PHILADELPHIA -- You've heard of bike rides for all kinds of causes, but have you heard about a ride to benefit urban trees? The 13th annual Tour des Trees kicks-off with remarks by Philadelphia Mayor John Street on August 2nd in Philadelphia and will roll through communities across Pennsylvania, winding up in Pittsburgh, site of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) 80th Annual Conference and International Tree Climbing Championship (ITCC).
Fifty cycling arborists and green industry allies will ride a 425-mile route and participate in tree plantings and educational sessions about the need for research critical to the world's urban forests along the way. The public is invited to kick-off ceremonies being held at 9 a.m. on August 2nd on Ben Franklin Parkway near Eakins Oval where Mayor Street will participate in a tree planting ceremony and then ride with the group as they depart.
Funds raised by the Tour support the Tree Research & Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund, http://www.treefund.org). To date, the Tour has raised more than $2 million for much-needed research focused on improving the urban forest. This year's goal is $200,000. Corporate sponsorships underwrite the cost of the Tour, and each rider must raise $3,500. Tour riders have planted trees in communities across the US, Canada and England, and entertained hundreds of children through the renowned "Trail of Trees" performance presented by Tim Womick, a long-time tour rider. (http://www.tourdestrees.org/tot.asp )
Tour Coordinator Karl Parker and TREE Fund Executive Director Cindy Stachowski said the group will also bring attention to Pennsylvania's TreeVitalize program and other state environmental and conservation issues. TreeVitalize is a public/private partnership whose goal is to enhance the quality of life in southeast Pennsylvania by planting thousands of trees and encouraging community tree stewardship.
"Most people are not aware of the wide range of threats impacting the health of urban trees," said Stachowski. "Research is the key to understanding these problems and taking effective action to address them."
Top-Level corporate sponsors of the 2004 Tour are the Bartlett Tree Expert Co., The Davey Tree Expert Co., and PECO Energy. Each of these companies contributed $12,000 to help make the Tour possible.
The Tour des Trees is the TREE Fund's major fundraiser. The TREE Fund is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization based in Champaign, IL. The TREE Fund's mission 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.