October 8, 2025
Christmas is coming sooner than you think, and the USDA Forest Service is making plans to hand-select a very special tree from a national forest to grace the nation’s Capitol on the West Lawn.
In 2025, the People’s Tree is coming from the Silver State, AKA Nevada. When you think about Nevada, an arid, desert climate or the bright lights of Las Vegas might be the first things that come to mind. However, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, covering a whopping 6.3 million acres, is the largest national forest in the U.S. This massive forest spans the state and into eastern California.
This year’s Christmas tree, a 53-foot-tall red fir, will come from the Carson Ranger District in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Fun fact: Red fir trees can grow from 80 to 150 feet tall.
Named the Silver Belle, this year’s tree represents the first time Nevada has had the opportunity to be the home state of the Capitol Christmas Tree. To celebrate, people from across the state have hand-crafted 10,000 beautiful ornaments that will adorn the tree, along with other trees inside the Capitol building.
Celebrate the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in your neck of the woods
To help you celebrate, PLT created, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, a free Activity Collection for those working with learners ages 10–16. The activity collection features four activities from PLT’s Learn About Forests and Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide, and highlights key facts about Nevada’s Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. You can also attend a PLT training, as some states in the tree route will be organizing themed workshops celebrating the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
One of the most exciting things about the People’s Tree is the journey the tree takes to Washington, D.C. Want to catch a glimpse of the tree as it heads east? Here’s the schedule and route.
Schedule and Route
November 2 – Lovelock & Elko, NV
November 3 – Ely, NV
November 4 – Las Vegas, NV
November 7 – Flagstaff, AZ
November 8 – Albuquerque, NM
November 9 – Amarillo, TX
November 11 – Lenexa, KS
November 12 – St. Louis, MO
November 14 – Paducah, KY
November 15 – Lexington, KY
November 20 – Joint Base Andrews, MD
A holiday tradition since 1964
Massachusetts Senator John McCormack planted a 24-foot-tall Douglas fir on Capitol grounds in 1964. This was the first tree that started the ritual tree lighting on the West Lawn. Sadly, the tree died after three years from wind and root damage. In 1970, the Monongahela National Forest supplied the first People’s Tree.
Today, Jim Kaufmann, Director of the Capitol Grounds for the Architect of the Capitol, chooses the People’s Tree. The USDA Forest Service assesses the environmental impact of harvesting the tree by investigating if the tree is close to any endangered species or water sources and if it provides shelter for wildlife.
Green jobs key to delivering holiday magic
Dozens of people working in forestry and other green jobs are responsible for making this wonderful holiday tradition happen.
“Green jobs represent a wide diversity of career paths for people. From surrounding yourself in nature as a forester, getting your hands dirty as a soil scientist, or exploring the tech side of green jobs as a GIS specialist, there is literally something for everyone. It’s great to see the Society of American Foresters talk about working in forestry and other green jobs as part of their US Capitol Christmas Tree Forestry FAQs,” said Josh Brankman, PLT VP Education.
The SAF FAQ describes how green jobs offer a wide variety of career opportunities based on interest areas and skill sets. Green jobs include positions like foresters, park rangers, wildland firefighters, wildlife biologists, policymakers, public outreach professionals, recreation managers, loggers, and lumber mill workers. Jobs can be seasonal or full-time in both indoor and outdoor settings.
“We were also really pleased to see SAF reference Project Learning Tree’s Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers guide. It features four hands-on, minds-on activities to help young people learn about forestry jobs and practice managing and monitoring forest resources,” said Brankman.
The growth of green jobs has outpaced jobs in other employment categories by almost 250% over the last decade. Green jobs are defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as jobs that produce goods or services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources, or jobs that use more environmentally friendly processes or fewer natural resources.
Tools, info, and activities to learn about green jobs
PLT activities also include details about different green jobs. It’s our goal to introduce students to the green job possibilities out there, and we’d love your support!
Explore green jobs that support forests and learn more about career readiness supports through PLT. You can also take a one-time free trial of the PLT Green Jobs Quiz.
For additional inspiration, get a copy of Black Faces in Green Spaces: The Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers.
