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16 Arbor Age / June 2014 www.arborage.com I magine, if you will, a tree-planting project that not only benefi ts the environment, but also connects us to our shared American his- tory, and contributes to a deep sense of place. There is such an effort underway in one of the most historic corners of the United States with arborists and partners across a four-state region working in support. With the largest concentration of Civil War battlefi eld sites in the country, the Journey Through Hallowed Ground (JTHG) Partnership created the Living Legacy Project to commemorate the Civil War Sesqui- centennial. This project of national signifi - cance has a goal of planting or dedicating one tree for each of the 620,000 soldiers who died, as a living memorial for their individual and combined sacrifi ces. These trees are being planted along the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Scenic Byway, a historic artery that connects travelers to more than 400 years of European, American and African-American heri- tage. Upon completion, the Living Legacy Project will be the fi rst 180-mile landscaped allée in the world, and the only allée dedicated to honoring the most defi ning moment in American history. The project will create a unifi ed color palette that reminds visitors that they are, indeed, on hallowed ground. Rhodeside & Harwell Incorporated, an award-winning planning and landscape architecture practice that has worked with Arlington National Cemetery, the U.S. National Arbo- retum, the C&O National Historical Park, the Iwo Jima Me- morial, and other historic parks and sites, created the master plan for the project. Their design incorporates a contextually sensitive, seasonal palette of trees and plantings, including red- buds, red oaks, red maple, and red cedar. A secondary palette, including canopy and understory trees, evergreens, shrubs, and ground coverings, will also feature red as a predominant color, with plantings including possibly black gum trees, sassafras, winterberry, and red poppies. "The red color will represent valor and courage, and the blood of the many fallen soldiers of the American Civil War," said Elliot Rhodeside, FASLA, who is responsible for the master plan. "We've created a signature palette that is appropriate to the diverse landscapes along this historic corridor, and remains sensitive to the local ecology, scenic views, and develop- ment patterns." The Rhodeside & Harwell design concept embraces many archetypal landscape patterns, including informal allées, canopy and understory clusters, forests and groves, copses, street tree plantings, and specimen trees. "The key to creating an emotional expe- rience with trees is to place them in evocative and poetic patterns," the design team noted in its master plan. "The patterns are distilled versions of the natural landscape. They evoke our memory of nature, and thus create an emotional connection to the landscape." Thomas Ranier, a project manager for Rhodeside & Har- well, sees the potential of this elegant and simple idea, yet understands the complexity of carrying through the design and plan. "There are trees all over this region, so visibility is an important factor, as well as site sensitivity," he said. "If pat- terns get repeated enough, it becomes recognizable to visitors, as well as those that drive on the route every day — it grabs their attention." Rhodeside & Harwell was developing the master plan SPECIAL FEATURE SPECIAL FEATURE Tree project connects to history and contributes to place B y S h u a n B u t c h e r Logo provided by the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership Embarking on an Incredible Journey