In Memory of Christine Snyder
|
On the 22th anniversary of the 9/11, The Outdoor Circle honors the memory of our Programs Manager, Christine Snyder. She was returning from the National Urban Forestry Conference on that day and was a passenger on Flight 93.
Always wearing a bright smile and filled with positive energy, Christine’s warm laughter and caring for others are cherished memories. She loved nature, being outdoors and her work at The Outdoor Circle, where she was a dedicated certified arborist for over six years. Many of the beautiful trees you enjoy today are a result of Christine’s work. In the year before her passing, Christine and some dedicated volunteers planted 50 coconut, palm, claw-blossomed wiliwili, and beach heliotrope trees on Magic Island. Her work extended far beyond as her love of trees was an integral part of her life. Many trees have been planted for Christine over the years, including a milo tree, which was planted in her memory by the Mayor’s Office, on Magic Island looking out over the ocean in a tranquil spot with a corresponding bench to sit and enjoy the surrounding beauty. Christine loved Hawai‘i, our beautiful environment, and was passionate about keeping our "aina" (the land) precious and sacred. To honor her legacy, The Outdoor Circle maintains a tree planting and environmental educational fund in her name. If you would like to make a contribution in her memory, it will be a way to honor her work and her life. Make a donation in memory of Christine Snyder We encourage all those who wish to remember Christine to plant a tree in your own neighborhood, and to become members of The Outdoor Circle to further the wonderful work Christine was able to accomplish in her all-too-short time here. On Thursday, September 9, 2021, The Conversation, on KHPR, featured an interview with The Outdoor Circle’s Lani-Kailua Branch member, Betsy Connors, about Christine Snyder, and how her passing affected a tree planting scheduled on that day in 2001. The interview is available online: The Conversation ~ Interview with Betsy Conners and the Events of that Day On Friday, September 10, 2021, Steve Mechler, Immediate Past President of The Outdoor Circle, gave an interview on Hawaii News Now on Christine and her impact on our organization and her environmental legacy. That interview is also available online: Hawaii News Now ~ Interview with Steve Mechler on Christine Snyder's Legacy On Friday, September 10, 2021, KITV4 news aired this story about Christine: KITV4 Story about Christine Snyder |
Some Remembrances & Memorial Trees
Planted in Christine’s Memory
From the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania
|
Christine Snyder
Age: 32 Hometown: Kailua, Hawai‘i Occupation: Arborist and Project Manager, The Outdoor Circle Reason for travel: Returning from a conference A native of Hawai‘i, Christine Ann Snyder was a Project Manager and certified arborist for The Outdoor Circle, Hawai‘i's oldest nonprofit environmental group. According to her family, the beautification of Hawai‘i was her profession, pride, and joy. During her six years with The Outdoor Circle, Snyder supervised volunteers in planting trees and worked to protect trees and landscapes from development. She held a degree in political science from the University of Hawai‘i. On September 11th, she was returning from the National Urban Forestry Conference in Washington, D.C., and an impromptu, first-time visit to New York City. A connecting flight in San Francisco would have taken Snyder home to Kailua, Hawai‘i and her husband of just three months. Flight 93 National Memorial As part of the memorial, there is a “Plant a Tree at Flight 93” that takes place under the auspices of the National Park Service. For a decade, the National Park Service, Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, and National Park Foundation have partnered to continue a major reforestation project that will soon result in 150,000 newly planted trees at Flight 93 National Memorial. This conservation project is part of the memorial’s original design and meant to reclaim the former surface mine with native trees to re-establish wildlife habitats, create essential windbreaks and complete the healing of the memorial landscape. It is hard to imagine a more fitting tribute to Christine at this site considering her life’s work in tree planting and beautification efforts. This project epitomizes the collective and personal dedication to reclaim a former surface coal mine and reestablish woodland wildlife habitats and cultivate a living memorial. Plant a Tree at Flight 93 |
|
|
The Christine Snyder Memorial Tree in Waikiki
|
A variegated ficus benjamina tree with beautiful finely patterned leaves was planted in front of the zoo on Kapahulu Avenue, located opposite Hula’s Bar and Grill, in Christine Snyder’s memory. This tree will provide beauty and shade in honor of Christine for decades to come. These photos were taken by Brian Bagnall, former President of the Greater Waikiki Branch of The Outdoor Circle, on the 15th anniversary of 9/11 where a blessing and traditional Hawaiian chant were performed as part of the ceremony of remembrance.
|
The Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle Branch Dedicated a Tree in Memory of Christine at Kalaheo High School
|
The Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle Branch was planting a golden shower tree on the morning of 9/11 at Kalaheo High School, to thank their audio-visual department for producing a video about The Outdoor Circle, featuring Frank DeLima and Mr. Mynah, The Outdoor Circle’s teaching “mascot.”
Having just heard the news of the attacks and Christine’s death, they dedicated the tree in her memory and the memory of all those lives lost that morning. The tree still stands today. The school holds a ceremony each September 11th in memory of the all lives lost and plans to increase its tree plantings in Christine’s memory in the future. On Thursday, September 9, 2021, The Conversation, on KHPR, featured an interview with The Outdoor Circle’s Lani-Kailua Branch member, Betsy Connors, who was at the tree planting that day in 2001. The interview is available online: The Conversation ~ Interview with Betsy Conners and the Events of that Day |
The Waimea Outdoor Circle Branch Memorial to Christine Snyder
|
One of the first memorial trees Waimea Outdoor Circle volunteers planted in the Waimea Nature Park was to Christine Snyder, The Outdoor Circle's arborist who died on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania on September 11th.
Waimea Branch members recently replaced the fading plaque with this new and larger one, which can be found at the base of a large koai'a tree on the meadow, near the concrete bench. Members place an American flag and flowers there every September 11th and July 4th. |
The Kaneohe Outdoor Circle Branch Tree Planting in Memory of Christine
|
At the Aikahi Fire Station, Mary Yannell, former President of the Kaneohe Branch of The Outdoor Circle is shown next to a fragrant and beautiful puaikenikeni tree, which was planted in Christine Snyder’s memory. This tree is one of many planted in memory of Christine’s spirit and love of trees as they beautify our islands.
|
Flowering Pear Tree Becomes Part of Red Arrow Park’s Memorial for Christine Snyder
|
Nearly 19 years ago, I was attending a national urban forestry conference in Washington, DC. There were several highlights which I will remember forever. Among them were viewing fireworks over the Washington Monument; many of the other monuments in the National Mall area; visiting the National Grove of State Trees at the U.S. Arboretum and seeing the Sugar Maple trees which I had donated, several years earlier, representing Wisconsin in the grove. I returned to Manitowoc on Sunday, September 9. A few attendees stayed in DC for a short vacation. At least one traveled to New York to visit relatives before returning to her home in Hawai‘i.
A couple of days later, on a nice, warm sunny Tuesday in WI, we heard a plane had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center in New York. A short time later, we heard that more planes crashed into the Trade Center and Pentagon in Washington, DC. One plane, Flight 93 left New York early that morning. Among the passengers was Christine Snyder, who was one of the attendees at the conference I had been to. She and the others on that fateful flight never made it home. In 2014, the TREE (Tree Research and Education Endowment) Fund and the Stihl Tour des Trees chose to hold their weeklong, fund raising bicycle tour in Wisconsin. During that week, I was among the nearly 100 riders, from all over the world. During the weeklong 600 mile ride, we made several stops; meeting with local dignitaries; making countless tree dedications; and offered several entertaining and informational programs for adults and children. One of our tree dedication sites was in downtown Green Bay at the Neville Public Museum, near the 9/11 Memorial (since removed). Bartlett Tree Experts of Charlotte, NC were able to acquire one of the Survivor Flowering Pear seedlings, which were grown from the only tree to survive the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. The Tour riders and staff, along with the Mayor of Green Bay and other local dignitaries, planted and dedicated that tree in remembrance for our lost colleague, Christine Snyder. Last spring (2019), while talking with the forester for the City of Green Bay, he told me there was a backup tree, to the one we dedicated in 2014 – another 9/11 Survivor Flowering Pear?! Green Bay’s Forestry Dept. staff had been taking care of that tree since 2014 and they felt it needed a new home. Silver Creek Nurseries took over the tree’s care and offered it to the Ramp it Up organization to plant at Red Arrow Park, as part of their memorial project. This special Flowering Pear was planted earlier this spring by Dennis Hardy and other volunteers from Ramp it Up. Manitowoc’s Survivor Flowering Pear was officially dedicated on July 16, 2020. Many of us still remember that day in September. Future generations will have a symbol to tell the story of that day. This special tree will serve as that symbol and storyteller to all about that warm, sunny, and tragic day in September of 2001. Jeff Edgar, Silver Creek Nurseries August 17, 2020 |