Board Member Bio – Jacob Mares

Jacob Mares is a Cheyenne native of 35 years, and is a founding board member. He got his start in arboriculture planting trees with the Laramie County Conservation district. In 2012 he joined the City of Cheyenne’s Urban Forestry Department, and spent the next five years planting and caring for the city’s trees. His love for plants led him to the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, and in 2017 he accepted the position of Exterior Horticulturist. Jacob is a certified Arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture, and is Co-Owner of Gnarled Root Tree Care LLC. Working in the public and private sectors allows Jacob a unique perspective on Cheyenne’s people and landscapes.

When he isn’t working, Jacob enjoys spending time with his wife Kimberly, and their two dogs Indy and Ruby. The two enjoy Gardening, hiking, cooking and exploring Wyoming. Jacobs favorite tree is the Skyline Honey locust ‘Gleditsia tricanthos’, which is tolerant of our soils, and does well along our roads. It has the added benefit of small leaves that blow away in the fall, saving on raking!