Hog Island oak tree, by John Parker / SERC
Help celebrate America’s 250th birthday, by naming a tree on the campus of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) that was alive during the Revolutionary War! The tree is a 274-year-old white oak (Quercus alba). It grows on “Hog Island,” a small peninsula jutting into Maryland’s Rhode River on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay. Since Hog Island was never farmed, it is home to some of the oldest plants on the SERC campus. This tree witnessed the land’s transformation, from Colonial plantations on the eve of the Revolutionary War to a 20th-century dairy farm, before it joined the Smithsonian in 1962.
Voting is open until July 5. One vote per person. We’ll share the final results on the SERC website July 8. Cast your vote here
Want to visit the tree? You can see this white oak in person on SERC’s Discovery-Muddy Creek trail. Please note that walking off SERC trails is not permitted. You can find Hog Island by using our Waterfront Trail Map (PDF). See more hiking trails on our Maps and Trails page.
