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Photo: Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org
A pear tree that was wounded in the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center has been restored to health and is thriving for visitors to admire. The tree titled “The Survivor Tree” was pulled out of the rubble from ground zero after the September 11 attacks, charred and seemingly dead. Years later, Ron Vega, project manager at the National September 11 Memorial Plaza, was able to track down the tree at The Arthur Ross Citywide Nursery in the Bronx where it was being tended to. Horticulturalist Richie Cabo had cared for the tree since 2001 and was thrilled to see it healthily restored and returned to the memorial on December 21, 2010.
For five years, director, Scott Elliott has helped documented the trees in the Memorial Plaza including the resilient pear tree. His film, “The Trees” documents the journey of the Swamp White Oaks, as well as the pear tree as they are nursed, then transported the plaza. It follows the different angles of the plaza’s completion, from landscape architect Peter Walker’s initial visions to the nursery were The Survivor Tree was tended to. The trees have grown and flourished much like the city in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11th and serve as a haven for visitors, offering them a peaceful, organic atmosphere. They can be admired on the roof of the September 11 Memorial & Museum. Scott Elliott’s documentary is expected to be completed in the summer of 2015. If you would like to donate to, or learn more about his ongoing project, please visit his website. You can also find out hours and ticket info for the Memorial & Museum on their website to schedule a visit to see the tress in the beautiful plaza.
-by Johanna Silver