You may have noticed small, diamond-shaped signs appearing on trees around town. Those tags distinguish our oldest and grandest arbor friends, known as Treasure Trees (treasuretreesdavidson.com), under a program recently launched by Davidson Lands Conservancy (DLC) and underwritten by Trane Technologies. The Treasure Trees initiative engages the community to heighten awareness and knowledge of our tree canopy and to locate and honor these trees by describing them and telling their stories.
Treasure Trees include rare, large, or physically unique specimens and trees of cultural or historical significance. Local tree enthusiasts, private arborists, Davidson College representatives, and DLC staff and volunteers collaborate to help identify and catalog these remarkable trees.
Residents can also nominate candidate trees at davidsonlands.org where information on each Treasure Tree is available. Nominations are reviewed monthly by the Davidson Tree Council.
The 87 documented Treasure Trees include 34 different species. Oaks represent the largest number of Treasure Trees with 27 so far in the inventory. The Treasure Tree sign includes a QR code and tree tag number linking to detailed information about the tree and its heritage, and to a map on the DLC website.
Davidson’s Treasure Tree program is made possible by the generous support of Trane Technologies, an outstanding conservation partner for Davidson Lands Conservancy. Trane Technologies is an industry leader in sustainability and a strong supporter of DLC and local conservation efforts. Scott Tew, DLC Board member and Trane’s VP of Sustainability and Managing Director commented,
“Trane is delighted to support the Treasure Tree program in recognition of Davidson’s beautiful canopy and the importance of trees to sustainability in all communities, including Davidson.”
Davidson Lands Conservancy leads the Treasure Tree program through a collaborative effort with the Davidson Tree Council represented by the Town, Davidson College, citizens, and DLC. This program is housed in the Conservancy’s urban forestry focus which also includes TreesDavidson, an initiative dedicated to expanding Davidson’s tree canopy and educating about tree care and the importance of urban trees.
