Arborists pay respects to vets at Evergreen Cemetery in community beautification project
Abby Smith
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A group of arborists from multiple local tree care companies took their time to clean up dead trees and branches around Evergreen Cemetery for the annual Saluting Branches tree care event on Sept. 17.
Saluting Branches is a national nonprofit that recognizes and honors U.S. Veterans by taking the time to make their resting places a beautiful environment, according to the City of Colorado Springs.
The city says the cemetery was established in 1871 and was deeded to city founder General William Jackson Palmer in 1875.
“Our mission today, and every day, is to honor General Palmer’s legacy that he established 150 years ago, because if there’s anybody that probably loved trees more than me, it might have been him,” said Mathew Puckett with Saluting Branches.
Courtesy: City of Colorado Springs
The event brings together arborists as they volunteer to prune, plant, and remove trees in what the City of Colorado Springs says is the “largest volunteer event in the tree care industry.”
The cemetery is home to many veterans, including some dating back as far as the Civil War, according to a spokesperson with the city.
“We’re not just focused on removals and pruning, we’re actually planting 30 trees that have been donated,” said Puckett. “That’s gonna equate to about $100,000 worth of donated services in one day. Everyone’s mission here is just to honor the veterans through tree work.”