Riding the Gem of the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2026!
We had a great year in 2026, with 94 riders conquering the Blue Ridge Mountain region of the Carolinas. And what a beautiful ride it was! Thank you to everyone who came out this year to support TREE Fund’s research and education programs. 
With your help, we hit our goal for the year and, together, raised $422,496!
In addition to fundraising, a big aspect of the ride is community outreach and learning and, this year, we participated in 10 different outreach and learning events, including eight learning events and tours with local organizations, four rallies featuring Professor Pricklethorn talking to children all about trees, three tree plantings, one Community Day at the North Carolina Arboretum, and one Volunteer Day where we planted a new Miyawaki mini-forest in the city of Greenville!
Included in our group of riders, we had 19 individuals who rode with us for the first time. In addition to our in-person riders, we also had 12 individuals who set their own goals for the summer and participated in the Virtual Tour des Trees.
Highlights from the Week:
Charlotte:
Before the Tour started, several of our riders and volunteers jumped at the chance to take a field trip over to the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory and Arboretum in Charlotte. Normally closed to the public, after a nice lunch, we had the chance to get a tour of the grounds and learn about the different kinds of research being done on the property. We also got a chance to see the tree that was planted in memory of Terrill Collier during the 2016 Tour.
Greenville:
The day before we took off to ride, we had an opportunity to work with the City of Greenville on a restoration project to an often-flooded neighborhood. Working with the city and some other local volunteers, we planted a Miyawaki mini forest on the newly obtained property. Two years ago, during the 2024 Tour, Hurricane Helene swept through the area and the region was in our thoughts. By coming to the area this year, we wanted to take an opportunity to do some additional good and use the skills we had to help serve the area we’d be riding through.
On our first riding day, we began with a stop at Furman University, just off the region’s Swamp Rabbit Trail, where we planted a tree dedicated to our Tour Director of 22 years, Paul Wood, celebrating his retirement at the conclusion of this year’s Tour.
This year’s Tour had several days where riders had options of riding longer or shorter distances. On the first day, we were still able to gather together for lunch in Saluda, NC. That evening, we traveled to a lovely location for dinner hosted by the CEO of ArborMetrics and previous Tour rider, Bob Richens.
Hendersonville:
During lunch on the second day, we gathered to plant a memorial tree in memory of Tour volunteer and husband to Katie Askew, Kenny Askew. The second day also featured the first of four Professor Pricklethorn rallies, where PEP Road Manager Warren Hoselton got the professor talking to kids all about trees.
We also had a chance to stop by a regional Bartlett Tree Expert location (Pisgah Forest) and chat with some of the employees. We ended the day arriving at the Brevard Music Center which provided us a great outdoor setting for the next two nights.
Brevard:
The second day in Brevard, riders were able to explore the region a little more with multiple route options available. Several riders took the opportunity to head over to the downtown area that day and visit the shops and sights. That evening, we had a chance to learn together, with many of the riders attending the “Plants and Pints Night” demonstration by the Pisgah Conservancy group, where we got to learn about the watershed, the bugs that dwell in it, and what they are doing to preserve the natural areas.
Asheville:
After a mountainous, 79-mile ride from Brevard to Asheville, the final city on the Tour allowed us to make several stops where we were able to tour various facilities, including the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Community Farm and the Asheville Botanical Gardens. We also had an opportunity to visit the North Carolina Arboretum and chat with some other local organizations about what they are doing in the area as far as urban forestry and conservation.
The Tour capped off with our annual Celebration Dinner, which was also a retirement party for Paul Wood.
Fundraising and Thank Yous
We would not have been able to put this event together without the support of the TREE Fund’s Partners and we would especially like to recognize our Crown and Platinum Partners; Asplundh, Bartlett Tree Experts, Corteva, International Society of Arboriculture, Lucas Tree Experts, SavATree, Wright Tree, and FirstEnergy.
We would also like to give an additional special mention to the following groups for their support at this year’s ride: Sennebogen, ArborMetrics, Samsara, Vermeer, Bandit Industries, Duke Energy, West Coast Arborists, and the Indiana Arborist Association. Also, an extra thank you to Bartlett Tree Experts for providing us with new first aid kits. Finally, we would like to thank ISA Southern Chapter for being such wonderful hosts and for all their help in putting together a great event.
The planning of an event like this is typically a year-long process and our planning committee took multiple hours out of their already busy schedules to help put this year’s event together and make it the best it could be. We’d like to thank the following individuals from that committee for their time and hard work: Thom Kraak, Jeff Iles, Laura Iles, Ben Rickenbacker, Don Roppolo, Cindy Schwab, Laurie Skul, Warren Hoselton, Julie Stachecki, Paul Sellers, and Kathy Gilmour. We would also like to extend a special thanks to our Southern Chapter local representatives who put so much work into making the route just right: Matt Searels, Hallie Dozier, Derrick Wells, and Gabriel Whitlock.
Of course, we would also like to extend a final thank you to our great Tour Manager of 22 years, Paul Wood, for creating a beautiful route and for years of hard work.
As you know, fundraising is an important part of this event and we would like to thank all of our riders who put in so much time to help raise money this year. We would also like to recognize our top fundraisers for 2026:
Fundraising Top 10:
1- David Gorden: $10,029
2- Dick Rideout: $8,184
3- Jack McCabe: $7,927
4- Jon Crain: $7,212
5- Randy Miller: $7,114
6- Joel Fine: $7,021
7- August Hoppe: $6,996
8- Steve Geist: $6,520
9- Brian Hiemstra: $6,488
10- Laurie Skul: $6,269
Fundraising Top 10 Teams:
1- Team Rocky Mountain Chapter
2- Team Wisconsin Chapter
3- Team Southern Chapter
4- Team New England
5- Team Western Chapter
6- Team Bartlett Tree Experts
7- Team Ohio Chapter
8- Team Minnesota Chapter
9- Team Eocene Environmental
10- Team Michigan Chapter