Events & News
Events Archive: 2008-2017
November 2017
Historic landscape installed at Sheridan Circle
Thanks to your donations, we beautified the once-neglected median strips around Sheridan Circle. The Terra-DC firm installed dozens of knockout roses in the median triangle west of Sheridan Circle and improved the plantings in the strip north of the circle by R Street. Many pedestrians and cyclists as well as 25,000 vehicles pass there daily.
May 2017
Our 10th birthday at the Embassy of Haiti
Ambassador of the Republic of Haiti, H.E. Paul G. Altidor, hosted our 10th birthday reception at the magnificently renovated Haiti Embassy at 2311 Mass Ave. For photos see Washington Life and 2017 Benefit page.
May 2016
First Love Our Trees Tour
RMA President Deborah Shapley led a walking tour of the 2400 block of Mass Ave to showcase how the historic streetscape is visibly emerging. Featured were “second row” elms at the embassies of Cameroon and Zambia, and the row of lindens along the curb lovingly nurtured by the embassies of Korea and Côte d’Ivoire.
May 2016
2015 Benefit draws new supporters
The Netherlands Ambassador, H.E. Rudolph Bekink, and Mrs. Gabrielle de Kuyper Bekink honored the work of Restore Mass Ave by hosting a reception at the Ambassadorial Residence, a stunning Renaissance palazzo-style mansion which overlooks Massachusetts Avenue and S Street NW. Learn more about this terrific party which drew many new supporters to our cause.
May 2015
Book wins award at DAR Constitution Hall
Our book A Grand Avenue Revival was given the 2015 Award for Excellence (in Historic Preservation) at a ceremony at DAR Constitution Hall. Sally Murray James of Cutting Edge Design and Gill Fishman Associates were co-winners with Restore Mass Ave.
December 2014
Nine new second row trees planted
Look for a new row of nine trees along Mass Ave above 30th Street. Casey Trees planted them for the State Department, based on our landscape advice, in December 2014. The new trees replace the original second row there.
December 2014
RMA book launched at Historical Society of Washington
A Grand Avenue Revival was released at a reception hosted by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., at the Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square on December 6. Author Deborah Shapley presented the book’s message: why the Embassy Row part of Massachusetts Avenue is a unique Grand Avenue and worthy of “green” investment today. Slides from the presentation are here.
August 2014
Our successful 2014 Treekeeper season
New volunteers joined our Treekeeper workshops during the summer of 2014. At left are volunteers from Conservation International discussing DC tree issues after a Treekeeper fieldwork session.
June 2014
Model mulching of 33 street trees
Ricky Fuentes of Professional Gardens weeded and mulched 33 sidewalk tree boxes in a massive one-day project to get the trees ready for summer. Other needy trees were helped by the RMA volunteers and local property owners. A how-to video is on our tree care page.
May 2014
Embassy Open Houses in May
RMA’s info table at the British Embassy was visited by hundreds out of the 8,000 people who visited the embassy’s free Open House. On two Saturdays in May, thousands more crowded Mass Ave sidewalks to visit dozens of embassies. They saw “our” trees and experienced the uniqueness of this historic street.
March 2014
RMA President briefs at State Department
The majestic trees and park-like landscape of Embassy Row form a unique street landscape in the USA; said RMA President Deborah Shapley at a meeting at the State Department’s Office of Foreign Missions. View her presentation here.
February 2014
New silver lindens at 34th and Mass
From the busy corner of Mass Ave and 34th Street, look for 9 new trees, marching north in a line. These are all silver linden, Tilia tomentosa, which the city Urban Forestry Administration planted at RMA’s request in an area laid bare by storms. UFA added 9 more of these trees along Observatory Circle, for 18 in all.
November 2013
Street Tree Inventory Launched
RMA volunteers measured ~300 street trees on Embassy Row. Our launch is part of ACTrees’ National NeighborWoods month. See our poster Benefits of Maturing Trees for why tree size matters.
November 2013
Our 2013 Treekeeper season
In 20 meet-ups during this past summer and fall, our Treekeepers helped at-risk city trees. We put tags on some trees to teach the public. We persuaded more owners to care for nearby city trees.
May 2013
Tour of Casey Tree Farm
Restore Mass Ave volunteers and Board members were shown how young trees may be cultivated to improve their growth on city streets, at Casey Trees nursery near Berryville, Va.
April 2013
Record turnout for RMA at Costa Rica Residence
Nearly 100 supporters of RMA gathered at the Residence of H.E. Muni Figueres, Ambassador of Costa Rica. A.M. Oduber of the Embassy described how Costa Rica forests are protected. The record turnout and event sponsors — Northern Trust Company and Alex Venditti/TTR Sotheby’s International Real Estate — caused the net to exceed expectations!
April 2013
Sheridan Circle historic landscape renewal
We got 3 zelkova trees planted in 2007 in this bare city land. Neighbors watered them, but they were threatened by street-digging and debris and overgrowth. Thanks to our great donors, we cleaned up the place and planted roses.
October 2012
Reception at Wendell Mansions
Mark J. Scott welcomed 70 supporters of RMA to his home in the famous Beaux Arts building at 2339 Mass Ave. The Alex & Paul Group of TTR Sotheby’s International helped to sponsor the event. We announced having added 246 new trees to date.
March 2012
Protecting trees from construction
DC Water (formerly WASA) has begun a “big dig” to replace Combined Sewer System (CSS) pipes below Mass Ave, 23 and Q Streets, we’re trying to prevent damage to the precious trees. We posted this notice of DC rules for construction so the public can be watchful.
April 2011
British Embassy reception
Philip Barton, Deputy Chief of Mission, welcomed many new supporters of Restore Mass Ave.
March 2011
Planting at Indonesia Embassy
The embassy hosted our planting of 12 trees at that Embassy, the Cosmos Club, and the Church of the Pilgrims. Attending: Ambassador Dino Patti Djalal, Jim Woodworth of Casey Trees and Iris Miller, Chair of the Cosmos Club Garden Committee.
October 2010
Embassy of Ireland hosts planting
Michael Collins, Ambassador of Ireland, welcomed 18 new trees which volunteers organized by Casey Trees planted, there and by the properties of Greece, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Togo and Turkey and on bare land around the Church of Pilgrims.
April 2010
New maple honors Albanian service
Liri Berisha, wife of the Albanian Prime Minister, dedicated a new maple tree we arranged with Friends of Mitchell Park, near the Albanian Embassy. The tree honors two humanitarian groups, the Mother Teresa Cultural Foundation and the Albanian Children Foundation.
April 2010
Reception at Cyprus Ambassador Residence
Ambassador of Cyprus Andreas Kakouris and Kareen Kakouris hosted RMA’s first benefit fundraiser at the Residence at 2501 Mass Ave.
October 2009
“Celebration of Trees and Children”
The Côte d’Ivoire Embassy hosted a planting in which 16 trees were planted with our partner Casey Trees. Embassy families and students from City Collegiate Public Charter School participated. The Slovenia, Korea and Cameroon embassies also received trees. The Cote d’Ivoire Ambassador Charles Koffi welcomed everyone for lunch afterwards.
October 2009
Root Rescue project loosens compacted soil
Eleven street trees suffering from badly compacted soil were air-spaded in our Root Rescue Project, for Alliance for Community Trees’ National NeighborWoods month.
May 2009
Embassy Open Houses show our work
Our info tables at British Embassy open house and by Korus House (Korean Embassy) exposed our message to thousands of members of the public.
March 2009
Embassy of Italy hosts tree planting
Sixteen new trees were planted in our fourth planting with Casey Trees, hosted by the Italian Embassy. Some of the trees were planted for the embassies of Romania and Burkina Faso. Speakers were Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta, DC Council’s Michael Brown and Casey Trees’ Mark Buscaino.
November 2008
Red oaks planted
Twelve red oaks were planted with our partner Casey Trees to make allees with sidewalk trees on both sides of 20 Street. The Hungarian Federation and PNC Bank will care for the trees.
June 2008
New Finland tree honors RMA
Pekka Lintu, Ambassador of Finland, helped to plant a new ‘second row’ linden tree and hosted a reception for RMA at the Embassy.
April 2008
New tree for Islamic Center
The Islamic Center of Washington welcomed a new fringe tree as part of an Interfaith Eco Tour April 27 that highlighted “greening” projects in DC.