Author Archives: dzadmin

11.02.17
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Vanessa Puleo of Led2Serve taking steps to rebuild Houston

In the days and weeks following Hurricane Harvey, St. John the Divine mobilized over 600 parishioners to serve the community and assist residents in cleanup and relief efforts. SJD has developed ongoing partnerships with other local organizations as we continue the work of disaster recovery, including World Vision, Faith Memorial Baptist Church in Houston’s Fifth Ward, and long-time partner Agape Development in the Third Ward.

 

St. John’s also recognizes the call felt by mission teams to serve in Houston. We are dedicating a portion of our facilities for dormitory use to house incoming teams from around the country who will be coming here to aid residents in their efforts to clean up and rebuild. SJD is partnering in this effort with Led2Serve, a non-profit organization which specializes in equipping, inspiring, and mobilizing mission teams. Led2Serve will offer customized Service Journeys to student and adult teams who will undertake meaningful community projects in Houston, using St. John the Divine as their ‘home base’.

 

As we prepare our facilities, mission teams are already forming. The first Led2Serve team arrived in Houston this week and are staying in a KOA campground on Lake Conroe. The 20-person team includes 12 young men from a Catholic military high school in Kansas, a single woman and a married couple and their three children from Orlando, and two brothers from Boston. Don Callender, SJD’s Mission Team Hosting Coordinator, worked with the team members from Orlando and Boston on Tuesday, painting the interior of a home that the Agape Repair Team rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire.

“We had three of the owner’s family members working with us: the niece, who did graduate work in political science at UH; her husband, who was a youth minister at Trinity Lutheran Church before retiring; and his brother-in-law who taught 8th grade history in his most recent career,” Don explained. “The mom and dad and their three kids from Orlando do a Thanksgiving trip annually, working Monday – Wednesday on a project like this, packing and serving food for those in need on Thursday morning, and then celebrating Thanksgiving together with the whole group that night. The father is an Opthalmic surgeon. One daughter is a tennis player, the other is a dancer. Their younger brother is still focused on annoying his big sisters. One of the brothers from Boston wants to be a Forest Ranger, the other is leaning toward marketing and graphic design.”

 

The team from Kansas, pictured below, is from St. John’s Military School in Salina, Kansas. The school was started by an Episcopal bishop in 1887. They spent the day working with the Agape repair team removing a roof from another house in the area.

 

 

St. John the Divine volunteers continue to serve our neighbors who were impacted by Harvey, providing pastoral care through the Shepherds program, financial assistance through the Harvey Relief Fund, and assistance with rebuilding and recovery through volunteer work teams. Our partnership with Led2Serve will extend our reach into the community through the long-term clean-up and rebuilding of our city, and help us to mobilize even more people to change lives for God in Christ.

[ See Original Article ]

10.30.17
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Can The Sun Hurt My Trees?

Too much of anything can be a bad thing. Just like humans, too much sun can be bad for trees, as well. Sounds silly, right? We all know trees need sunlight to grow and thrive, but too much sunlight can actually harm a tree.

A tree can get a “sunburn” just like you; there’s potential for the sun to cause permanent damage or even death in a tree. When a tree receives too much sunlight, it can develop sunscald. Sunscald damages the outer layer of the tree. A tree can develop spots and lesions, which can allow for other diseases to enter the tree. The bark, leaves, and fruit can be affected by too much sun. If a tree is really damaged by sunscald, the bark is affected to the point that the inner tissues of the tree are exposed. At this stage, it may not be possible for the tree to heal and survive.

Young trees and trees with thinner bark are more prone to getting sunscald. Sunscald makes it easier for fungi, bacteria, and insects to infest a tree. If a tree can no longer protect itself from such outside forces, the tree will decline, get sick, and even possibly die. There is no way to reverse sunscald, so your best bet is to prevent it from happening.

Can you protect a tree from sunscald? Yes, you can!. First off, you want to work with tree professionals to make sure the trees you currently have or want are appropriate for the climate you live in. You also want to make sure your trees are planted correctly for their needs.

You can protect your tree by finding ways to block or limit the sunlight with awnings or cloth wrappings for the trunks. You also do not want to over-trim a tree, because the branches and leaves help hide the tree from the sunlight. Plant trees in areas where they will get shade for part of the day. Make sure your trees are always getting enough water and fertilizer.

If you’re looking to protect your trees from sunscald or worried one of your trees may be affected by sunscald, call our certified team of tree experts to come out and assess the damage of your trees. We can let you know how much damage has occurred, and what you can do to prevent more damage from occurring.

If you want new trees planted, we can help you plan where the best place to plant the trees would be on your property to keep them safe from the sun’s rays.

10.30.17
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When Should I Get A Tree Removed?

Just like flowers, bushes, plants, mulch and garden gnomes, trees are an essential part to your property’s landscaping. Trees aren’t just pleasing to the eye, they also provide us with shade and oxygen, and give birds and other animals shelter. However, trees can also become a nuisance or liability. When a tree is very old, sick, or is affecting your home, it’s probably time to get rid of the tree (as sad as that may be).

Although it’s sad to let go of a tree, it will be a worse situation if the tree becomes unsafe and brings harm to your home or family. If a tree is damaged, sick, or dead, it can drop branches or fall at any time. If you have a tree on your property and you’re questioning its safety, it’s time to call up certified tree professionals to assess the tree and determine if it is healthy enough to remain standing or if it needs to be removed.

What are some signs of a problematic tree? Go outside and fully examine the tree itself. Is it leaning? Are the visible roots decaying or damaged? Does it have a lot of dead branches? Is it missing large pieces of bark? Are there a lot of dead leaves? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then you should definitely get the opinion of a certified tree specialist/arborist.

The tree professional will be able to tell if the tree’s lean is natural or due to damage; he or she can also tell if the tree is rotting, infested with fungus or insects. Also, the tree specialist can get high up in the tree to inspect all branches, as well, to determine the health of the tree.

At Fortune’s Lawn Care Services, our mission is to provide reliable and affordable landscaping maintenance, including tree removal services. Our tree removal team at Fortune’s Lawn Care Services are licensed, insured professionals who know how to properly manage and handle the job, whether big or small. We are based in Marco Island, Florida, and service customers in Marco Island and the Isles of Capri in Naples, Florida. Contact us at 239-438-7070 or click here to set up an appointment with one of our tree specialists.