Fairfield Dedicates Tree, Buries Time Capsule In Nod To Past & Future

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield celebrated Arbor Day and the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary with a ceremony dedicating a tree and burying a time capsule to be dug up in 50 years.

The event with town officials and residents was held on the grounds of the Fairfield Museum and History Center in the Town Hall complex, with the white oak tree donated by Oliver Nurseries. The tree references the species associated with Connecticut’s historic Charter Oak.

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"Planting a tree on Arbor Day is a significant sign of hope, signaling our belief that we can continue to create green, shaded, and healthy spaces in Fairfield," First Selectperson Christine Vitale said. "Likewise, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is a sign of hope and belief in our nation's future."

Inside the time capsule are a copy of the Town Charter, a newspaper, a letter from First Selectperson Vitale, a letter from fifth graders from Jennings Elementary School, a library card that's coded to work in 50 years, patches from the Fairfield police and fire departments, items from Sacred Heart and Fairfield universities, and other keepsakes.

When England sought to revoke Connecticut's Charter, the document was hidden in a white oak tree, according to Michael Jehle, Executive Director of the Fairfield Museum and History Center.

"No other colony had managed to preserve its charter so dramatically, and Connecticut's act of defiance had worked," Jehle said. "The tree itself, the one that we commemorate by replanting this white oak, became a living monument."

Sadly, that historic tree in Hartford was toppled by a windstorm in 1856, Jehle said.

"Connecticut mourned as though it had lost a founding father," he said.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Ryan Romeo, student representative from Fairfield Warde High School; Anamika Martins, student representative from Fairfield Ludlowe High School; Jeff Minder, Fairfield Tree Warden; Mary Hogue, Forestry Committee Chair; Lukas Thomas, Conservation Commission Chair; and state Sen. Tony Hwang.

"Trees have been found to improve physical and mental health, improve the person's healing process, improve a child's ability to learn, increase concentration, reduce mental fatigue, and even reduce violence in communities," Romeo said.

Added Martins, "In Connecticut, the white oak has long been associated with the preservation of self-governance and the endurance of liberty and freedom under pressure. It has come to represent stability and resilience, qualities that extend beyond a single moment and across generations."