Workers are shown recently tending to the trees on the Esplanade. The Cambridge Landscape Company donated its services.
As part of the annual Arbor Day of Service, the Cambridge Landscape Company donated its arborist services, expertise and equipment to The Esplanade Association on Thursday to help care for trees along the park.
“We pride ourselves on being a locally owned private business with deep ties to the community,” said James Kelley, founder and CEO of the Cambridge-based landscape company. “We are all too familiar with how budget constraints limit the ability of nonprofits to care for public trees and as arborist we recognize this problem. We know that trees add to the beauty of our parks and without these trees the public spaces wouldn’t be as inviting.”
Employees arrived at the park early in the morning to begin a daylong cleanup, including trimming and pruning trees throughout the area between the Esplanade Playspace and Dartmouth Street. Professional arborist and tree workers used bucket trucks, ground crews and climbers to provide the needed structural pruning for more than 55 iconic trees, including pin oaks, beech, cherry, honey locust, sycamore and the flowering dogwoods. In all, the company performed an estimated $20,000 worth of pro bono work on the Esplanade.
“We are thrilled and grateful that the Cambridge Landscape Company has chosen to work with on Esplanade on this special national day dedicated to trees, specially as it is our shared belief that by investing in our parks, trees and green spaces that we strengthen our community and enhance our quality of life,” said Tani Marinovich, executive director of The Esplanade Association. “As the only nonprofit group focused solely Esplanade, our vital work is made possible through the generous contributions from individuals and businesses like Cambridge Landscape Company. It is with their extremely generous support that The Esplanade Association is able to continue all we are doing from the ground up to ensure that the Esplanade remains the beautiful park for everyone to enjoy.”
A statewide volunteer program, the Arbor Day of Service was established by the Massachusetts Arborist Association more than 35 years ago, when members come together annually to provide much needed tree care at nonprofit sites throughout the Commonwealth.