TREEmendous news from my friend and colleague, the creator of Tree Huggers (personalized tree dedication markers). She learned yesterday that her Huggers will be placed on the 400+ trees that are being planted at the Ground Zero site in NY!

According to The Star-Ledger…”Some 450 trees, which have been meticulously cared for at a large tree nursery in Monmouth County for more than three years, will eventually form a lush canopy at the memorial, a cobblestone plaza surrounding two pools built on the footprints of the destroyed Twin Towers. When the first 16 trees were planted at the site last August, it was a tangible sign that life had returned to Ground Zero.”

The 911 Memorial is slated to open in time to mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed 2,752 people at the World Trade Center. Many of the trees, primarily swamp white oaks, are being provided by Halka Nurseries, which has nearly cornered the niche market of providing large trees for national memorials. (Halka Nurseries provided trees for the WWII Memorial, the Korean Memorial, the FDR Memorial, and the Statue of Liberty.) Even the national Christmas tree and the trees pictured on the new $50 bill are all Halka trees! The nursery also grew the trees planted at the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Wahsington, D.C.

Tree Huggers are stainless steel tree dedication plaques that are used to commemorate events and milestones, and honor the memory of people and beloved pets who share(d) a life’s journey. Tree Huggers custom tree plaques can be engraved with your own special message. They are sometimes referred to as a Tree Memorial Plaque, Tree Memorial, Tree Plaque, Tree Identification Tag, or Tree Marker. Tree Huggers are created using high-grade stainless steel and are noted for being the only tree plaque that gently wraps around the tree (by means of plastic-encased springs) and expands without harming it as it grows! It will not rust or corrode or release any harmful toxins or chemicals that could harm the tree. To accommodate tree growth, springs are provided in two lengths to take your tree from infancy/3″, to a circumference of up to 60″. High quality engraving using diamond-tipped cutters make Tree Huggers® a gift that will last a lifetime. Allow up to 10 days for delivery. Dimensions 2″ wide x 6″ long. Personalization information: maximum 4 lines with up to 35 characters per line including spaces and hyphens, plus you can add a custom icon if desired at no additional cost. Text will be centered. Adding a 5th line is also possible.

Please visit our site, www.bighugllc.com for more information and to order your own special Tree Hugger!