Support the Talavera Family with the loss of Bill

Hi, my name is Harrison. I’m an arborist in Albuquerque. I’m friends with Bill, his wife Shalayna and their family. Bill fell from a tree on April 11th and has been in the hospital in critical condition with severe brain damage. His prognosis is terminal.

He and his brother Daniel (my other good friend) owned and ran American Tree Service here in Albuquerque. They worked tirelessly for their customers the (5) years that I’ve known them- and always did the right thing in an industry that is dangerous, complex and often unnoticed. They helped me get my company off the ground (Bill let me store my bucket truck at his house and never asked for a thing in return). Daniel taught me to climb. These guys are my Brothers. Even if we didn’t see each other for six months at a time I think we all took comfort in knowing that there were people with shared values we could rely upon and lean on; other people in town with the same awe and wonder for trees and the leaf-framed views you can only get of the Sandias 60’ in the air.

I don’t think many people appreciate the nature of risk we assume daily climbing and caring for the city’s urban forest. It’s more to ask that someone like Bill would treat his family, his friends and his employees with as much care, heart and integrity as he did.

Please consider offering support to their family by way of this GoFundMe campaign. Your support will go toward Bill’s family as they transition and navigate and his absence.