Tour des Trees: caring for nature one (bicycle) mile at a time.

• Author: Bornancin, M. Janet
• Position: Ecology - Tree Research and Education Endowment

AFTER 20 YEARS in existence, the STIHL Tour des Trees to benefit the Tree Research and Education Endowment (TREE) Fund has become the U.S.'s largest fundraiser for aboriculture--the science of cultivating and managing trees in a landscape--research and education. This 500-mile, weeklong cycling event with an ever-changing itinerary is the signature fundraising event of the TREE Fund and a mainstay of its research budget. Since its inception in 1992, the Tour has raised more than $5,000,000.

With the support of the cyclists and sponsors of the Tour des Trees, the TREE Fund and its predecessor, the International Society of Arboriculture's Research Trust, have distributed more than $6,000,000 to date in scholarships and research grants to students and professionals in the tree care industry. Funding opportunities range from $10,000 to $100,000, and the foundation's research priorities focus on root and soil management, planting and establishment, plant health care, and risk assessment, as well as worker safety and urban forestry.

While mature street trees add significant value to the urban landscape, they can pose potential hazards to people and property. Better understanding of tree biomechanics--the ability to withstand wind, additional weight from ice and snow, and decay allows workers to assess more accurately the strength and longevity of the trees in their care.

TREE Fund researchers are studying, among other things, the impact of decay on the structural integrity of trees, as well as seeking to develop better methods for propagating and transplanting nursery stock, pruning street trees to maintain their health and strength, and managing (without chemicals, if possible) the myriad pests and diseases that can afflict urban trees. The common objective in every project is to improve the odds that the saplings going into the ground in communities around the world will grow to full and healthy maturity.

In addition to research, TREE Fund scholarships, workforce development programs, and arboriculture education initiatives offer opportunities and financial support to the next generation of tree stewards. The importance of arboriculture education for children, who may have few opportunities to interact with nature, cannot be exaggerated. The continued health of our urban forests requires a continuous supply of young workers inspired to care for them.

Although the Tour seems very specific in its focus on trees, ultimately it is an event that...