surrounding trees tubes in a field during a planting event

Potomac Planting Program

The Potomac Planting Program includes properties in the Potomac River watershed of Clarke, Loudoun and Fauquier counties …

James River Buffer Program

Our partners at the James River Association, Virginia Department of Forestry, and Chesapeake Bay Foundation are working with landowners across …

Volunteer Tree Planting Opportunities

Plant trees with our Plantings for the Piedmont Program! Since 2021, Plantings for the Piedmont has directly restored about 79 acres of riparian buffers and 3 acres of upland forest in the Rappahannock and Potomac watersheds by planting about24,000 trees. Immeasurable volumes of aquifers and downstream ecosystems are positively impacted by this collaborative effort. Each spring and fall, volunteers are invited to help plant trees along waterways across the Piedmont. Send an email to Lea Justice at [email protected] to be notified of our next planting or with any questions.

View other volunteering opportunities with PEC. →

Latest Articles

Riparian Buffers

Riparian buffers are vegetated or forested transitional zones between land and water resources, such as streams, rivers, lakes, ponds or wetlands …

February 11, 2026 | PEC | Clean Water, Plantings for the Piedmont, Tree plantings

Fall Tree Planting Volunteer Opportunities

We are so excited for our three volunteer tree plantings this fall! Planting native trees and shrubs along streams, rivers, and ponds – also known as riparian buffers – is a way to help clean …

September 5, 2025 | PEC | Aquatic & Riparian Area Restoration, Clean Water, Headwater Stream Initiative, Loudoun County, Plantings for the Piedmont, Potomac Planting Program, Potomac River, Rappahannock County, Tree plantings

Two people smile at the camera, holding a sign that says "Native Tree Plantings"

Plantings for the Piedmont: A Team Effort

It was a brisk morning in late January as I stood with a Fauquier County landowner. We leaned against a fence at the end of the site visit, discussing the coming tree planting projects at …

June 18, 2025 | Linnea Sherman | Managing Your Land, Plantings for the Piedmont, The Piedmont View, Tree plantings

Free Native Tree Giveaways This Spring!

This spring, PEC is partnering with Friends of the Rappahannock to give away over 600 native trees in Leesburg and Aldie! …

April 3, 2025 | Linnea Sherman | Plantings for the Piedmont

Plantings for the Piedmont applications open for 2025-2026

See if you are eligible for FREE assistance to plant and maintain trees on your property. Applications for Plantings for the Piedmont are open for 2025-2026 …

December 9, 2024 | Linnea Sherman | Aquatic & Riparian Area Restoration, Clean Water, For Wildlife & Fish Habitat, Managing Your Land, Plantings for the Piedmont, Restoring Wildlife Habitat

Partnership for the Ages

The Hellmanns are glad to know that their corner of the world will remain intact — a place where generations to come can enjoy the native wildflowers alongside Bear Trail, the hardwoods they plan to …

July 3, 2024 | Faith Schweikert | Albemarle County & the City of Charlottesville, Clean Water, Conserving Land, Land Conservation, Plantings for the Piedmont, The Piedmont View

Call for Volunteers: Upcoming Tree Plantings in Rappahannock County

PEC works throughout the year on private and public property to plant trees and shrubs to establish or improve riparian buffers. This fall, we are hosting two volunteer tree plantings in Rappahannock County …

October 24, 2023 | PEC | Clean Water, Plantings for the Piedmont, Rappahannock County, Tree plantings

This May, Orvis Giveback Days Will Raise Money for The Piedmont Environmental Council’s Tree Planting Program

During the month of September, when you shop at your local Orvis store in Arlington, Leesburg or Tysons Corner part of your purchase goes to support local land and water conservation efforts! For every purchase …

September 1, 2023 | PEC | Plantings for the Piedmont, Tree plantings, Ways to Get Involved

a group walks from a farm house through a grassy field

A Walk Along Cedar Run

Earlier this month, friends new and old joined us for the 20th Annual Bluebell Walk: Benefits of Beavers, Birds & Battling Invasives for Native Biodiversity along the banks of Cedar Run in Catlett, VA …

April 26, 2023 | Maggi Blomstrom | Cedar Run, Clean Water, Fauquier County, Julian Scheer Fauquier Land Conservation Fund, Plantings for the Piedmont, Tree plantings

Volunteer Spotlight: Felix Kontanis and Jennifer Dorrer

Each spring and fall, PEC welcomes dozens of volunteers who get their hands dirty and their feet muddy helping us plant native trees and shrubs along streams on private properties. We caught up with two …

March 22, 2023 | Sophia Chapin | Fauquier County, Plantings for the Piedmont, The Piedmont View

PEC’s work on riparian buffers is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, which promotes community-based efforts to develop conservation strategies to protect and restore the diverse natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay.