Helping Fairfax County Park Authority Save its Trees

There are two ways to help clip invasive vines in FCPA properties.

  1. Work under an IMA leader by signing up for any of the Invasive Management Area program (IMA) group events. (These are not all events for saving trees - other invasive plants may be the target on any given day. Some events that are specifically about rescuing trees are listed on this calendar as ā€œHands-on Vine ID training and Tree Rescue.ā€)
  2. Become an FCPA Tree Rescuer and work on your own (or with a group of other certified Tree Rescuers). This is also the first step toward becoming an Invasive Management Area site leader with permission to lead groups on county-owned property and parks.
    IMA

Six Steps to Become a FCPA Tree Rescuer Volunteer

Please be aware that until you have completed all 6 steps you are not approved to rescue trees on county land without approved supervision.

Note: Learning about the plants will have a lot more meaning to you if you already have at least a little hands-on experience with invasive plants. Events are held throughout the year, many of which can be found at the links above. You are encouraged to attend as many group training sessions as you want at any time (and bring a friend!)

Also note: This also applies to properties owned by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, if you give the staff two weeks notice before starting work. Notify these three emails: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

(Use the Fairfax Jade Map to determine property ownership)

  1. Sign up as a FCPA Tree Rescuer
    1. Please do this even if you are a volunteer with other activities in the county
  2. Complete the volunteer modules
    1. Training for All FCPA Volunteers -
      1. Please complete all 4 modules.
      2. Email the training sign off form to
    2. Outdoor-based Volunteer Training Module- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
      1. Please complete the 1 module.
      2. Email the training sign off form to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
      3. Please note that you only need to check the first box of this sign off form.
  3. Learn about the invasive and native vines in our area:
    1. Carefully watch this video.
    2. Review the section on the bottom half of this info page.
    3. Here is a Cheat sheet that you can print and use in the field.
  4. Take the vine ID quiz
    1. This is an open notes quiz. We want to make sure you can use the references and guides to identify the plants at your site.
    2. You need >90% to pass the quiz.
    3. The quiz may be repeated as many times as needed.
    4. There is no need for you to enter your name or email.
    5. When finished make sure to click the box marked ā€œDONEā€ so that you can obtain your score.
    6. Please take a screen shot and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
  5. Take the FCPA Tree Rescuer quiz
    1. Study the rules and regulations on the attached information sheet
    2. You need 100% to pass the quiz.
    3. The quiz can be repeated as many times as needed.
    4. Please take a screen shot and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
  6. Schedule in person work
    1. Please make sure you have emailed the 4 items in red above.
    2. You are required to do 2 in person events.
    3. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to schedule this.

If you have any questions or problems, please do not hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Rules and Regulations:

  1. You must work independently or with other people who have gone through the FCPA Tree Rescuer program.
  2. You MAY NOT have untrained volunteers working with you
  3. You can only clip (or saw) invasive non-native vines and multiflora rose.
  4. You MAY NOT cut down invasive shrubs, trees, forbs, grasses, or any native plant.
  5. You MAY NOT pull vines from the ground.*
  6. In person training can ONLY BE DONE with FCPA IMA volunteer leaders or FCPA staff.
  7. DO NOT pull vines down from trees. This can hurt the trees and injure you.
  8. Please log your hours through your volunteer account, accessed via https://volunteer.fairfaxcounty.gov/custom/1380/volunteer_home (see instructions below).
  9. Please be aware of the boundaries of your park. Please give boundaries space so you do not risk working on private property.

ā™„ Pulling vines from the ground can cause erosion and allows the seeds of other invasive plants to come to the surface. Our goal is to protect our trees until a more permanent solution is available. Some vines can be killed over time when they are cut back repeatedly.

Reporting hours

You will need to report your hours on your volunteer account found https://volunteer.fairfaxcounty.gov/custom/1380/volunteer_home

Reporting hours is important and helps the program obtain resources. This information may be used to help us evaluate the efficacy and future use of the program..

Reporting your hours:

  1. Log into the volunteer page.
  2. Once logged in you will be on a page which gives you an overview of your service. Click on ā€œReport Hoursā€ on the left-hand side.
  3. Click on ā€œSelect an Opportunityā€ and click on Tree Rescuers FCP: Natural Resource Management
  4. Fill out the following
    1. Date
    2. Number of hours that you worked
    3. Choose if your park is small, large, or staffed (you can play around with this, most parks are not staffed unless there is a Visitors, Nature or Rec Center)
    4. Then scroll through the park names and select your park
    5. Select the invasive vine(s) species that you cut.
    6. Click submit

Reporting trees rescued - It would also be super helpful if you would report the trees saved here. You are welcome to accumulate a number of trees (20+) before reporting or report at the end of a week or a couple of weeks.

Debris Management - Unfortunately at this time the parks are currently understaffed and we have no way of handling the debris. We ask that you either leave the vine debris on a log to dry and die or you take it to be disposed in your regular trash. Please DO NOT put out into yard waste as this is used to create leaf mulch and can increase the spread of invasive vines in the county. Please bag any berries and dispose in your regular trash.

Deer Management - Fairfax County Park Authority partners with the Police Department on the deer management program. Please be aware that hunters may be out at the park from early September to the end of February anytime from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Typically hunters are out about three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening. Please where bright clothing during hunting season to prevent any possible accidents from occurring.

Herbicide/Contractors - As part of the integrated pest management, the Park Authority implements the use of herbicides (only applied by certified pesticide applicators) to treat invasive species on parkland. To manage certain invasive species in wooded areas, herbicide is a necessary tool from our toolbox for habitat restoration and protection. If you are not comfortable with this, volunteering as a Tree Rescuer on parkland my not be a suitable opportunity. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any concerns.

iNaturalist - It is helpful for our ecologists to know what plants are causing problems in which parks. It is also helpful for them to learn about the trees that are affected. The best way to do this is to take pictures of all of the invasive vine species and the native trees that are saved. If you want to help with this, upload iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org) on your phone. Then join the project labeled ā€œVolunteer observations in Fairfax County Parks.ā€

Plants to study:

The six most common invasive plants in our parks that can kill trees:

  1. English ivy
  2. Japanese honeysuckle
  3. Multiflora Rose
  4. Oriental (Asian) bittersweet
  5. Porcelain berry
  6. Wintercreeper

Somewhat less common invasive vines that kill trees:

  1. Five-leaf Akebia/chocolate vine
  2. Kudzu
  3. Sweet Autumn Clematis
  4. (Asian) Wisteria

Two annual invasive vines that kill small trees - Note clipping these vines will stop seed production, so please cut, and bag if seeds are present.

  1. Japanese hops
  2. Mile-a-minute

Five native vines commonly seen in our parks - do not clip these!!

  1. (Native) grapes (a few different species)
  2. Greenbrier
  3. Poison ivy
  4. Virginia creeper
  5. Trumpet vine

Other native look-a-likes seen less often:

  1. American bittersweet
  2. Native rose - swamp and pasture
  3. Coral honeysuckle
  4. Crossvine
  5. Native Virginā€™s bower

References:

If you have any questions or problems please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

IMA