Cape May County's Giant Trees

June 14 - Tree lovers will wonder what took so long. This week you can take a tour not of old houses but of old trees.

The Cape May Bird Observatory hosts a driving tour Friday, June 18 of Cape May County's Biggest Trees with author Lyman Hoffman.

Hoffman has has tracked and measured the largest trees and chronicled them in his two books "Giants Among Us" and "Magnificent Trees of Cape May County." Pat Sutton, CMBO Program Director and lover of trees, will co-lead this adventure.

The June 18 driving tour with Hoffman and Sutton goes from 10AM-3PM and will showcase 40 giant trees encompassing 17 different species between Goshen and Tuckahoe.

Some of these trees are well over 100 years old!

Hoffman began his quest for Cape May County's giant trees when he acquired the 1949 publication by Robert Alexander, "Noteworthy Trees of Cape May County," a booklet published by the venerable Cape May Geographic Society.

Sutton hasa been doing her own quest over the years for the giant trees that had been spared as roads widened, houses were built, and landowners changed.

If you love "old Cape May" and the giants that still stand to remind us of yesteryear and will hopefully stand for another hundred or more years, be sure to take advantage of this very special tour with the Cape May Bird Observatory and Lyman Hoffman.

Spaces are limited and registrations are being taken now. The cost/person is $25 ($15 for CMBO or New Jersey Audubon Society members). To register call (609) 861-0700.