Roughly 500 landscape artists will travel to DC this month to do what they do best at the Arlington National Cemetery as part of a day of service organized by PLANET, the national association for landscape professionals.

PLANET and its members feel truly privileged to be able to give back in this way to honor America’s veterans and heroes each year.

During the 17th annual Renewal and Remembrance event, PLANET members will help mulch, prune, aerate, plant, and lime more than 150 acres of the national cemetery.

“PLANET and its members feel truly privileged to be able to give back in this way to honor America’s veterans and heroes each year,” Glenn Jacobsen, president of PLANET, said in statement.

Children of PLANET members can also take part in the program, which since its inception has contributed more than $2.2 million to the care and upkeep of the cemetery. Participants between the ages of 3 and 12 will help plant perennials within the cemetery grounds.

The event also offers PLANET members who happen to be military veterans as well a unique chance to share their talents while they give back to fellow veterans.

“My Army unit was as close as brothers could be, and coming to Arlington’s National Cemetery each year to beautify the grounds allows me to pay tribute to my friends and other veterans, our true heroes,” said Bob Brophy, PLANET member and former combat medic, 2nd Squadron, 1st Calvary Regiment, in Vietnam.

Looking for other interesting ways to get your members or staff involved in a community service project?

In another interesting community service effort, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association recently implemented a crowdsourced initiative. Every two months, staff members drop their names in a hat, and whoever is chosen gets to pick a charitable or nonprofit organization that participating staff can donate to, with ARTBA matching total contributions.

The association is also organizing a day of service in which interested staff can volunteer at a local food preparation and delivery organization this fall.

A photo from PLANET's 2010 Renewal and Remembrance event. (Philippe Nobile Photography/Flickr)