The Moses Cleaveland Trees are living landmarks, predating the year Moses Cleaveland himself settled the city in 1796.

Of the 273 designated “Moses Cleveland Trees”—including varieties like tulips, sycamores, beeches, several kinds of oaks—some 70 still stand as kingpins of the urban canopy.

Today these landmarks beg the question, “How best to conserve the living and create new landmarks for the future?”

This Wednesday, March 23, at 6:30 pm, local historian, geologist, and archeologist Dr. Roy Larick will present a virtual program at the Euclid Public Library,  “Moses Cleaveland Trees: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.”

“Big trees make for a beautiful—and healthy—Cleveland,” says Larick. “The Moses Cleaveland Trees call attention to the biggest and most beautiful. We must care for those that stand and plant new ones for a beautiful, healthy future. 

Cuyahoga County municipalities are trying to rebuild the tree canopy quickly. But in the haste to plant trees, Larick says we may lose sight of reforesting on sustainable, nature-based lines. A piece on the pitfalls of poorly informed tree planting recently appeared in the New York Times. 

Larick explains that Cuyahoga County's native forest was surprisingly varied across highlands, plains and valleys. While the native forest is essentially gone, the Moses Cleaveland Trees are its sentinel remnants on the public landscape. Each landmark tree reflects a suite of species—a native forest variant—that once thrived in its now urban neighborhood. 

“Cleveland's native forest was greatly varied,” says Larick. “In felling the trees, we lost track of the forest. As living landmarks, the Moses Cleaveland Trees are key to knowing the natural variants. They are guides to reforesting sustainably.”

In addition to celebrating the trees, Wednesday's program will tie surviving Moses Cleaveland Trees with the forest variants identified in legacy tree surveys around the county. The result is a framework for localizing canopy development across our natural features. 

The Moses Cleaveland Trees were designated to reflect the beauty and resilience of grand native species. In addition to standing tall and beautiful, the landmark trees can help build a more sustainable approach to canopy development.

Registration for Moses Cleaveland Trees: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” is required. Once you register you will receive a specific Zoom link in your email to join the program.

The event runs Wednesday, March 23 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Register for the event with the Euclid Public Library here.