This week we had a fantastic day by the Schuylkill River in downtown Philadelphia. SavATree‘s management team has an annual service day project, and this year we were fortunate to donate a day of tree care to the Woodlands Cemetery.
The SavATree team preparing for the day’s work
The Woodlands began as the estate of William Hamilton in the 1700’s. In 1840 local investors purchased the remnant property to turn it into a rural cemetery. It is now a private NGO that operates as a park.
Woodlands Executive Director Jessica Baumert, TreePhilly Program Manager Erica Smith Fichman, and SavATree President & CEO Daniel van Starrenburg
The site has an amazing horticultural and architectural history. Hamilton was an avid collector and introduced a number of notable plants to North America, including the ginkgo.
The site was certainly in need of tree care and we were able to put in some good work and make a difference.
Making walking trails safe by removing dead wood and felling dead trees
After the work day, Jessica gives the SavATree team some insight into the site’s history. Special thanks to Tim Bushnell from Sherrill Tree for joining us!
The site has truly amazing trees including a number of state champions and the only Caucasian zelkova I have ever seen – and it is magnificent!
The Woodlands’ Caucasian zelkova
Many thanks to Jessica and her team at the Woodlands for allowing us to give back to a fantastic site. You can learn more about the Woodlands, it’s history and mission here. You can support the excellent work of the Woodlands by donating or becoming a member here.
Thanks to Erica of TreePhilly and our colleagues at the Urban Ecology Collaborative for connecting us to the Woodlands.
We’re looking forward to our 2016 SavATree Service Day Project!
