On September 23rd, Urban Forest Pro’s ISA certified arborists joined over 1,000 volunteers from 220 companies in donating $1 million in maintenance services for veterans’ cemeteries. With Veterans Day around the corner, we’re celebrating the difference that our Portland tree care specialists made with their volunteer work.
Saluting Branches is a program that organizes volunteer arborist services in military cemeteries across the country. By partnering with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Saluting Branches is able to donate about 8,000 volunteer hours in a single day to keep our country’s veterans’ cemeteries safe and beautiful. Saluting Branches’ arborist industry volunteers come together to express appreciation for those who have served our country.
According to the Bend Bulletin, there are more than 1,000 military funerals in Oregon each month. Oregon has three national Veterans’ Affairs (VA) cemeteries, maintained by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs National Cemetery Administration. The local Saluting Branches volunteer event benefited Willamette National Cemetery, located on Mt. Scott in southeast Portland.
Willamette National Cemetery boasts many mature trees. Without maintenance, those trees could be hazardous for veterans’ families. After a storm, limbs may fall and whole trees can be unstable. By volunteering their time, Urban Forest Pro’s Portland tree care specialists were able to give back in their own special way.
We are thrilled to have the opportunity to demonstrate gratitude for veterans, and for all they and their families have had to endure. Our arborists are happy to donate their time to preserve and enhance the memories of veterans by caring for trees in Willamette National Cemetery.
