In observance of Italy’s National Tree Day, a cloned tree—preserved from two 300-year old monumental plane trees—was planted on the Tri-Mission Rome compound during a formal ceremony attended by Chargé d’Affaires Shawn Crowley; embassy representatives; other U.S. government personnel; and host nation partners from the Rome Botanical Gardens and the Italian Society of Agronomists, Nov. 21, 2022. The tree planting, while promoting bilateral cooperation and sustainability, held additional significance to the Tri-Mission. Crowley dedicated the cloned tree to George Perkins Marsh, the first U.S. ambassador to a unified Italy, who paved the way for environmental preservation and policies. In his closing remarks, Crowley said, “Today, we want to remember Ambassador Marsh by dedicating to him this cherished young monumental plane tree, that the Orto Botanico di Roma so masterfully reproduced from its ancient parents, and promise that, going forward, we will care for and look upon its growth for centuries to come.”
Photo by Alessandro Corradini
