Three years ago, after seeking advice from tree experts and City arborists, we learned that the massive blue spruce that stood sentinel at our office since the 1940s had reached the end of its life.
There was no saving it, and the 100-foot-tall tree was at risk of coming down on its own, onto a busy street. We were heartbroken, but for safety reasons, we made the difficult decision to remove the tree.
Learn more in “Saying Goodbye to Our Historic Blue Spruce.”
Once the decision was made, our team didn’t want the good heartwood of the giant tree to go to waste. We found its next purpose at Hearts & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center, an incredible local nonprofit that provides equine-assisted services for veterans, at-risk youth, individuals with physical and cognitive challenges, and seniors living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. HighCraft owner, Dwight Sailer, sits on the Hearts & Horses board. He and his wife, Dana, believe in the organization so much, they donated their gentle horse, Lucy, to their program.
Dwight explains the emotional journey of losing a beloved tree, and building renewed purpose with its lumber, in the following Q&A.
What made this project meaningful to you, and why was it important for HighCraft to donate the tree to support Hearts & Horses?
“This project was meaningful to me because it started with something we really did not want to lose.”
“The tree had stood beside HighCraft’s office at 429 South Howes in Fort Collins for many, many years. Unfortunately, it eventually reached the point where it had become a safety concern, and we knew it had to come down. At that point, I just could not stomach the idea of seeing a tree that old and that substantial simply chipped or turned into firewood.
I reached out to Josh Fine with Fine Tree Service, and we started talking about whether there was a better way to give the tree another life. Because I serve on the board of Hearts & Horses and have seen firsthand the incredible work they do, the connection felt natural.
Years ago, HighCraft had built another pergola at Hearts & Horses, and when we learned they had been talking about creating a memorial space for the horses that have served their organization, everything came together.
What started as the loss of an old tree became an opportunity for our team to create something lasting for an organization we deeply believe in.
What started as the loss of an old tree became an opportunity for our team to create something lasting for an organization we deeply believe in. That is what made this project special to me. It was not really about donating lumber to build a pergola. It was about taking something that had meaning to us and allowing it to continue serving people in a completely different way.”
How did it feel to see a tree that once stood at our office transformed into a pergola that will serve Hearts & Horses for years to come?
“Seeing the finished pergola was incredibly rewarding. And because our team had the honor of designing and building it, the whole project became even more meaningful.
I have spent most of my life in construction, but there was something very different about watching an actual living tree go through the entire process—from standing beside our office, to being carefully taken down, milled into timbers, naturally dried, shaped, and finally rebuilt into something with an entirely new purpose.”
“There is a lot of character in those timbers. It is a big, strong, substantial pergola, and I remember thinking when we finished it that its strength felt appropriate.”
“It represents the strength of Hearts & Horses, the strength of the people and families they serve, and, I believe, the kind of strength and commitment we want HighCraft to represent in our community as well.”
“There was something deeply satisfying about knowing that instead of this tree simply disappearing, it had been given another chapter. It will now stand at Hearts & Horses for many years, creating memories and serving people just as it stood beside HighCraft for so many years before.”
How is this pergola used today, and what impact has it had on Hearts & Horses participants, volunteers, and families?
“Today, the pergola serves two really important purposes. First, it is a memorial space for the horses that have served Hearts & Horses and the people who loved them.”
“It can be hard to fully understand the bond that develops between these horses and the people who participate in the Hearts & Horses program until you have witnessed it yourself.”
“These animals become part of someone’s healing, growth, confidence-building, and sometimes their ability to work through things they have struggled with for years.”
“When one of those horses passes away, it leaves a very real empty place for participants, families, volunteers, and staff. The pergola gives them somewhere to stop, reflect, remember, and honor these incredible animals and the lives they touched.
Second, the pergola also serves a very practical purpose. It was positioned to provide a comfortable place for parents, families, and volunteers to rest and relax while participants are in their sessions. Instead of sitting out in the hot Colorado sun, they now have a quiet, shaded place to wait, visit, and watch.”
“Hearts & Horses serves such a wide range of people—from children and adults with special needs, to individuals working through difficult circumstances, to our military veterans and many others. Hearts & Horses reaches members of our community who desperately need the services they provide.
Knowing that a tree that once stood outside HighCraft now provides a place of comfort, remembrance, and peace for those families means an incredible amount to me. In many ways, I think that old tree ended up exactly where it was supposed to be.”
~~~
The memorial stone near the pergola reads:
In Loving Memory of the
Hearts & Horses Herd
More than equines—teachers, friends, and forever part of our family.
Kathryn Yuma, Development and Communications Director at Hearts & Horses, says, “I think what’s most special about the pergola is that it commemorates the horses that have served our mission but have passed. This is a lovely quiet space to reflect and share gratitude for these incredible animals that carry our mission forward day in and day out.”
If you would like to support Hearts & Horses, consider joining us at their 26th Annual Lucky Hearts Gala on Saturday, September 12th in Loveland.
Special thanks to Fine Tree Service for your thoughtful guidance and removal of the tree, Baldwin Hardwoods for kiln-drying and preparing the reclaimed lumber, and to our partners at Detailed Landscape for donating the landscaping around the pergola.
