Read about 250 Concord Trees
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American
Revolution, Concord is planting 250 trees. This living monument,
coordinated by the Concord250 Permanent Memorials Subcommittee,
celebrates Concord’s revolutionary past, as well as its aspirations for the
future.
Below are answers to some questions about the project.
Where will the trees be planted?
Sites have been identified all over Town, including on school campuses. Some trees will
be planted as individual street trees, and in other places, where space allows, trees will
be planted in small groves.
When will the trees be planted?
Planting will take place over three seasons, starting in the fall of 2024, continuing
through spring 2025 and wrapping up in the fall of 2025.
What kinds of trees will be planted?
A working group has compiled a list of suitable trees, all of which are native to the
northeastern United States. Every planting site will be assessed to make sure the tree
that’s being planted is the best choice for the conditions at that site.
How will you make sure the trees are maintained?
A contractor will be hired to do most of the 250 Trees work. The contract will cover
procurement, installation, monthly monitoring for one year, and watering and warranty
for two years.
How much will this cost?
We won’t know exactly how much the project will cost until it goes to bid in the summer
of 2024. A single street tree may cost as much as $1,600 to purchase, plant, water and
maintain for the first two years, but savings can be found in planting smaller trees in
off-street locations.
Town Meeting voters will be asked to commit $125,000 in Community Preservation
Funds, and an additional $125,000 is anticipated to come from American Recovery Plan
Act (ARPA) funds.
Do you need to raise additional funds?
Yes! At this time, it is best to direct such gifts to the Concord250 Corporation, a nonprofit
organization that has been established for the purpose of receiving gifts of financial
support for the 250th.
Checks can be made out to the “Concord250 Corporation” and mailed to:
Concord250 Corporation
PO Box 250
Concord, MA. 01742
In doing so, please make sure the donor specifies the gift is made for the specific
purpose of supporting the 250th Tree Planting Initiative.
How will the 250 trees be identified?
Each street tree will be kept watered with a “gator” bag, and we plan to affix decals to
each of the watering bags to identify them as Concord250 trees. In addition, tree
planting sites will be shown on the Town’s Geographic Information System, and a book
with the tree information will be created and appropriately archived.
Is there anything else I can do to help?
If you have room on your property, you can plant a tree, too! We’re challenging
Concordians to plant 250 trees of their own as a match to the 250 public trees that will
be planted.
More questions or to let us know you’re planting a tree?
Email 250ConcordTrees@gmail.com
The Concord250 Permanent Memorials Subcommittee is raising funds to help plant 250 trees across Town between the fall of 2024 and the fall of 2025. Can you help?
We won’t know the total project cost until contractor bids come in during the summer of 2024, but we know the cost will be higher than the $250,000 anticipated to come from Community Preservation and American Recovery Plan Act funds. A single street tree may cost as much as $1,600 to purchase, plant, and maintain for two years until it is established.
Gifts of any size are appreciated!
$50 – Will fund two gator watering bags
$175 – Will fund one small tree for planting in a grove
$350 – Will fund one large street tree
$700 – Will fund four small trees for planting in a grove
$1,600 – Will fund the purchase, planting, and two years of maintenance for one large street tree
$5,000 – Will fund a very large “signature” tree
Checks can be made out to the “Concord250 Corporation” and mailed to:
Concord250 Corporation
PO Box 250
Concord, MA. 01742
In doing so, please make sure the donor specifies the gift is made for the specific purpose of supporting the 250th Tree Planting Initiative.
Questions? Email 250ConcordTrees@gmail.com
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