Newton Arboretum to welcome cyclists Sept. 5 for Tour des Trees

More than 70 cyclists will make a pitstop to the Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens as part of the Tour des Trees, an annual bike ride that promotes and educates people about proper tree care and tree research. Locals are invited to welcome the riders and attend a presentation about the importance of trees.

Organized by the Tree Research and Education Endowment (TREE) Fund, the bike ride will start in Des Moines and end in Nebraska City, Neb. Tour de Trees riders will spend up to six days riding through the Hawkeye and Cornhusker States in order to raise money for TREE Fund.

According to the most updated itinerary, riders will be arriving to the Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at 10 a.m. Sept. 5 during the 90-mile trek from Pella to Ames. Riders will stay on the grounds for about an hour before heading off to their next aid station at the caboose and trailhead in Baxter.

While in Newton, bike rider Warren Hoselton, who also goes by the name Professor Elwood Pricklethorn, will be in charge of a free outreach presentation for both children and adults in attendance at 10:30 a.m. Hoselton has hosted numerous “Trees Please and Thank You” pep rallies over the years.

Jodi Flaherty, office manager of the Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, is excited for the cyclists to stop by the grounds, which is on full display with the many blooming flowers and greenery. Collaborating with TREE Fund is also a “perfect partnership” for the arboretum, which is also conservation-minded.

With only an hour or so to spare, it is going to be a quick stop for the riders. Which is why Flaherty hopes the community and the arboretum make a big enough impression for visitors to want to come back and visit the grounds again. Flaherty is eager to invite them back to the botanical garden.

“I view it as a great opportunity to maybe bring some of those cyclists back — since it’s an area of their interest — and show them the city of Newton in more depth,” Flaherty said. “There are lots of ideas that can be generated from getting these two groups together. And it generates excitement in the community.”

Tour de Trees has cycled through communities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom since 1992. The 2022 route is about 460 miles and allows cyclists to join in-person or virtually. The tour is a fundraiser for TREE Fund, which supports educational programs to connect people with the environment.

TREE Fund has been able to award more than $4.8 million in grant and scholarship funding since 2002. According to the organization’s website, the Tour des Trees has been a key component in the organization’s ongoing success. To learn more about the nonprofit visit www.treefund.org.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com