Davey Tree Flipbooks

May/June 2014 | 17 A s part of Davey's longstanding tradition of connecting with the communities in which they work through volunteerism, four Davey crewmembers made time to provide their services to the "Plant Seedlings for Civil Rights" event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. To honor the civil rights leader's dedication to creating a better, more inclusive world, the city of Orlando and Mayor Buddy Dyer, as well as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission, hosted a series of free events throughout January that promote community growth, education and togetherness. Mike Mittiga, area manager of Gulf Region utility services, says Davey has been involved with the "Plant Seedlings for Civil Rights" event since its inception in 2007 at the invitation of a Davey client: Orlando Utilities Commission. Mittiga, along with three other Davey crew- members, worked with the Orlando Utilities Commission to designate the more than 100 volunteers from around the community into groups to perform different tasks. Janice Rahill, partner of the MLK, Jr. Day service event and program manager for Green- Up Orlando, a program created to increase the city's tree canopy, says Davey continues to be an integral part in the success of the annual service day mission. "This day would not be the event it has grown to be without Davey Tree's service to the community," Rahill says. The event moves to a different site each year, and this year was held at Clear Lake Park in Orlando. The goal of the volunteers is to miti- gate landscaping hazards to prevent accidents while simultaneously planting new trees. "It's a nice way to give back to the community," Mittiga says. "The people who enjoy the benefits of the work the volunteers do are Orlando Utilities Commission clients, so that means they're Davey clients as well, and we want to take care of them." Arbor Altruism Dressing Up Tallahassee's Parks Above left: Felipe Monroy, Octaviano Hernandez and Dagoberto Monrroy (pictured left to right) volunteer during the "Plant Seedlings for Civil Rights" event. Dagoberto Monrroy, Davey crew leader, volunteered and says not only does volun- teerism show the good work Davey does for the communities in which they work, but also helps keep communities safe and beautiful. "Davey likes to be involved with the commu- nities they work in to teach people how to take care of trees, which is valuable for the residents to keep their neighborhoods safe and clean." N othing shows appreciation to trees and the environment quite like Arbor Day. On Jan. 25, Wolf Tree, a subsidiary of Davey, helped celebrate Arbor Day in Tallahassee, Fla., by volunteering to mulch 110 live oak trees that were previously planted by members of the community. Four employees from Wolf Tree— foremen Johnny Martin, Willie Golden, Carl Harvey and trimmer Andrew Miller—spent the afternoon spreading two truckloads of mulch around the new oak trees. "We volunteer every year for the City of Tallahassee Electric Utility to furnish wood chips, volunteers and equipment," says Marlon Hudson, area supervisor of Tallahassee for Wolf Tree. Hudson says this volunteer work is also a chance for Wolf Tree to help dress up the parks around the city. As he explains, "Arbor Day gives us the chance to interact with the public and show the City of Tallahassee our appreciation."

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