Massachusetts Arborists Association to Donate $400,000 Worth of Tree Care to Appleton Farms on Saturday to Celebrate Arbor Day

Hamilton/Ipswich, Mass, Saturday, May 1, 2004 - Appleton Farms, a property of The Trustees of Reservations, has something to celebrate this Arbor Day - 250 certified arborists from across the state will descend upon the historic farm to care and for its hundreds of trees and plant many more. One of the oldest working farms in America, Appleton has been awarded $400,000 worth of tree work from the Massachusetts Arborists Association (MAA) as part of their annual Arbor Day celebration. The event, Celebrating 25 Years of Volunteerism, will take place this Saturday, May 1 from 7:00am-3:00pm.

Armed with over 50 pieces of equipment including bucket trucks, stump grinders, cranes, log trucks, and wood chippers, the arborists will plant, prune, transplant, and fertilize the trees that distinguish this special landscape. "Among the defining features of Appleton Farms are the magnificent shade trees that dot the 1,000-acre landscape," says Wayne Castonguay, General Manager of Appleton Farms. "Some of these trees are over 200-years old - they were planted and cared for over the generations by one of America's founding families. The work of MAA will extend the life of these trees for our visiting public to enjoy for the generations to come."

Each year, the MAA selects a site owned by a non-profit entity for their annual volunteer event designed to raise awareness of arbor culture. This year's event is particularly special because it is the 25th anniversary for the arborists' volunteerism. "We couldn't be more thrilled to be selected by this prestigious organization as the site for their 25th Anniversary celebration - competition for this famous event is fierce and we feel so fortunate that MAA chose us," says Castonguay. "We simply do not have the funding or the staff capacity to tackle the huge amount of tree work needed at this special place." Local volunteers, Jeff Allsopp and Ollie Wolcott, worked hard to secure Appleton Farms as a site among the ranks of other beneficiaries of MAA's generosity such as the Boston Esplanade, The Stone Zoo, and Walden Pond.

Appleton Farms

Appleton Farms is a spectacular, 1,000-acre designed landscape and working farm located in Hamilton and Ipswich. Founded in 1636 and managed for 360 years by one of America's founding families, it is one of the oldest continuously working farms in the nation. Transferred from the Appleton Family in 1998, it is now protected and preserved as a public reservation by The Trustees of Reservations. The property consists of approximately 500 acres of agricultural land, 400 acres of woodland, and the remainder is designed landscape. The farm, which is open to the public, contains historic structures and landscapes, prime agricultural land as well as a wide diversity of natural features including forests, fields and wetlands.

The Trustees of Reservations

The Trustees of Reservations is among the oldest land trusts in the nation. Founded in 1891, it preserves for public use and enjoyment properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts and works to protect special places across the state. A nonprofit organization funded entirely by visitors, supporters, and 40,000 members, The Trustees of Reservations protects more than 52,000 acres in Massachusetts and has 94 reservations open to the public. For more information, visit The Trustees website at www.TheTrustees.org.

The Massachusetts Arborist Association

The Massachusetts Arborists Association (MAA) is a professional trade organization that serves the commercial arbor culture industry and advances the goals of its members through education, research support, certification, and promotion of the value of arbor culture to the public. For more information, visit the MAA website at www.massarbor.org.