March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 50 F

Liberty Tree to be planted on State House grounds

State House
Photo: Watermark Tours, Charters, Cruises

70 cyclists with a shared passion for trees will arrive in Annapolis, on July 31, Day 2 of the 2017 STIHL Tour des Trees, an annual cycling adventure benefitting TREE Fund. The cyclists are expected to arrive at the Maryland Statehouse grounds starting at 11:00 a.m. Event hosts and local officials and tree stewards will be on hand to welcome the Tour and dedicate a tulip poplar Liberty Tree provided through The Providence Forum’s Liberty Tree Project, courtesy of STIHL, Inc. The public is welcome.

The Liberty Tree has a remarkable history that is, in fact, rooted in Annapolis itself. It is an authentic offspring of the last standing Revolutionary era Liberty Tree that was felled in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd in 1999 at St. John’s College in Annapolis. This living piece of history was made possible through a bud-grafting program established by The Providence Forum and serves to preserve the legacy of these trees as gathering spots for patriots during the American Revolution.

“The Liberty Tree Program provides a living connection to our nation’s colonial history in a tangible way that educates and benefits host communities now and for generations to come,” says TREE Fund President and CEO J. Eric Smith, a 1986 graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. “All of us at TREE Fund are honored to partner with The Providence Forum to return one of these venerable trees to Annapolis as part of our mission to support community involvement and engagement with protecting and enhancing the urban canopy. We’re grateful to the stewards of the Maryland Statehouse and the many dedicated public servants who work there for the opportunity to offer this meaningful remembrance as we pass through Annapolis on this year’s Tour.”

The STIHL Tour des Trees is the primary community outreach and engagement event for TREE Fund, a 501(c)3 charity devoted to sustaining the world’s urban trees through research and education. Full-Tour cyclists raise at least $3,500 for TREE Fund, then cycle over 500 miles in a week and plant trees, educate children, and promote the mission of TREE Fund at stops along the way. With funds raised by the Tour, TREE Fund researchers have discovered better ways to propagate, plant, and care for urban trees, making them more resilient, more resistant to pests, and less prone to failure. The Tour also funds education programs aimed at connecting young people with the environment and with career opportunities in the green industries. This event has enabled TREE Fund to fund research and education grants totaling over $3.0 million since 2002 and has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Travel + Leisure, American Airlines’ magazine, the Huffington Post and CNN.

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