YardScapes Goes To Washington

VOLUME 8 ⚪ ISSUE NO. 14 ⚪ JULY 18, 2024

IN THIS ISSUE:

WASHINGTON, DC – Renewal & Remembrance

Each July for the past fifteen years, YardScapes has sent a team of volunteers to participate in the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) premier event, Renewal & Remembrance in Washington, DC.

Renewal & Remembrance is a fantastic opportunity to give back to our veterans and all the people who come to honor them. I am always impressed by the number of landscape industry volunteers that descend on Washington, DC to care for these special spaces.

I am also proud of my team members who volunteer their time and skills to attend this special event. It’s a very humbling experience for all.

–Shayne

For nearly three decades, this signature event has brought together hundreds of landscape and lawn care professionals from across the country to honor America’s heroes by volunteering their time and skills to further preserve and enhance the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery and locations on and around the National Mall.

Volunteers at Arlington National Cemetery typically apply lime, cultivate soil, plant flowers, install new trees & tree rings, add lightning protection to existing trees, upgrade irrigation systems, install or repair various hardscape projects, and host a children’s program.

This year, in partnership with the National Park Service, a team of about 150, including 13 team members from YardScapes, worked at a significant landscaping project at the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. This newer and lesser-known memorial features a black granite, five-pointed star and reflecting pool, surrounded by beautifully etched glass panels conveying strength and vulnerability, loss and renewal. It is a 1.72-acre triangular parcel located within view of the US Capital Building, is adjacent to the National Mall and sits on top of I-395. This memorial was dedicated on October 5, 2014, and will commemorate its 10-year anniversary this fall, making this project even more special for the volunteers.

MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024

The day’s work began with a small group, including the YardScapes team, arriving at the memorial at 3:00AM to unload 13,000 plants, trees and shrubs and lay them out in their intended spots all along the memorial.

The remaining volunteers arrived at 7:00AM for opening ceremonies and remarks from NALP representatives and the National Parks Service.

As the sun rose over the memorial, volunteers moved quickly to get the thousands of plants, including hollies, hellebores and various ornamental grasses into the ground before temperatures soared to 100°F.