Awards

We extend our sincere gratitude to the Tree Friends volunteer group for your extraordinary dedication and service. Through countless hours of hard work at Glen Echo and along the parkway, Tree Friends volunteers play a vital role in protecting and restoring our natural landscapes. Your commitment to saving trees and removing invasive plants has made a lasting, positive impact on the health and resilience of these areas. We are deeply thankful for your passion, perseverance, and stewardship of our shared environment. 

Talea Coleman  U.S. National Park Service George Washington Memorial Parkway  

On behalf of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), I want to thank our champions at Tree Friends United. Through their dedicated volunteer service, members have helped save hundreds of trees by removing invasive vines. Their advocacy has also inspired MCDOT to develop and share educational resources with the public, influencing and informing countless others. Montgomery County’s rich natural environment, including its many paths, trails, and abundant trees are central to what makes our community such an exceptional place to live. The collective efforts of this remarkable group help ensure our treasured trees are protected and sustained, an impact that will be felt and enjoyed by residents for decades to come.

Emily DeTitta   Strategic Communications Manager  MCDOT

In June, 2024 Tree Friends United was honored with awards from both the Maryland General Assembly and the Montgomery County Civic Association. The awards are tributes to all of us who have helped save hundreds of trees and restored our vibrant ecosystem. In the photo below (from left to right) Maryland State Delegate Lorig Charkoudian presents awards to Conservation Montgomery recipients Caren Madsen and Amanda Farber who have done amazing work to advocate for the health of our trees, and Tree Friends United volunteers Carl Gunther, Oona Stieglitz, and Jon Nowick.

Oona’s Poem.  Here’s the poem that Oona Stieglitz created and read at the above-mentioned awards ceremony yesterday.  She says it is with apologies to American writer-poet Joyce Kilmer:

I think that I will never see

A thing as sad as a strangled tree

With ivy climbing to the sky

Tree Friends are here to snip and pry!