Nebraska City, Neb. - The dogwood. The maple. The oak. The pine. The redwood.
These are the top five vote-getters to date, in alphabetical order, of the Vote for America's National Tree, which is being hosted by The National Arbor Day Foundation on the Internet at arborday.org.
"We're pleased with the response of the American people to this vote, and we look forward to learning the people's ultimate choice on April 27, 2001, National Arbor Day," said John Rosenow, National Arbor Day Foundation president.
The Arbor Day Foundation began hosting the Vote for America's National Tree on January 1, 2001. Online voting at arborday.org will continue through midnight of April 26. Mail-in votes are also welcome, but must be mailed by April 1 to ensure time fore recording and counting. Those voting through the mail are asked to include their name and address on a 3 x 5" card, with the tree of their choice, and send it to America's National Tree, The National Arbor Day Foundation, Nebraska City, NE 68410.
"One of our aims in this voting process is to educate and engage Americans of all ages and all walks of life, including school children," Rosenow said. "This is not only an important educational opportunity for young people, but also the first occasion for them to vote for something of national significance. I'm gratified to see how well children and schools - and adults - are responding."
Rosenow emphasized that every note counts in the process, and the Foundation is not releasing the number of votes received for any particular tree until the people's choice is announced on National Arbor Day after the voting is completed. The Foundation will announce the people's choice for America's National Tree on April 27, National Arbor Day, at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, Nebraska, and nationwide. Nebraska City is the birthplace of Arbor Day, and home of Arbor Day founder J. Sterling Morton, who inaugurated the first Arbor Day in 1872.
Today The National Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member, nonprofit education organization dedicated to helping people plant and care for trees.
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