In turn, their ideas would “be vetted by a wide range of federal and private entities and the general public at a museum exhibition.” NPS says it would follow federal planning statutes during this process.

Architectural and landscape design firms would participate in the forum and propose improvements. The campaign will include an “Ideas Labs” backed by American Express “that will serve as a forum for generating a new vision to secure the future of the Tidal Basin,” says the release. Needed improvements include a repaired sea wall, better pedestrian circulation, and more comprehensive interpretative signs, according to the groups. Sam Kittner/National Trust for Historic Preservation “epairs and improvements could cost as much as $500 million to address.” The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Trust for the National Mall are joining with NPS in the “Save the Tidal Basin” campaign. “Walkways surrounding the Tidal Basin are flooded at high tide on a daily basis, making them impassible for visitors and impacting the roots of the cherry trees,” explains a press release that announced the campaign on Wednesday. This as well as lackluster visitor facilities and perimeter safety issues are why NPS and nonprofit organizations have kicked off a “ Save the Tidal Basin” campaign to fix up the area. Stumpy is thriving,' Litterst said.The cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin are currently in peak bloom, but according to their caretakers at the National Park Service (NPS), the trees face long-term risks from high tides. 'As the blossoms show, Stumpy is not just surviving. Repair of the seawall in that area has already begun, and when it's finished, dead trees in that area will be replaced.īut in the meantime, there's good news for those who appreciate the symbolism of a scraggly, worn-down tree tirelessly creating beauty in the face of adversity: Three years later, Stumpy is still going strong. 'We would probably do far more damage to it if we tried to move it than if we just allow it to remain in place,' Litterst said. But according to Litterst, it's too late for that. Stumpy's adoring fans on social media sometimes call for him to be replanted somewhere that doesn't flood. eventually the constant water will take its toll and the tree will die (or we will remove it, as was done with a dozen or so other trees in that area a few years ago),' Litterst said.

'While we don't have any projections about how long this tree will be able to survive. Overflow in Stumpy's neighborhood along the Tidal Basin means his days are, unfortunately, numbered. The flooding can cause trees to wilt, cause 'leaf scorch' (when the leaves of a tree turn brown and eventually die), 'dieback' (where the branches or roots of a tree wither and then die), or the death of the entire tree. Reddit users - not just the now-deleted account that made the original post, but also other avid Stumpy fans - posted progress photos as the tree bloomed that spring, and eventually gave him his famous moniker.ĭiplomats, Nematodes and a Travel Writer: How DC Got Its Famous Cherry Trees 'I needed this after all the chaos this week.' 'Faith in humanity +1,' said one commenter on March 15, 2020. While most of the comments were left before the pandemic hit the U.S., the tone of a follow-up thread by a different user shows how Stumpy's resilience hit home in the District as the uncertainty grew. 26, 2020 - just over two weeks before COVID-19 was officially declared a global pandemic and institutions around the world closed indefinitely. 'Mostly dead, it's slightly alive,' said another user, seemingly referencing a famous scene from the 1987 cult classic film 'The Princess Bride.' 'You know what that old tree is doing?' said one user. The account that originally made the post has since been deleted, but the post itself, and a multitude of supportive comments responding to it, remain online.

A February, 2020 post to the r/washingtondc subreddit shows Stumpy in all his scraggly glory.

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