News Release – 29 August 2017

Flushing, Queens, NY – August 29, 2017 - On Thursday, August 31, at 11:30 a.m., New York Police and Fire Departments will escort seedlings of the famed 9/11 “Survivor Tree” along the Long Island Expressway in Queens and Long Island.

The motorcade begins at John Bowne High School in Flushing, NY, and concludes at Miller Place Fire Department, Miller Place, NY.  

Miller Place Fire Department officials will receive the trees and distribute to preselected fire and police departments for planting throughout the Tri-State area at 9/11 memorials honoring fallen members.

Bartlett Tree Experts, the tree and shrub care company, provides care for the original Survivor Tree and the firm financially supports ongoing offspring tree propagation efforts. Bartlett will transport the trees in their yellow service vehicles on the expressway.

Chaperones will include the New York, Nassau County and Suffolk County police, the NYC Fire Riders MC, a firefighter's motorcycle club. Several fire companies are expected to park and salute from expressway overpasses.  

 

Fire Riders Motorcycle Club members will assemble at the motorcade’s starting point on Reeves Avenue at John Bowne High School.

The offspring trees, now eight to 10 feet tall, are direct descendants of the sole tree found alive, yet badly damaged, on the World Trade Center Plaza following the tragic events of 9/11. The tree was removed from the site and nursed back to health while the 9/11 Memorial was built. It is now replanted, and thriving, on the Plaza.

Bartlett Tree Experts harvested and cultivated seeds from the Survivor Tree, a Callery Pear, and grew 421 seedling trees.

The seedlings are being cared for by John Bowne High School Agriculture students on the school's farm, where cultivation will continue for future distribution to select locations.