9/11 'Survivor Tree' saplings to go to Nassau County

MINEOLA, NY (WABC) -- The National September 11 Memorial & Museum will distribute three saplings grown from the only tree to survive the World Trade Center attacks of 2001.

The young trees will go to Eisenhower Park, The Nassau County Fire Academy and Rath Park in Franklin Square.

The saplings journey began as the charred trunk of a Callery pear tree was pulled from the smoldering rubble of the WTC site after the 2001 attacks.

The tree earned the name "Survivor Tree" and has grown to become a living reminder of resilience, survival and rebirth.

The tree survived the pile at Ground Zero, was saved, taken to a parks department yard, forgotten about and then remembered, so that we will all remember.

Steve Perry of John Bowne High School is an educator who taught high school students how to plant the seeds and grow small trees.

"This is the only surviving tree that was barely surviving, and went through even more after it was resurrected and survived," he said.

100 seedlings from the original surviving tree were picked up by 28 volunteer firehouses on Long Island.

"From the horrible site at 9/11 where we found the tree in the debris field, to the effort made to save the tree for the tree to recover multiple times, for it to bear fruit and bear seeds and those seeds bear children," said Ronaldo Vega of the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

Vega is the man who first saved the original tree. He's senior director of design at the 9/11 Memorial and he says the tree and its survival are nothing less than magic.

"Volunteer fire departments each have their own memorial with their own little tree, and they'll be able to touch a piece of the World Trade Center, both the past and the future at the same time," said Vega.

"John Bowne High School, the kids there, they actually took the seedlings, planted them, watered them and took care of them, and here they are now going to their proper places," said Wayne Forte, a New York City firefighter who on his own time, has helped these offshoots take root where they need to be.

"A couple of places lost individual firemen so you know in those cases they got three trees," he said.

Adults say the most important part of all this tree program is to hear high school students tell younger students the historical significance of 9/11 and say they can't witness that without getting goosebumps.

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano says he is proud to welcome this symbol of strength.

Each year, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum gives seedlings from the Survivor Tree to three communities that have endured tragedy in recent years.

During the tree's rehabilitation, seeds were collected from the original tree and seedlings were generated.

On September 9, several of these precious descendants will be escorted to Long Island by FDNY Firefighter Matthew Yellico.

Yellico is a September 11th first responder and worked at Ground Zero for many months. On September 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Eisenhower Park, Nassau County will welcome The Survivor Tree sapling at the Annual 9/11 Sunset Candlelight & Remembrance Ceremony.

In recognition of this donation, residents are asked to consider donating blood on behalf of the Long Island Volunteer Center.

Their annual blood drive is on September 21st from 2 p.m. to 8 pm at the Nassau County Firefighters Museum in Garden City.