10
THE DAVEY BULLETIN
|
September/October 2021
MISSION
"
Often people want to know what you're doing and
why. Being up front with someone before you do the
work is beneficial to both you and the homeowner. If
you just talk with people first, it puts their concerns
to rest and eases their mind. I'd rather have the client
at ease when I step on their property.
"
ZACHARY MARTIN
foreman, North East Cleveland office
INTEGRITY
DOING IT RIGHT
Davey Resource Group (DRG) inventoried over 7,000 trees
at Cave Hill Cemetery to aid in the Cave Hill Heritage
Foundation's Arboretum Accreditation Project, which aims
to achieve a Level III ArbNet Arboretum accreditation status.
Located in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky, Cave Hill was
founded in 1848 as a rural, garden-style cemetery. The
296-acre arboretum features a collection of over 600
different tree and shrub species and currently maintains
a Level II ArbNet Arboretum accreditation status.
"We've had a base line understanding of what was here
and what the collection contains," said J. Michael Higgs,
foundation manager, Cave Hill Heritage Foundation.
"What the inventory was successful in doing was
pinpointing, with exactness, the direct composition of
our living tree collection."
Another benefit of the inventory was the qualified risk
assessment for every tree to check the health and vitality
of the arboretum. Higgs said this will help them construct
a plan for tree removals and replacement plantings.
By achieving the Level III status, it will increase the
educational opportunities Cave Hill can provide, expand
Above: Cave Hill Cemetery's 'Henry Clay Ginkgo' in Section N.
This Ginkgo supposedly was brought to the cemetery through a
relationship between the Johnston family and former U.S. Senator
Henry Clay. The tree is male, however, there is a branch that is
female and produces fruit. Photo credit: Sarah Schaffner
CEMETERY TREES BENEFIT SURROUNDING COMMUNITY
the resources available to the cemetery about industry best
practices and increase public awareness of the benefits the
arboretum provides to the city of Louisville.
"We have quite a story to tell about being an arboretum
in an urban setting," Higgs said. "Louisville is one of the
fastest growing heat islands in the U.S. It's a very warm
city. The benefits the arboretum's canopy provides to the
immediate neighborhood is astonishing."
Shawn Bruzda, environmental scientist, and Jim Jenkins,
principal consultant, DRG, managed the inventory.
"We are still working on our Level III accreditation and
Davey will be a continual part of this effort," Higgs said.
"We are blessed to work with great folks at Davey and
have a relationship that continues to grow that has been
very beneficial to Cave Hill Cemetery. They've provided
keen insights and opinions to help us make the right
decisions for the arboretum."
