LAUREL, Del. - Delaware State Parks planted their 75,000th tree at Trap Pond State Park on Oct. 19, marking a milestone ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
The American holly, Delaware’s state tree, was planted near the Bob Trail by the causeway as a Liberty Tree, says DNREC. The trees honor the nation’s history and the role Liberty Trees played as symbols of freedom before the American Revolution.
According to DNREC, the planting also marks the completion of a goal set by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Parks and Recreation to add 75,000 trees to state parks by the end of 2026.
The trees were planted across 16 of Delaware’s 17 state parks. Plantings included native species such as oak, cherry, persimmon, maple, sycamore and pine. According to DNREC, this will improve wildlife habitats, control erosion and support healthy forests.
The effort is part of A Tree for Every Delawarean, a statewide initiative aiming to plant one million trees by 2030.
DNREC says more than 500,000 trees have been planted statewide so far.Â
Additional plantings are planned, including 88 trees scheduled for Fox Point State Park on Oct. 28.
