TREE Fund sets date for 2019 Tour des Trees

TREE Fund plans to host the 2019 Tour des Trees Sept. 15-21, 2019, with a planned hub in Nashville, Tennessee. The route will take riders through Kentucky and Tennessee.

The International Society of Arboriculture’s Southern and Kentucky chapters will be jointly collaborating with TREE Fund on the 27th annual Tour des Trees event next year.

After three particularly long tours in a row – 580, 560 and 620 miles respectively – future route designs will have a target distance of about 425 miles over five full days of riding, slightly shortening the travel commitment required to participate in the event.

Next year’s opening check-in and dinner will take place Sunday, Sept. 15, with a closing dinner celebration on Friday, Sept. 20, followed by check-out and bike shipping on Saturday, Sept. 21. A full route will be announced in December 2018, and registration to ride will open in early 2019.

Full-time riders will again commit to raising $3,500 for research and education programs, with tour expenses (including six double occupancy hotel nights, 16 meals for each rider over the course of the tour, tour apparel, plus ancillary support and program activities) defrayed by TREE Fund’s corporate partners. This structure will allow funds raised by riders to be fully applied to TREE Fund’s next year budget for new research and education awards, payments on multiple-year research grants and/or endowment gifts to fund future research and education. Part-time and virtual tour options will also be available.

In addition, Tour Director Paul Wood of Black Bear Adventures plans to return to manage the 2019 Tour des Trees, and he plans to help with the event in 2020 and 2021 as well. Click here for more details on Tour des Trees.