Davey Tree Flipbooks

March/April 2015 | 11 Trimmers Daniel Clark and Devon Lucabaugh and Foreman Brett Powenski (pictured left to right) gather at the base of a Turkeyfoot red oak tree, located adjacent to a proposed Vietnam War Memorial site at Newtown Park in Johns Creek, Georgia. Walking the Path of Proper Tree Care Something about a certain Turkeyfoot red oak tree caught Chris Heim's eye as he was walking through Newtown Park with his wife one morning. The tree was standing near a proposed Vietnam War Memorial site, reminding Heim of his brother, who he lost in that war. Heim's encounter with the Turkeyfoot red oak at that particular location encouraged him to become involved with the creation of the Johns Creek Veterans Memorial Walk—and protection of surrounding trees. He donated the tree care services of Davey's Atlanta R/C crew to benefit the existing trees onsite, including the Turkeyfoot red oak. "I saw this as an opportunity to not only memorialize my brother, but also all who have There is plenty of love for trees among the crews at Davey's Atlanta R/C office all year long. But more recently, employees have joined efforts involved with recognizing and protecting big trees. The 'Perfect Tree' Receives Recognition It's the second largest live oak tree in the U.S. And Davey crews have provided its care since the 1950s. Until recently, however, perhaps no one else knew just how impressive the Village Sentinel live oak tree is. The centuries-old heritage tree standing within Waycross, Georgia's Baptist Village retirement community outlives many other live oaks once planted along the eastern seaboard for their dense, hard wood and long limbs used for ship building. Based on the live oak's tendency to portray false growth rings, it's difficult to estimate the age of the Village Sentinel. But Davey's Atlanta R/C District Manager Chris Heim estimates it to be at least 450 years old. And he happens to know the tree very well. Heim has been involved with the Village Sentinel's care for more than 30 years. Also a member of the Georgia Urban Forestry Council (GUFC), Heim noticed the Village Sentinel live oak wasn't included in the organization's list of important trees. Because Heim has nothing but good things to say about the "perfect" Village Sentinel, he completed its application with the Georgia Landmark and Historic Tree Register. The good news? It was accepted. "It's rewarding to work on the tree for its uniqueness, history, age and size," Heim explains. "The Village Sentinel is so much larger than trees we normally deal with. We are awfully proud to be trusted with its care." Most recently, Davey's Atlanta R/C crews have provided the tree with updated cables and lightning protection as needed, as well as fertilization and pruning every two years. Davey's Chris Heim stands next to a proposed Vietnam War Memorial site during construction of the adjacent Johns Creek Veterans Memorial Walk. Heim lost a brother in the Vietnam War. served to protect our freedom," Heim says. Davey has performed pruning and cabling services on the Turkeyfoot red oak and will soon provide vertical mulching, fertilizing and lightning protection. The crew, including Foreman Brett Powenski and Trimmers Devon Lucabaugh and Daniel Clark, also pruned three dogwoods, two oaks, two maples, one pine and one large holly. They removed 15 other undesirable trees and stumps as well. Heim, district manager, says the project was one of the most rewarding projects he has been involved with during his Davey career. "Working with all the Johns Creek veterans has been such an honor," he says. "They created an absolutely stunning memorial in just 14 months." Historic Trees Ideas submitted by: Chris Heim, District Manager, Atlanta R/C

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