Core Reforestation Partners
Flight 93 Reforestation Partners (2012-2022)
WHAT IS PLANT A TREE?
For over a decade, the National Park Service, Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, and National Park Foundation have partnered to continue a major reforestation project. With the completion of the 2022 plantings, the milestone goal of planting 150,000 trees at Flight 93 National Memorial has been achieved.
This conservation project is part of the memorial’s original design and is meant to reclaim the former surface mine with native trees to re-establish wildlife habitats, create essential windbreaks and establish the healing of the memorial landscape.
PLANTING A NATIONAL MEMORIAL
The reforestation project has been a collaborative partnership that originated with the Friends of Flight 93, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation and is shared by state and federal government agencies as well as private and academic organizations. More than 4,200 volunteers contributed over 17,000 volunteer hours over 10 years and made this project a success.
Since the beginning of the plantings in 2012, 197 acres have been reforested. Now that many of the initial plantings have matured, they are 8 Feet tall and have formed essential windbreaks. Much of what is now the memorial is a former surface coal mine and this effort has also re-established woodland wildlife habitats and cultivated a living memorial.
The planting of 41 varieties of native trees and shrubs has attracted 63 native bee species and 141 native bird species. The intermixing of pollinators has helped to create the perfect environment for birds and bees alike. Visitors coming to the memorial to pay tribute to the 40 passengers and crew members can see wildlife such as deer, geese, various native birds, bees, butterflies, and this year we had a swan join our habitat.
This reforestation project has been truly fortunate to have partners such as Green Forests Work, The American Chestnut Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Universities of Kentucky, and Indiana University of PA and more!
Legacy Project Partners:
Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial
Green Forests WorkIndiana University of PennsylvaniaNational Park Foundation Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry
The American Chestnut Foundation
United States Forest Service, Allegany National Forest
United States Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
Volunteers-In-Parks, Flight 93 National Memorial
Supporting Partners:
| Alcoa Foundation Alcoa American Airways American Bird Conservancy American Eagle Screen Printing and Embroidery Ameriserv Financial Arbor Day Foundation ArborGen Inc. ARM Group, Inc. Bitner Vending BMW of North America, LLC Carpenter Technology Chesapeake Bay Foundation Chevron North America ColorWear Columbia Gas of PA Concurrent Technologies Corporation Conemaugh Residency Program Culligan Water Service Davey Tree Service The EADS Group, Inc. Eat ‘N Park Restaurants, Somerset Emma Munson Foundation Enterprise Rent-A-Car Fairmount Minerals FedEx Ground First National Bank Gaston Graphic Studio Gateway Health Plan GenOn Energy Donna Gibson Global/SFC Valve Corporation Green Pathways H.F. Lenz Partners Hiking Westmoreland Hollern Insurance The Home Depot Home Depot IFS Mentoring Program International Paper Susan Keller Irene M. Kent Kongsberg Protech Systems Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau Leonard S. Fiore, Inc. Let’s Move Outdoors Lowe’s (Somerset) – Marcellus Shale Coalition Mass Mutual Sandra McCurdy | MetLife MetLife Foundation Musser Engineering NAC Cares NASCAR Foundation National Environmental Education Foundation Native American Nations, Mary Garcia Nemacolin Gives Back Nemacolin Woodlands Resort North American Hoganas NRG Energy Penelec Green Team Pennsylvania Council of Professional Foresters Pittsburgh CPR LLC Pocono Raceway Pyramid Healthcare Recreational Equipment, Inc. Rosebud Mining Company Roy A. Hunt Foundation S & T Bank Samara of Berea SBA Communications Company Seven Springs Mountain Resort Sheetz, Inc. Sherwin Williams Paint Store (Louisville, KY) Simpson & McCrady Ed and Lin Snider Snyder of Berlin Somerset Community Hospital Somerset County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program Somerset Exchange Club Somerset Trust Company Starbucks (Somerset) Subway, Central City Terry L. Butler The Dominion Foundation The Nature Conservancy The UPS Foundation Thomas and Williamson Three Rivers Orthopedic & Spine Products Partners Union Concrete UPS US Airways US Airways Flight Attendants Walmart – Somerset William Burkland Family Foundation Windber Medical Center WITF Radio W.W. Friedline Trucking |
Academic Institutions:
| Altoona Area High School Bedford High School FAA Berea College Black Men Working Academy – Lexington, KY Bridgewater College Duquesne University School of Law New Day Charter School Penn Highland Community College | Penn State Altoona Penn State DuBois Pennsylvania State University Shade High School Somerset Junior High School Honor Society Tyrone Area High School University of Kentucky Windber Area School District |
Federal, State, and Local Government:
| Allegheny County Airport Authority Allegany County Forestry Board Appalachian Regional Commission Maryland Bureau of Mines Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, SCI Laurel Highlands Pennsylvania Game Commission United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service:
United States Navy Ceremonial Guard, Arlington National Cemetery United States Transpiration Security Administration, Dulles Airport |
Service Organizations:
| AmeriCorps AmeriCorps, VISTA Appalachian Regional Commission Berlin LEO Club Bethel Lutheran Church Boy Scouts of America, Troop 1313—Laurel Highlands Council Boy Scouts of America, Troop #15 – Munhall Boy Scouts of America Troop #20—Centre Hall, #66—Nicktown, #1393—Peters Township Cambria Rotary Club Fraternal Order of Eagles Somerset Chapter Girl Scouts of America, Troop # 54327—Peters Township | Johnstown Adventure Club Johnstown Running Club Lions Club International – Region 5, District 14M Oakbrook Church Pi Lambda Phi, Frostburg University Reclamation Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department Sierra Club (Bluegrass Chapter) Somerset Rotary Club Spring Valley Community Tau Phi Delta (Alumni) Tuesday’s Children |
Invasive Removal:
| Marcellus Shale Coalition US Coast Guard Auxiliary VFW Post 3368 Western PA Conservancy Southern Laurel Highlands Pest and Plant Management Partnership |
