Cycling across Oregon to help the world’s trees

They are an inspiration! The Tour des Trees cyclists are half-way through their Oregon bike ride to raise money to save trees across the world.

Check out these photos and blog posts by Sara Turner of Washington, D.C.’s Casey Trees and her cycling partner, Neil Irvin. Sara made her latest post today, and the photos tell a great story, though her comments help as well.

Below are excerpts from today’s blog post and from Sara’s post when she and Neil first arrived in Portland several days ago. They stayed with Friends of Trees staffers Erica Timm and Katie Neis.

The STIHL Tour des Trees is raising money for research to help city trees. If you’d like to join the cyclists for the last three hours of the Oregon tour—and raise money for research, too—sign up here. Friends of Trees will join the last stretch of the Tour des Trees on Aug. 11 and talk about trees at the community Arbor Fair at Laurelhurst Park afterward.

Safe and happy cycling wishes to all who are on the Tour des Trees!

When Sara and Neil arrived in Portland:

“I’m certainly a friend of trees and wanted to check out the local flora, so Katie Neis and I walked down the street to see a Persian Ironwood. I recently saw it listed on a Falls Church tree species list and wanted to see a sample specimen. The tree is in the witch hazel family and is a great choice for small spaces. Here in Portland, I saw a few of them planted in street boxes under utilities. There are a lot more conifers here than in DC like Incense Cedar, Douglas Fir, and Western Red Cedar. Katie and I had a few tacos at a taqueria called Porque No- why not?

“Neil and I woke up this morning and like kids on Christmas, opened up our bikes boxes and assembled the bikes, attached the handle bars, slipped on front wheel, screwed on the cranks and pedals, and mounted the front and rear brakes. It was easier than I thought it would be, but we will still have the Tour bike mechanics check them out on Saturday before hitting the road.”

Excerpt from today’s blog post from the road:

“This breath-taking landscape near US Route 101 was surely an early highlight when we were headed out of Seaside on Day 2 (a 106 mile ride). The monolith was formed millions of years ago by lava emanating from the Grand Ronde Mountains. And check it out, the rock is in the opening scene of the Goonies! I had to stop and take a photo off the bike.”