Trees need strong roots to grow. The same goes for the roots of our Arizona DAR Society. The women who came before us did amazing things and the women who belong today continue to serve their communities. This is the reason we are about to celebrate 120 years as a ‘state society.”

State DAR Regent Morgan Elliot

The Arizona State Society Daughters of the American Revolution continued its legacy of service to Arizona communities by dedicating on Feb. 24 a desert ironwood tree planted at Flatiron Park in Apache Junction.

Apache Trail Chapter DAR members donated and planted the tree along the Apache Trail, according to a release.

The Apache Trail, created by Native Americans traveling between their summer homes in the mountains and their winter homes in the desert, starts in Flatiron Park as acknowledged by a marker placed in 2020 by the DAR chapter. Much of the park is natural desert landscape.

READ/WATCH: Video, photos: Marker honoring historical Apache Trail dedicated in 2020 in Apache Junction

“As members of the Apache Trail Chapter, we serve the community of Apache Junction. We wanted this tree to be a gift that will last for generations,” Chapter Regent Peggy Manseau said in the release.

The desert ironwood tree is native only to the Sonoran Desert and is vital to the existence of desert birds, animals and reptiles. When mature and left to grow naturally, the tree forms a thick canopy of branches and leaves that drape all the way down to the ground. That canopy, the shade and enriched soil it creates play an important role in the survival of more than 500 different plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert. With hearty roots, the trees can live hundreds of years.

Arizona DAR celebrates its 120th year in 2021. The state society is organized into 41 chapters throughout Arizona with each chapter performing service projects according to their own communities’ needs.

“Trees need strong roots to grow. The same goes for the roots of our Arizona DAR Society. The women who came before us did amazing things and the women who belong today continue to serve their communities. This is the reason we are about to celebrate 120 years as a ‘state society,’” State Regent Morgan Elliott said in the release.

DAR was founded on Oct. 11, 1890, and members perform a variety of community service projects — planting trees and pollinator gardens, donating and delivering hygiene items to local homeless veterans, writing cards and sending packages to military troops deployed overseas, awarding medals to outstanding citizens and ROTC cadets, creating “Little Libraries” to promote literacy, and encouraging the study of U.S. history and the U.S. Constitution. To learn more about the work of today’s DAR in Arizona, go to arizonadar.org or connect with DAR on social media at Facebook @ArizonaDAR or Instagram @arizona_dar.