NAPERVILLE, Ill. –Cyclist registration is now open for the STIHL Tour des Trees, a weeklong, 500-mile, cross-country cycling event to benefit the Tree Research and Education Endowment (TREE) Fund.
“The STIHL Tour des Trees is a memorable, green way to see the country and meet folks from across the nation who share interests in conservation and cycling,” said Paul Wood, Tour Director. “Every rider leaves the Tour with strong relationships and a desire to come back and ride again the next year.”
Considered America’s largest fundraiser for tree research, the 2009 STIHL Tour des Trees kicks off in New York City on July 19 and winds through New England before ending in Providence, RI, during the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) International Tree Climbing Championship on July 25. Recent Tours have cycled through the Midwest and Northern California.
To participate in the weeklong Tour, riders must raise a minimum of $3,500, which helps to fund scientific research grants and educational scholarships administered by the TREE Fund. All lodging, meals, snacks, beverages, and mechanical support are provided, along with an official STIHL Tour des Trees cycling jersey, wind jacket and bike shorts. Registrants also have the option to ride part-time, raising $600 per day of participation.
Cyclists interested in riding in the STIHL Tour des Trees can register online at www.tourdestrees.org. Registration closes May 1, 2009.
The 2008 Tour des Trees raised more than a quarter million dollars for the TREE Fund, a charitable organization dedicated to advancing knowledge in the field of arboriculture and urban forestry to benefit people, trees and the environment. Since its inception in 1992, the Tour has generated more than $4.1 million and has funded a host of diverse projects, such as post-Katrina research on the impact of hurricane flooding on mature trees.
Other sponsors of the STIHL Tour des Trees include TREE Fund partners Asplundh Tree Expert Co., Duke Energy, and The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Co. More information on the STIHL Tour des Trees, including details on riding in the Tour or donating to the TREE Fund, is available at www.tourdestrees.org.
About STIHL Inc.
STIHL Inc. manufactures the world’s largest selling brand of chain saws and produces a full line of powerful, lightweight, and versatile handheld outdoor power equipment for homeowners and professional users. STIHL products are sold through servicing power equipment retailers from coast to coast— not mass merchants. STIHL products sold through U.S. STIHL dealers are for distribution in the United States only. For more information or for the name of the closest STIHL retailer, call toll free 1-800-GO STIHL (1-800-467-8445) or visit the dealer locator on the STIHL Web site at www.stihlusa.com.
STIHL is also pleased to support the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), National FFA, Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), and the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD).
About the TREE Fund:
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.
- The TREE Fund has supported research that has led to important developments in:
Understanding air pollution reduction and carbon sequestration by trees
- Determining the costs and benefits of urban trees
- Improving conditions for tree growth in difficult sites
- Strategies to manage diseases and pests that affect urban trees
For more information, visit www.treefund.org.
