champion for trees in Montgomery County is Joe Howard . As a member of the Forestry Board , he established the County Champion Tree Program , and in early days , Joe contacted owners of champions on private land and established relationships to keep track of their well being . A retired teacher and school principal , founder of the County ’ s Outdoor Education Program , Joe has received numerous awards . He has been leading Champion Tree Tours for Brookside Gardens and other organizations since the 1990s . Visiting champions with Joe is unique . An excellent teacher , he has a way of drawing his audience into the same honorific feeling he carries ; always greeting each tree like an old friend . With folksy humor and a twinkle , Joe imparts a little history , some botany and most of all , his love of all trees , especially the oldest ones .
This summer Joe turned 90 with his enthusiasm unabated . He re-
Joe Howard with National Champion Paw Paw tree in McCrillis Gardens , Bethesda .
cently told me that growing up on the Eastern Shore , his father took the family to visit special places and the Wye Oak was a frequent stop . As a boy , paying homage to an old tree
was normal and natural . He became a teacher and school bus driver , taking his students on field trips to visit the Wye Oak as he did when a boy . Perhaps this helps explain his comfort level when he leads tours . The trees we visit on tours are his old friends . He has kept up with them over time . He grieves when they pass . He celebrates newly named champions .
Joe has certainly nurtured my love of trees and forests . When I stand next to a large old tree and lean my back against the trunk , I feel a solid , living presence . The energy coming from trees exudes hope , comfort and well being . But what I feel most strongly is a deep , abiding sense of wonder that remains long after I return home ... and I always hug them before I leave .
Ginny Barnes is an artist and environmental activist who loves our sacred trees and forests just as our ancestors did .
Veterinary Clinic , LLC
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