The story of conserving the grounds of James Madison’s Montpelier spans centuries; James Madison preached and practiced early conservation methods. He bemoaned man’s frivolous destruction of trees, stating that “of all the errors in our rural economy, none is perhaps, so much to be regretted, because none so difficult to be repaired, as the injudicious and excessive destruction of timber and firewood.” Madison encouraged farmers to manage and renew their woodlands carefully, advice he practiced at Montpelier.

Today, we continue to employ Madison’s ethic at Montpelier by using our landscape as a natural classroom and stewarding our 2,650-acre property through conservation easements and sustainable management practices.

Caring for these majestic and historic trees is time-consuming and costly. You can help us care for them by becoming a Montpelier Tree Sponsor.

Sponsorships will help cover annual maintenance costs, ensuring these majestic trees continue to thrive for generations to come.

Injections
$300-$800 per treated tree depending on the tree’s size. We are currently treating Ashes and Hemlocks to protect these important native species from invasive pests that have killed countless of their ranks.

Arborist Services 
Highly variable, but usually a minimum of $500 per tree. Some of our treasured specimens will occasionally need pruning, requiring a trained arborist to literally climb the tree to complete.

Lightning Protection System 
Variable, but currently, materials alone to install 100 feet of copper cable and all of the necessary hardware for one tree cost approximately $600, excluding labor.

Staff Time 
Grounds and horticulture staff spend many hours throughout the year maintaining our trees. A sampling of tasks includes trimming under and around trees, and collecting and removing sticks and leaves, including large debris cleanup caused by storm damage.