City Arborists Participate in Saluting Branches Event
On Wednesday, September 21, three City Arborists and the Forestry Supervisor, from the Public Works Department used their skills for a good cause and participated in the second annual Arborists United for Veteran Remembrance Day of Service at Camp Butler National Cemetery, in Springfield. This event is organized by Saluting Branches to express their gratitude to our brave men and women who have served in the armed services. This year, 25 cemeteries in 27 states participated in the event. Participating staff included Forestry Supervisor Andrew Lamoreux, and Certified Arborists Craig Kempher, Dave Richmond, and Greg Johnson. The City also donated the use of a dump truck, wood chipper and a stump grinder. During the course of the day, City staff removed six trees, pruned one tree, and ground six stumps.
Saluting Branches is a non-profit organization originated by Rainbow Treecare; partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Cemetery Administration, to create a national day of volunteer tree care services at veteran’s cemeteries. The goal of the event is to help make our troops’ final resting places safe and beautiful environments for all who visit. Some of the larger national cemeteries have funding to spend on contractors for necessary tree work. Smaller cemeteries, like Camp Butler, do not have the funding to effectively manage the trees themselves.
