MEDIA AVAILABILITY: National Park Service Crews to Prune Trees in Advance of Peak Bloom
Media availability: National park service crews to prune trees in advance of peak bloom
For Immediate Release – March 12, 2024
Media Contacts:
Julie Moore
Trust for the National Mall
202-297-6106
jmoore@nationalmall.org
Sheena Pegarido
LINK
202-559-4431
spegarido@linksp.com
The National Park Service and the Trust for the National Mall will hold a Cherry Blossom Tree Care Media Availability demonstrating how National Park Service crews care for the flowering Japanese cherry trees as they prepare for peak bloom.
Crews will be pruning the trees, using ladders, loppers and snippers, and wood chippers with the Tidal Basin, Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument in the background. This is part of the work that the National Park Service carries out year-round to ensure the iconic trees are primed and ready for peak bloom, and that this grand Washington tradition will continue blooming for generations to come.
Learn about the Trust for the National Mall’s Adopt a Cherry Tree Program, where the public can support the care of the trees to ensure they bloom for future generations, and BloomCam, which provides a live view of the iconic Tidal Basin cherry trees – where you can monitor peak bloom, and peak foot traffic on the Tidal Basin.
Please contact the Trust for the National Mall for additional video and photos as needed.
WHAT: Cherry Blossom Tree Care Media Availability
WHEN: Thursday, March 14, 2024, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
NOTE: A Trust for the National Mall spokesperson can be available as needed on the Tidal Basin to discuss all topics below related to the Cherry Blossoms.
WHERE: Paddle Boat Parking Lot on the Tidal Basin
WHO:
The following individuals will be available for interviews:
Matthew Morrison, Urban Forester for National Mall and Memorial Parks
Mike Litterst, Chief of Communications and Spokesperson, National Mall and Memorial Parks
Julie Moore, Vice President of Communications and Spokesperson, Trust for the National Mall
WHY:
Daily flooding is damaging some trees. With rising sea levels, intense storms, and infrastructure issues on the Tidal Basin, some areas now flood the trees twice a day, adding to the long-term challenges. The National Park Service will begin a project to repair portions of the failing seawalls this spring.
Countering impacts of wear and tear: First planted on the Tidal Basin in 1912, the trees need care and attention more than ever given the impact of the changing climate with more severe storms along with heavy foot traffic and wear and tear they experience from hundreds of thousands of visitors who flock to see the trees each spring. Year-round maintenance (pruning, feeding, mulching and watering) is critical to keep the trees and buds healthy and the roots protected so they can thrive and bloom for generations to come. The National Park Service also plants nearly 100 new trees each year.
What you’ll see this cherry blossom season: In addition to the popular BloomCam, a partnership between the Trust, EarthCam and the National Park Service, the Trust for the National Mall also has an additional live streaming camera — MonumentCam — to offer enhanced views as the cherry trees bloom. This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival, March 20 – April 16, includes the popular Blossom Kite Festival and National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade.
Fundraising to support the cherry trees: The Trust for the National Mall raises critical funds needed for the care of the cherry trees above and beyond what’s provided in the National Park Service budget. Supported by the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the Trust for the National Mall’s Adopt a Cherry Tree Program has a goal of raising $3.7 million ($1,000 for each of the 3,700 cherry trees) to help the National Park Service care for the trees and protect them for the next generation. Viewers can support the trees here: https://www.bloomcam.org/donate
CHERRY TREE FAST FACTS:
There are 3,700 cherry trees on the National Mall. Every year, approximately 90 trees need replacing.
The original cherry trees were planted in 1912, making this year the 112th anniversary of the cherry blossoms on the National Mall.
There are more than 36 million annual visits each year on the National Mall.
March 15, 1990, marks the earliest peak bloom on record while April 18, 1958, is the latest peak. Last year, peak bloom occurred on March 23.
ABOUT THE TRUST FOR THE NATIONAL MALL: As the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan philanthropic partner of the National Park Service dedicated to restoring, enriching and preserving the National Mall, the Trust brings expertise, private funding and in-kind support to ensure that the National Mall endures and evolves as a vibrant space for all. To learn more and to support our mission visit: www.nationalmall.org | information@nationalmall.org | @thenationalmall
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