Sarasota Livin'

I could have titled this "neighborhood bloggers fight over which neighborhood has the biggest / bestest trees" but I am much too dignified for that...

IBSSA aka Dick Clapp notes that New College has a champion tree on their campus. That is great read about it here.. NATURE'S SECRETS / By Meg Lowman -- Students take part in cloning for conservation of champion trees

Also please look at my blog "boast" at Sarasota Neighborhoods that includes some nice pictures of huge oak trees in Arlington Park. Again I won't comment on the relative "coolness" of "slash pine" vs OAK trees.

Other Sarasota Tree Links I found..

Sarasota Fruit & Nut Society
is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to introducing, propagating and distributing the many rare tropical and sub-tropical fruits grown throughout the world. We offer education and encouragement to the novice and experienced grower alike in order to share our love of growing.

ReLeaf Sarasota Mission: To lead, educate, and inspire our community to conserve, plant, and sustain our community's trees.

Save the Emerald Forest is a "political action group" trying to "Help Save Sarasota's Last Great City Forest" located in IBSSA

The mission of the Champion Tree Project is to be the leader of urban and community environmental sustainability by protecting, propagating and planting a living legacy of our champion trees.

And a press release from several years back..

ChampTree Cultivars Planted
on Sarasota's Millennium Tree Trail
National Arbor Day 2000

RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART, Sarasota, Florida Cloned cultivars from the National Champion green and silver buttonwood trees were planted at the National Millennium Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, April 29th, 2000. The tree planting is part of a continuing effort by the non-profit Florida Champion Tree Project to protect, propagate and plant a genetic legacy of our largest and best trees.

A champion tree is defined as the largest specimen of its species and Florida has more than any other state: 172. Many champion trees are remnants of original old growth forest that covered the state and was cut down to make way for farming and development. The Florida Champion Tree Project contracted a private tree nursery group, the Accelerator Growers Association (AGA), to grow clones of selected champion trees to help reforest the state's urban areas.