October 5, 2011

Cyclists from the 2011 STIHL Tour des Trees made stops in Palmyra and Albemarle County on Wednesday to plant and dedicate trees.

The day started at Columbia Elementary School in Fluvanna County where they were joined by students to dedicate a tree donated by Bartlett Tree Experts. The students also learned about how trees grow with a lesson from “Professor Elwood Pricklethorn”, played by Warren Hoselton, a professional arborist and Tour rider from Toronto. Dominion Virginia Power also gave tree seedlings to the school’s 160 students.

From Palmyra, the Tour des Trees headed to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, where the grounds have more than 160 species of native and exotic trees. Riders contributed to the collection by planting and dedicating a tree on the grounds.

The riders, who volunteer their time to raise money for the Tree Research and Education Endowment (TREE) Fund, travel around the county promoting their mission of tree care research and education.