Project EverGreen Beautifies Arlington Cemetery

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a city dotted with memorials, monuments, plaques and statues, the history represented throughout Washington, D.C. makes it next to impossible to forget how hard the United States has worked and struggled to become as strong as it is today. And, with Veteran’s Day being celebrated on Nov. 11, a visit to Arlington National Cemetery is a tribute to fallen soldiers who fought for national independence and security, as well as a reminder to thank active and retired men and women in uniform for their service to our country.

Every summer, the green industry does its part to do just that, honoring America and the armed forces with its annual Legislative Day on the Hill and Renewal & Remembrance Project sponsored by the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA). This year, the Renewal & Remembrance Project extended into a second round of service at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday. Hosted by Project EverGreen, a team of participants representing industry associations, suppliers, contractors and universities worked to lay fresh sod to prevent erosion and preserve one of the most recognizable areas of the cemetery: the John F. Kennedy grave site.

Lawn & Landscape was proud to experience the event first-hand and associate editor Lauren Spiers got her hands dirty, as well, working with the 40-member team to lay sod near the eternal flame.

 “This is our 11th event here in nine years and we want to thank Arlington for allowing us to make these contributions,” said Phil Fogarty, co-chair of Project EverGreen and owner of a Weed Man franchise in Euclid, Ohio. “This hillside is considered to be the most visible piece of turf in the area and there’s significant history surrounding the Lee mansion at the top of the hill. Around the time when President Kennedy was inaugurated he talked about the ‘city on the hill,’ and because the eternal flame marking his grave site is here, it’s our privilege to donate our time and expertise to beautifying this hill overlooking the city.”

Tom Delaney, vice president of government affairs for PLCAA noted that with Veteran’s Day approaching on Thursday, the project carries an importance that Project EverGreen is proud to sponsor. “We’re helping the cemetery get ready for Veteran’s Day and the President’s visit, and it really says a lot about our industry to have so many people involved,” Delaney said. “The Brickman Group brought a crew here today to help, and we also have several students from the University of Maryland participating. This morning, some students from the National Arboretum showed up and said they had found out about the event from the University of Maryland, which means the word about the work we do here is spreading.”

With 40 pairs of hands working on the project, the team laid roughly 25,000 square feet of sod in about 4 hours. The sod was donated by Tom and Bill Warpinski, owners of Central Sod Farms of Maryland, Centreville, Md., which provides sod for projects throughout the Cemetery. To keep the freshly laid sod in good condition, John Deere Landscapes designed the irrigation system for the hillside area and Hunter Industries donated the mechanics for the irrigation system. PLCAA, the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, Turfgrass Producers International and the Irrigation Association sponsored the event.

Cemetery Superintendent John Metzler thanked the group for their hard work and ongoing contributions to the cemetery. “We really appreciate all the work that your group is doing,” he said. “This is an active cemetery. We have 4 million visitors each year and an average of 26 funerals a day, so we’re constantly trying to beatify the grounds in order to maintain the reverence that the interred and their visitors are due.

“There are many people involved in this small project,” Metzler continued, “but if you had seen this area earlier this year, you’ll know that we were wringing our hands wondering how we would be able to restore it in time for Veteran’s Day. You all have made that a reality and we’re thankful to be working with people who know the business so well and respect what the cemetery stands for.”

Those comments and the day’s work had a special significance for participant Lou Kobus. “When I was in the service, I was stationed right in this area and I used to go running through the cemetery early in the mornings,” said the former Marine and owner of Village Turf, Mount Vernon, Va. “I’ve been connected with Arlington for a long time, so this really means a lot to me.”

Students and educators participating in the event also shared their thoughts. “I don’t come into Washington too often, but I’m glad I took this opportunity participate and learn something new,” said Sheridan Owings, a landscape management major at The University of Maryland. “Now whenever I do come in I’ll be able to say that I helped beautify this site and got to work with a lot of other people in the industry, too.”

Steve Cohan, a professor of the practice, University of Maryland Natural Resource Sciences & Landscape Architecture department, also was excited to participate in his first industry event at the cemetery. “The meaning behind the work we’re doing is just phenomenal,” he said. “It’s encouraging that the students are able to participate in such a meaningful event. It says a lot about the dedication of the people in the industry now and also the students who will become the future of the industry.”

Fogarty says that in the last nine years, the green industry has donated $600,000 worth of time, materials and expertise to these Renewal & Remembrance projects, including $100,000 in the last year alone. “Project EverGreen wanted to finish this ongoing renovation, particularly before the anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination and Veteran's Day approaching,” he said. “The health benefits of green spaces are often unrecognized, yet vital to healing. Cemeteries in particular parallel the healing process: As grieving begins, we scar the ground to dig a grave; then we begin healing just as the wound in the earth does, benefiting from the nurturing we provide.”