Rooted in Cheyenne plants trees

Published in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle April 14, 2019, “Laying down roots, Rooted in Cheyenne to plant more trees, offer tree and garden tour.” All photos courtesy of Rooted in Cheyenne.

By Barb Gorges

Street trees and their canopy of green are prized, especially here in Cheyenne, located on the naturally treeless prairie. Trees keep cities cooler, break the wind’s ferocity, add to property value, remove pollutants and sequester carbon.

Cheyenne residents started systematically planting in 1882 and have continued planting in successive waves.

The latest wave of tree planting was instigated by Mark Ellison, city forester. He noticed many street trees have disappeared, victims of disease and old age. A windfall of $25,000 helped set up a tree planting 501(c)3 nonprofit, Rooted in Cheyenne. The name harks back to our city’s tree history and forward to a tree-full future.

The funds came from mitigation for the historic residential block replaced by Cheyenne Regional Medical Center’s Cancer Center, said Stephanie Lowe, involved with Historic Cheyenne, Inc., the group set up to disburse the funds.

Ellison and the Rooted in Cheyenne board organized an incentive program to encourage property owners to have trees planted in the right of way, between curb and sidewalk, or if the sidewalk abuts the curb, on the other side of the sidewalk.

In the spring of 2017 they bought 100 trees, and for $50 each, offered to plant a tree for a property owner as well as stake it and care for it for one year, including weekly watering in summer and monthly watering in winter.

Rooted in Cheyenne has continued to offer 100 or more trees twice a year. Some trees are available at no cost to people who qualify. This year, the actual cost of $150 per tree, including planting supplies, was also supported by a state forestry grant and the Laramie County Conservation District. Additional sponsorships and donations are welcome.

The trees this spring come from nurseries in Colorado, Nebraska and Oregon in 15-gallon containers. They are 8 to 10 feet tall with a caliper (diameter) of 1.25 to 1.5 inches.

Ellison has taken the precaution of offering a variety of trees suited to our area. You can see photos and descriptions at www.RootedinCheyenne.com. It’s a list to work from if you are planting on your own.

When I spoke to Ellison mid-March, nearly all this spring’s trees were spoken for. If you missed your chance, there’s another planting being scheduled for September.

Consider volunteering May 18 on a planting crew for half a day. City Council Ward I member Jeff White is enthusiastic about his experience on a crew last spring and the importance of the effort: “So many of the trees in our city have reached their shelf life. We would become treeless. It’s important to have Rooted in Cheyenne.”

Each crew plants 10 trees in four hours. A crew is led by one or two people from the green industry (landscapers, arborists, yard care company employees, etc.) who know how to correctly plant a tree.

If you plant trees yourself this spring, see the Cheyenne Urban Forestry department’s website, http://www.cheyennetrees.com. Look under the Education tab for the Wyoming Tree Owner’s Manual. It describes safe planting locations and best planting practices.

Volunteers are also needed to do weekly summer watering. A crew of two drives a pickup around with a tank of water and a hose in the back.

All the trees planted so far have survived, except a handful hit by hail last summer, and one tree loved to death. Once the critical first year is over, novice tree owners should be able to handle the maintenance.

“Word of mouth has been carrying the program pretty well,” said Ellison. Now Rooted in Cheyenne wants to get the word out about their Tree and Garden Tour, a mix of education, fun and fundraiser June 9.

Ticket holders will tour the Historic Dubois Block yards and gardens, viewing 30 different trees and shrubs plus other plants suited to Cheyenne.

Activities will include food trucks, Ask an Arborist, lawn games and tree planting and care workshops.