NYSA member Michael Grimm and his daughter Christy are heading for the Blue Ridge Mountains this fall for the 2026 Tour des Trees, a multi-day cycling event that supports the TREE Fund. Cyclists will raise funds for each day they ride and stop along the way to spread the word about the importance of trees and tree care.

Established in 2002 via a merger of the International Society of Arboriculture Research Trust and the National Arborist Foundation, TREE Fund (the acronym stands for Tree Research and Education Endowment) awards research grants, education grants and scholarships to advance the fields of arboriculture and urban forestry. 

This year's Tour des Trees takes place September 13-17, starting in Greenville, South Carolina and ending in Asheville, North Carolina. The ride will be between 277 miles and 350 miles, with shorter and longer options available most days.

Michael Grimm, founder and past president of Michael Grimm Landscape & Tree Service in Jamesville, is a longtime NYSA member and supporter of the TREE Fund. He completed his first Tour des Trees in 2001 and rode with Christy in the 2019 Tour through Kentucky and Tennessee.

Christy Grimm lives in Oregon, where she works in aviation and aerospace engineering and used the tree care knowledge she learned at home to nurse a neglected Christmas tree farm back to health.

Click HERE to download the flier to the right.

Click HERE to learn more about TREE Fund and the Tour des Trees.

Click HERE to support Michael and Christy on their ride.