May 2021
“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.”
–Mahatma Gandhi
The Tour des Trees Rides Again!

The 2021 Tour des Trees is happening IN PERSON in lovely Colorado and registration is now available. This year’s tour will include over 300 miles of riding over five days around the Denver area, with beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains.

See www.treefund.org/tourdestrees for more details on this year’s ride and to register.

Contact Jonathan Cain if you have any questions.

Registration Deadlines: Now - June 25
Ride Check-In and Orientation: Aug. 28
Ride Dates: Aug. 29 - Sept. 2
Closing Breakfast and Bike Shipping: Sept. 3
Fundraising timeline: Now - Oct. 31
 
All riders must register for the event, create a fundraising page, order their Tour des Trees jersey, and email proof of their COVID-19 vaccination by the deadlines listed on the website. Be sure to look at the Travel Logistics page for details on airports and hotels.

Not able to ride with us in-person, but still want to support the TREE Fund? Participate in our virtual ride, Tour des Trees: Rollin' in Place! It is free to participate in the virtual event. All you have to do is fill out the registration form and create a fundraising page.
Check out this year's official Tour des Trees bike jersey! All in-person riders receive a voucher for one or two of these, so register and get yours.

*Safety is of the upmost importance to us at this year’s ride. We will follow the current advice of CDC and local officials in regards to activities and gatherings while on the ride and will make adjustments based on recommendations. For 2021, we will require all riders to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within two weeks of the ride date. 
New Grant Offering!

The TREE Fund Board of Trustees is launching for the 2021 fall cycle the new Tree and Soil Research Grant, made possible by a permanently restricted endowment fund supporting areas of research of interest to the landscape architecture community with special focus in the area of trees and the soils that support them.

Supported research will include the following:
  • the design and specification of trees and soils in urban landscapes;
  • propagation and nursery practices that impact the establishment and long term growth of trees;
  • improving species diversity;
  • tree root and canopy structure improvement;
  • soil and drainage design and modification;
  • tree planting practices; tree planting space design;
  • tree establishment and maintenance practices; and
  • planting soil management and maintenance. 

Watch for more information as the application period draws near.
Volunteer Spotlight

The TREE Fund is proud to shine the spotlight on Brett Heinrich, an attorney with the firm of Vedder Price P.C. in Chicago and the chair elect of the TREE Fund Board of Trustees.

Brett has been invaluable in helping the TREE Fund with expert advice as we wade through the risks and restrictions created by COVID-19, especially with regard to the Tour des Trees. He serves on both the Tour des Trees Task Force and the Executive and Governance Committee.

Vedder Price P.C., has not only donated Brett's time as a volunteer, it has also provided pro bono legal assistance in reviewing the TREE Fund office lease, creating the tour waiver forms, renewing the tour copyright, and completing the lengthy, complex forms necessary for the TREE Fund to receive a bequeathed donation.

Thank you, Brett!
Lead Donors

We are deeply grateful to the following people and organizations who contributed $2,500 or more to the TREE Fund in April 2021:

The Davey Tree Expert Company
Iowa Arborist Association

See the full list of lead donors who make our vital tree research and education work possible on our website.
Help Us Spread the Word

We're asking for your help in telling the world about the Tour des Trees and the TREE Fund.

First, if you're on social media, feel free to share or copy and repost what you find on the TREE Fund's Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr platforms.

If your company, employer, or group website or newsletter allow it, feel free to post them in those places, too.

Second, we need your help identifying advertising opportunities. If you know of a publication or site that reaches an audience that might be interested in the TREE Fund or the Tour des Trees, please send us the contact information. We'll do the rest! Thank you.
TREE Fund Webinar Series 2021

The TREE Fund is proud to partner with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System to bring you free education offerings. We are now able to accommodate up to 3,000 participants! Mark your calendars for these upcoming upcoming free webinars from TREE Fund: 

Why do some trees transplant better than others? A look at some new research on water uptake 
Tuesday, June 22, 2021, at 12 p.m. Central 
Nina Bassuk, PhD, Cornell University 

A three-pronged approach to understanding the defensive mechanisms in Green Ash resistant to EAB 
Tuesday, July 27, 2021, at 12p.m. Central 
Jeanne Romero-Severson, PhD, University of Notre Dame 

Long-term effects of electrical right-of-way vegetation management on floral and faunal communities 
Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021, at 12 p.m. Central 
Carolyn Mahan, PhD, Penn State Altoona 

Digging into the Science of Tree Planting and Removing Packaging Materials
Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 12 p.m. Central
Richard Hauer, PhD, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Andrew Koeser, PhD, University of Florida
Jason Miesbauer, PhD, The Morton Arboretum

Growing trees in paved sites 
Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, at 12 p.m. Central 
Alessio Fini, PhD, University of Milan 

The TREE Fund’s 1-hour webinars are free and offer 1.0 CEU credit for live broadcasts from the International Society of Arboriculture, the Society of American Foresters, the National Association of Landscape Professionals and sometimes the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System. Registration information becomes available on our website approximately one month before each webinar date. 

Missed a webinar? Watch it anytime on our website.

CEU Credit for Recorded Webinar
Missed the TREE Fund's webinar, "Loading of a Tie-in Point While Climbing"? Now you can watch the recording of this live webinar and earn ISA CEU credits by completing a 20 question quiz with 80% accuracy. Learn more on our website.
THANK YOU
TREE Fund Crown Partners! 
TREE Fund
552 S. Washington St., Suite 109, Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 369-8300
treefund@treefund.org
www.treefund.org
TREE Fund is a 501(C)3 nonprofit with a mission to explore and share the science of trees contributing to the lives of people, communities, economies, and the environment, and of the planning, planting, and sustainability of urban and community trees.