Trees grown in Indiana on their way to support Holocaust education nationwide
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One of the sapling trees prepares to depart from Vallonia, Indiana. (Provided Photo/Ambius)
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Four sapling trees that are descended from the original horse chestnut tree outside Anne Frank’s hiding place in Amsterdam and grown in Indiana are now traveling to new homes across the country.
Employees at Vallonia State Nursery in Jackson County helped propogate and grow the trees, which were then delivered by Ambius, an interior landscaping and plant services company with an office in Indianapolis.
“There’s a whole process to dig up a tree and transport it. There are many steps that you have to follow to make sure that you’re not stressing the tree too much,” Lorri MacHarg, president of Ambius, said. “I think [education] is critically important in in today’s environment, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to be involved.”
During World War II, Anne Frank and her family spent more than two years hiding in Amsterdam. Through a window, Frank saw a chestnut tree that she wrote about in her diary.
After the tree was knocked down during a 2010 storm, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam distributed seeds from the tree to partner organizations around the world, including New York-based Anne Frank Center USA, which received 13 trees. Eleven of those trees made their way to Indiana and originally arrived at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
“The trees had to be in quarantine when they came to the United States for two years to make sure that they weren’t bringing any diseases from Europe,” Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather, Anne Frank Center USA’s CEO, said. “We have grown additional trees through grafting…we’re the only partner organization that continue to grow the trees.”
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has one of the sapling trees outside in its Anne Frank Peace Park.
One of the museum’s permanent exhibits, The Power of Children: Making a Difference, also shares Frank’s story and features a recreation of the chestnut tree at the entrance of the exhibit.
“Visitors can explore a recreation of the annex where Anne and her family hid, while learning about the power of words through Anne’s messages of hope that lived on through her diary,” the museum said in a statement. “The tree stands tall outdoors in our Anne Frank Peace Park, next to a limestone carving of a podium with Anne’s diary on it. We’re incredibly proud to have a sapling from the original chestnut tree on our property, as it remains today a symbol of renewal, hope and growth.”
Nationwide impact
This group of trees are headed to four schools in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington, bringing the total number of trees from the project to 21.
While some of the other trees are in historic places, such as the 9/11 Memorial in New York and in Washington D.C, others are at schools.
“It’s a living memorial,” Bairnsfather said. “When it’s in a place of learning, then it becomes part of the institution’s identity. So many young people will read Anne Frank’s story in some form that it’s an entry point to teach the longer, deeper history of what happened in the Holocaust, which is a global story.”
Four Ambius team members are involved in the transportation and handoff of the trees. Bairnsfather said other trees from the project are still growing and they must reach a certain size to be able to be transported safely.
“There is so much energy behind this project, and so we hope we can support the Anne Frank Center for years to come in providing more and more trees to these learning centers,” MacHarg said.