We are hard at work finalizing stops and engagement activities for this year's Tour des Trees and it is shaping up to be a wonderful ride this year. If you want to see what we have planned so far, check out the itinerary on our participant resources page.

More outings and engagement events are still being planned, but so far, we have a great list of stops along the route that our riders should look forward to. These include:

If you have not yet registered for this year's ride, be sure to do that now. Register to ride today!

The ride goes September 3-10 and you must be registered by June 20. Riders can choose one to 6-day ride options to fit their schedule. The ride starts in Des Moines, loops around, and then finishes up in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Hotels and meals are organized ahead of time, so all you need to do is ride and fundraise.

Want to donate to a rider or team? Visit here to do so. Thank you for your support!

Monika Otting, a member of the TREE Fund staff since 2017, is leaving for a new adventure, and the TREE Fund is seeking to find someone capable of filling her important role.

"Monika's years with the TREE Fund were marked by change, and her willingness and ability to adapt made her a unique gift to us all," said Russell King, president and CEO. "The ease with which she can switch gears, learn new skills, and adapt to new environments is remarkable. I know we will all miss her, but we wish her the very best of possible futures."

The position description can be found here. Please note that this is a remote position, so candidates need not be near the TREE Fund headquarters. Refer questions and potential candidates to Russell King via email.

Gordon Mann is a consulting arborist with California Tree and Landscape Consulting, Inc, in Auburn, CA. He is the owner of Mann Made Resources, a tree conservation products company. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Forest Science from the University of Illinois. He has worked in urban and community forestry for the past 43 years.

Gordon has served on the professional association boards of ISA, Western Chapter ISA, American Society of Consulting Arborists, Municipal Arborists and Urban Foresters Society, Society of Municipal Arborists, California Urban Forest Council, California Arborists Association, and the San Mateo Arboretum Society. He chaired the California Urban Forest Advisory Council, the Northern California Tree Trimmers Jamboree, International Tree Climbing Competition, and the Bay Area Landscape Supervisors Forum. He has held the office of President in the Western Chapter ISA, California Arborists Association, San Mateo Arboretum Society, and American Society of Consulting Arborists.

You read and hear a lot about the TREE Fund--research we're funding, scholarships we're awarding, free webinars we're offering, changes we're making, challenges we're facing, successes we're enjoying, events we're holding, and much more--but the most important thing to know is that the TREE Fund is about you: the men and women of arboriculture.

You are the TREE Fund's core, heart, purpose, mission, and reason for being. It's spelled out clearly in our bylaws:

It's also spelled out in the specific criteria of our various grants, such as:

We recently began reaching out to potential donors from the world beyond the tree care profession, knowing that there are millions or people who love trees and donate to various tree causes, and hoping that some of them will support the science and education that supports you, the trees you work in, and the communities you serve.

The more people who support the TREE Fund, the more the TREE Fund is able to meet your needs with emerging knowledge that's actually useful to you.

Keep in mind that the two most important activities of the TREE Fund--giving grants and raising funds to support those grants--are separate and distinct.

The grants we offer, the criteria for earning those grants, and who ultimately gets those grants are all functions of the TREE Fund Board of Trustees and its Research and Education Committee. These are matters of governance and policy, so are the responsibility of the volunteer leaders.

The fundraising efforts, events, and campaigns are all functions of the professionals on the TREE Fund staff.

While the staff assists the board and committees with logistics, decisions about the grants are made by the volunteer leadership on the committee and board. And while volunteers assist the staff with leads on potential donors, the work of fundraising is done by the staff.

Keeping the science and the fundraising separate protects the integrity of the science. No matter what donors are sought or what donors give, the grant criteria do not change and the grant decisions are unaffected.

That's a particular point of pride for the TREE Fund as an organization and, frankly, for me as a nonprofit executive.

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!

Tuesday, Nov. 1 at noon (Central Time)

Andrew Millward, PhD, and Justin Miron, PhD student, Ryerson University

Tuesday, Dec. 6 at noon (Central Time)

Jason Gordon, PhD, University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.

Missed a webinar? Watch it anytime on our website.

TREE Fund now offers ISA CEU credits for one recorded webinar: "Loading of a Tie-in Point While Climbing." If you missed this webinar, you can now watch the recording and earn ISA CEU credits by completing a 20 question quiz with 80% accuracy. Learn more on our website.

TREE Fund Crown Partners!