The Edge September/October 2025

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

A Labor of Love: Volunteers Beautify National Green Spaces at Renewal & Remembrance By Jill Odom

THERE IS POWER IN NUMBERS, AND APPROXIMATELY 400 VOLUNTEERS from 30 different states gathered to be of service during Renewal & Remembrance, presented by NALP and powered by Hustler and DeWalt, on July 14, 2025.

More than 250 landscape professionals participated in projects at ANC, from liming the soil to installing plants near the visitor center parking garage. Wynn says he was blown away by the scope of the projects and the number of volunteers working at ANC. “Every year, the impact you can make, it’s really wonderful to see,”Wynn says. “These are all professionals. People who have been in it for forever who have such a passion. Everyone you work with just has that passion and connection to their job, and so for people to come here and be able to physically give that back and use that as an act of service for those who gave their lives, that’s really special.” At the FDR Memorial, over 150 volun teers worked to spread mulch, trim trees, and remove tree stumps and fencing. Newman and 15 of his employees were just a handful of the volunteers attacking the steaming piles of mulch with gusto. “It’s just so rewarding and exciting from the first year that I came down here, I just wanted to share that experience with the

enjoys doing the work and networking with other companies during the event. “I just like that everyone comes together, and it’s people who aren’t necessarily phys ically doing the work normally,”Arthur says. “They all come out to do the work.” First-time attendee Thomas Wynn, senior construction production manager for Plants Creative Landscapes, based in Decatur, Georgia, says he also enjoyed the chance to work alongside familiar faces in the industry. “My favorite thing is just getting my hands dirty and doing the work,”Wynn says. “It’s hard work, and this is how we show thanks. It’s what we can give. It’s what we have at the core of our being.” This year’s event featured work at Ar lington National Cemetery (ANC) and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Memorial, in partnership with the National Park Service.

Shayne Newman, president of Yard Scapes Landscape Professionals, based in New Milford, Connecticut, has been coming to the event for 20 years and says it is a chance to give back to the country and realize the strength of the industry. “Just working with other landscapers together as a team takes a lot of work,” Newman says. “To work well as a team with this big of a group, I love this, watching how efficient we’re getting things done.” Jennifer Lemcke, CEO of Weed Man, agrees on how impactful this event is and encouraged their franchisees to take part in this powerful tradition. “It is an honor to work side-by-side with others from the green industry to give back to service members who have given so much to their country,”Lemcke says. Army veteran Mike Arthur, an assistant branch manager with The Davey Tree Expert Company, headquartered in Kent, Ohio,

12 The Edge // September/October 2025