My name is Maya Koepke and I’ve been serving as a MTCC VISTA in Libby, MT since August 2017. My VISTA Assignment Description is focused on strengthening our Gear Up and student internship programs at Libby Middle High School. In my past three months here I’ve learned that the Libby community takes great pride in the land they live on, the surrounding Kootenai National Forest. This year it has been an exciting honor, that our Kootenai National Forest was chosen to supply the National Christmas Tree to the White House lawn in Washington, DC.
The lighting of the National Christmas Tree is a 95 year long tradition. Starting in 1923. The first national tree was erected on the White House Lawn by DC Public Schools with permission from First Lady Grace Coolidge. Since then, the lighting ceremony of the national tree has played a significant role in events from the mourning of President Kennedy in 1963 to the celebration of the National Park Service Centennial in 2015.
This is the third year the Kootenai National Forest has supplied the National Christmas Tree. The 2017 tree was hand picked by Robert Malyevac and the National Forest Service. Superintendent of the Capitol Grounds, Ted Bechtol, then had to judge our Engelmann Spruce on height, width, branch thickness, and fullness. Finally, with Bechtol’s approval, a fifth generation Forest Service sawyer cut the Montana tree and Malyevac and his team packed it up for the journey back east. As the tree team makes its way across the country, they will stop in many towns and where Malyevac will have the opportunity to both educate about and celebrate the Kootenai National Forest.
On Tuesday, November 14th, the tree stopped at Libby Middle High School. We hosted it’s first huge outdoor assembly with all the schools in Libby. Many teachers mentioned this might be the first time in their careers they have seen the entire Libby youth present for one event. School children spelled out L-I-B-B-Y on the field as drones took photos from above. The band played, the chorus sang, and many prominent Libby community leaders spoke. The whole time our Engelmann Spruce was on a truck next to the ceremony decorated with handmade ornaments from surrounding towns of the Kootenai National Forest. The excitement was palpable as people went up to the tree and signed the banner hanging across truck. Students Lakyn and Zade Rewerts, ages 5 and 6 said it best, “It was a really big tree on a really big truck!”
Find out if the tree is coming to you here!
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