Gift of Beautiful Trees 2020 Complete!

2020 sure threw us for a loop, and we were hoping 2021 would cut us some slack. When it came to completing our 2020 Gift of Beautiful Trees projects after the holidays, the weather just wasn't cooperating. At some point, it got to be so late in the spring that we decided to wait to take "after" photos so we could at least get some leaves on the trees for the full effect. We're glad we did! So, we're a little late sharing this - but better late than never!

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We were again overwhelmed with nominations for our Gift of Beautiful Trees program for 2020, and no doubt, the pandemic contributed to hard times for so many families in our community. We were both heartbroken and touched to hear about how many were struggling last year, and just how many people were looking out for their friends, families and neighbors. Even perfect strangers submitted nominations for people they'd never met, but knew they could use a helping hand.

When Jeff and I review nominations, we use a loose scoring matrix to help us narrow down the projects based on the personal story that is submitted, how dire the need is in terms of safety, and whether or not our company is well-suited for the project with the resources and equipment we have. 

When we came across this struggling Cottonwood, we knew immediately that we HAD to do something. This tree was full of dead limbs over the street, sidewalk, driveway and house where the nominee and her daughter frequented. The result is beautiful and the tree is now an incredible historical feature and anchor point of the neighborhood - not an eyesore or hazard. The nominee was so grateful to not have to worry anymore.

Our second selected nomination was an anonymous submission, tipping us off to a family who had weathered extensive and very unexpected health challenges in 2020. The husband, Nick, showed up for his family in big ways and worked long, hard hours to provide for them during this time. When we saw just how many trees were in their backyard that needed attention, we were anxious to help. We visited a couple of months later to grab a photo after the trees had leafed-out and were so thrilled with the results of their beautiful, park-like backyard. 

As always, these projects are always about so much more than trimming and removing trees. We're showing up and serving our community (one of our company values!) and fulfilling our mission of Creating Connections through Trees. We're sharing our gifts however we can, and we are thankful to our community for supporting our business so that we can support our community in return.