Smoke Signals 5
AUGUST 15, 2012
ADD ftlhey aire sayamig is giive ti trees a dhamice
Fund cyclists stop in
Grand Ronde to raise
money, talk trees
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
The riff from the John Lennon
classic "Give Peace a Chance" was
just one of the surprises when the
Naperville, 111. -based Tree Fund
came to town.
The team of volunteers and staff
ers from across the country in
cluded 113 volunteer cyclists, a
clown-prince of tree education and
communication specialists. The
action took place on Tuesday, Aug.
7, near the fish weir overlooking a
bend in Agency Creek.
The Tree Fund planted three
Oregon oak trees on the hill as
part of the 20th anniversary of its
signature fundraiser, the STIHL
Tour des Trees.
The land above Agency Creek had
been shored up with logs planted
vertically and the Tree Fund punc
tuated the effort with the tree
planting. One day, those oaks will
dwarf everything else in the area.
Their roots will further secure the
land and provide shade.
The event also included an
education for the Education De
partment's Chinuk Immersion
class (Lilu - wolves) and the
2-year-olds' class (Kwis Kwis
chipmunks).
"The focus (of the education for
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
As children from Early Childhood Education's Chinuk Immersion class
sing "Tomala," William Stone covers his ears during a loud part while they
perform for cyclists who stopped at the Tribal campus while on the STIHL
Tour des Trees bike tour on Tuesday, Aug. 7. Teacher's aide George Neujahr,
sitting, led the children in the song.
the children) is the miracle of a
tree," said Professor Pricklethorn,
known among adults as Warren
Hoselton, a Toronto, Ont., certified
arborist and supporter volunteer
ing his time and money to the
nonprofit's educational campaign.
"We tell them about all the good
things that trees do."
He said that trees "clean the air,
create oxygen, reduce heat in the
summer and clean storm water
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runoff." In so many ways, he said,
"trees are the answer."
A Tribal drum group sang a wel
come to the assembled group. The
children from the Tribal classrooms
sang a traditional song, "Tumala,"
(tomorrow will be a better day).
Dozens of cyclists swarmed in.
All were volunteers who had raised
$3,500 each for the Tree Fund and
now were riding more than 100
miles a day singing the praises of
trees in a number of different ven
ues, planting a few at each stop and
having fun.
"It's an awesome time," said
cyclist Doreen Crenshaw, 51, of
Indianapolis, who is riding with the
group for the fifth time. "There are
a lot of people who like to cycle from
all over. You see the country."
A majority of the cyclists are
professional or semi-professional
arborists, but Robert Jones, 53, is
an export shipping clerk for STIHL
Inc. in Virginia Beach, Va. STIHL
has been sponsor for the tour since
2001 and is title sponsor of the
event from 2009 to 2014.
The Tribe was a $1,000 under
writer of this program that Tree
Fund President and CEO M. Janet
Bornancin described as "a com
mitment to insuring that we leave
behind a legacy." Bartlett Tree Ex
perts and Hoselton also were listed
as underwriters.
Last year, Tree Fund awarded
more than $112,300 to support
new research projects in its areas
of interest, including "root and soil
management, planting and estab
lishment, risk assessment and ar
borist safety, and urban forestry."
The group also purchased "new
materials and scientific equipment
for thousands of middle school stu
dents attending outdoor 'Science
Camp' in California," according to
the annual report.
"We're glad you made Grand
Ronde one of your stopping points,"
said Tribal Council member Chris
Mercier. "We're really excited to be
a part of this."
"Our natural resources are very
important to us," said Tribal Coun
cil member Toby McClary.
"It was an opportunity to partner
with a group devoted to the health
and care of trees," said Michael
Wilson, Natural Resources Depart
ment manager.
The department also took the
opportunity to mount an education
offensive of its own, with posters
showing successful environmental
projects coming from Tribal em
ployees. "For many of them, this was their
first opportunity to encounter a Na
tive American Tribe," Wilson said,
"and I think they were impressed."
The department, he added, also se
lected the spot for the trees and pro
vided the trees that were planted.
Bornancin gifted copies of the
book "I Can Name 50 Trees Today"
to the Grand Ronde Tribal Library.
Executive Officer Chris Leno ac
cepted the gift and other copies
were gifted to the children as the
event ended.
A group of cyclists plant an Oregon white oak tree near the fish weir while
on their stop at the Tribal campus on the STIHL Tour des Trees bike tour on
Tuesday, Aug. 7. Three Oregon white oaks were planted.
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If you have any question, contact
Brian Krehbiel at 503-879-4639
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Ad created by George Valdez