Davey Tree Flipbooks

12 | May/June 2014 Thanks to Davey, Lady Bird Lake visitors remember why drought awareness is so important. M other Nature has Texans holding on to their very last drops of hope. Unfortunately, Austin residents are familiar with the serious challenges associated with drought; in fact, they've suffered through it for a few consecutive years. Although the future for drought-stricken trees is questionable, raising awareness is possible to achieve, thanks to the hard work and determination of Austin-area organizations. Women and Their Work, a 35-year-old nonprofit, multidisciplinary organization, encourages artists to create new pieces via visual and performing arts, theater, film or music. Its gallery features 2,000 square feet of space for exhibitions, but one particular concept had a "thirst" for a new, even bigger environment. "THIRST is the biggest exhibition we've ever done," says Executive Director Chris Cowden, referring to its collaborative piece designed to recognize Austin's depleting water source and terrible, ongoing drought. "Approximately 300 million trees have died," Cowden says, "and more continue to die." To best depict the stark reality of drought's effect on trees, the project needed a strong visual artist component. Upon receiving an invitation to submit a proposal from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Women and Their Work gathered a team of professionals to deliver a polished result. Visual Artist Beili Liu, Clayton&Little Architects' Emily Little and Norma Yancey and Landscape Designer Cassie Bergstrom then determined a call to action through art. Their solution? Suspend a dying tree above a lake. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. It was the strangest request Dan Hunsicker had ever received. While Bergstrom had worked with Hunsicker, district manager for Davey's South Austin R/C office, on a past project, the company had maintained a well-known reputation among THIRST contributors. So, when the installation process required large tree moving equipment to transport the designated dead tree to its temporary exhibition site, Davey received the call for assistance and a bit of expertise. "THIRST was an extremely arduous project," Cowden says. "Once we found the tree—38 feet tall, weighing 2.5 tons—we had to figure out how to install it." The tree's peculiar combination of immense weight and extreme fragility presented a chal- lenge. How could Davey help transport the project's centerpiece so gracefully as to keep its branches intact to create a stunning silhouette? Women and Their Work had never before attempted such a large scale project, so the safety and integrity of Lady Bird Lake and the surrounding trail was a concern. Hunsicker, however, anticipated problems beforehand, which contributed to the project's success. Hunsicker led his Davey crew, including Sales Trainee Garland "Jeff" Cisneros (now working at the North Austin R/C office), Foremen Leo Penado-Rivera and Juan Rico, Trimmer Nathan Goldman and Groundmen Tommy Brooks and Raul Gutierrez. THE MOVE. Before its removal, transport to and display above Lady Bird Lake, the dying tree required a bit of cleanup. Davey crewmembers first removed its leaves, then used an airspade to remove debris from the roots. Upon removing the tree, Davey applied a second coat of white paint to its bark. The tree's midnight journey to Lady Bird Lake required a lot of planning. "Getting there was challenging," Hunsicker explains. Upon its arrival, a crane carried the tree across the lake where it was installed on spikes secured underwater. FOR A GOOD CAUSE. "Davey has such extensive knowledge; I'm not sure we could have done this project without them," Cowden says. Tens of thousands of people saw the exhibit during its display from Sept. 29 through Dec. 18, 2013. According to Cowden, "Art can change people's behavior and affect the world." THIRST, the art installation shown illuminated, raised awareness about the impact drought will have on Austin, as well as memorialized the loss of 300 million trees in Texas. Photo: Ben Aqua Groundmen from Davey's South Austin R/C office use an airspade to remove dirt between the roots of a dead tree set for installation at the site of THIRST. Prayer flags mirror the image of the dead tree Davey crewmembers helped install for THIRST. Crewmembers also helped loop the 14,000 flags 2.5 miles between Pfluger Pe- destrian Bridge and the First Street Bridge.

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