Champaign, IL – The Tree Research & Education Endowment Fund’s (TREE Fund) 2005 Tour des Trees rides the Natchez Trace Parkway August 1 through 6, 2005.
Tour des Trees is the TREE Fund’s annual six day cycling event that raises money to support research on trees and their care and to promote the importance of our urban and community forests. Celebrating its 14th year, Tour des Trees is America’s largest tree fundraising event to improve the care of trees through research and education, raising nearly $3 million since its inception. With pledges from individuals and corporations, every mile the cyclists ride provides seed money that helps trees flourish across the world. This year the TREE Fund will be distributing approximately $250,000 in research grants and $12,000 in scholarships.
This year’s Tour des Trees cruises along part of the Natchez Trace from Jackson, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, nearly 500 miles on one of America’s 10 best biking roads. The Trace, operated by the National Park System, has been declared an All-American Road. Commercial traffic is prohibited and a maximum speed of 50 mph is strictly enforced.
“Our journey to raise much-needed funds and public awareness takes us through the winding roads of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, offering a gradual contrast in terrain from relatively flat land to gently rolling hills and into the steeper peaks of the lower Appalachian region,” says Paul Wood, the 2005 tour coordinator. “We will have opportunities to reach out to communities in all three states, building awareness of the need for research and its impact on people, trees, and the environment,” continues Wood.
Over the past 14 years, riders of all ages and abilities have joined together to ride in the Tour des Trees. They start with a common purpose to educate and raise funds and finish with a shared experience that changes many lives. This year the riders will be joined by Professor Arbor E. Tum and Tim Womick, who provide light-hearted and educational sessions at special tree events along the way.
Major sponsors of Tour des Trees include STIHL, Inc., Asplundh Tree Expert Company, F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company, Wright Tree Service, National Grid USA, Davey Tree Expert Company, Entergy, Nashville Electric Service, Lewis Tree, Vermeer, and Bayer Environmental Sciences.
“Trees not only enhance our landscape, they are also important to energy management. At Entergy we take trees very seriously, whether it’s promoting proper planting of trees away from power lines or making sure our vegetation management crews follow the right guidelines to ensure the health of our customer’s trees,” says Gary Serio, vice president of safety and environment for Entergy Services, sponsor of Tour des Trees. His sentiments are echoed by Kristin Wild, spokesperson for Asplundh Tree Expert Company, “The Tour des Trees is a great way for our company to promote proper tree planting and maintenance in our communities.”
The mission of the TREE Fund is to identify and fund projects and programs that advance knowledge in the field of arboriculture and urban forestry to benefit people, trees and the environment. The TREE Fund has supported research that has led to:
- the development of more environmentally-sensitive methods of plant management;
- genetically superior trees that can withstand the stress of urban environments;
- advanced strategies for tree disease suppression and insect resistance; and
- improved techniques for planting, fertilizing and adapting shade trees to poor soils.
As a non-profit, non-governmental organization, the TREE Fund relies on donations from the public to fund its activities. Tax-deductible donations can be made by phone at 217-239-7070, or by making a secure online donation at www.treefund.org, where you can find out more about the organization and Tour des Trees.
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