Most people would be fortunate enough to have a tree planted and named in their honor. Billy Apperson recently had a whole forest of rare trees named after him.
Apperson, a York County resident and long-time James City Bruton Volunteer Firefighter, recently retired from the Department of Forestry after almost 50 years.
“He is the longest tenured Department of Forestry employee ever,” explained regional forester Toni Norieka.
But Apperson wasn’t merely punching a clock. Instead, he has been pivotal in one of the most astounding restoration efforts ever undertaken in Virginia: Bringing back the longleaf pine.
From The Virginia Gazette: https://www.vagazette.com/news/va-vg-apperson-072812-20120728,0,258363.story