Cemeteries can provide several different services to the public. While they are places for loved ones to be laid to rest, they can also be tranquil environments with admirable art and green space.
Because of the multi-faceted amenities they provide, cemeteries need to be detail-oriented and organized. TreeKeeper®, a tree inventory management software developed by Davey Resource Group, Inc., can help cemeteries protect their assets and create a flourishing public space.
Resilient Forests Require Management
When cemeteries have heavily forested areas with risks like hanging limbs and storm damage, it’s imperative they prioritize maintenance. Preventative maintenance can help cemeteries mitigate the risk of tree damage to mausoleums, headstones, and other funerary art.
With TreeKeeper®, cemeteries can get a jump-start on proactive maintenance by taking an inventory of their trees. The inventory can include assessments on high-risk trees that will require additional maintenance.
Ensuring the Safety of Guests
Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City is a 400-acre expanse with over 6,000 trees, many having reached their full maturity. With that many trees, it’s important to set up a pruning cycle and to prioritize tree work based on risks to people and cemetery assets.
Woodlawn uses TreeKeeper to update their tree inventory records with the latest information, such as overall condition, which may include the observation of pests, disease, or defective tree parts. This data, in turn, helps Woodlawn determine which high risk trees are near important assets by overlapping a map of potential targets with the physical location of each tree. It also helps Woodlawn plan and budget for more routine tree care, such as the establishment of annual pruning cycles.
More Than Meets the Eye
Cemeteries are more than burying sites for the loved ones we’ve lost. With the proper care for their natural assets cemeteries can become green spaces filled with community life.