SPOTLIGHT BOARD MEMBER – SAM COX
Sam Cox has been a board member for two years now. As someone who has dedicated their career to natural resource research and management, he not only brings us knowledge but, tons of passion.
When asked why he volunteers for Rooted, this was his response:
I got a bumper sticker that reads “Trees are the Answer” and I think that’s right on. For beauty, fruit, bees, birds, mental health, cooling shade, privacy screens, energy savings, property values, free carbon sequestration and tree house venues…trees are the answer. There’s another saying that there’s no free lunch, but with trees there certainly is. Planting a tree is the most lopsided cost-benefit activity I can think of. Almost nothing makes a city more pleasant to live in than trees, so I volunteer with Rooted in Cheyenne to nudge that process along. Plus, great t-shirts.
Sam believes that the future of Rooted in Cheyenne should be one that is indefinite, as he expects to, “see folks planting trees for Rooted in Cheyenne 20 years from now (and more).”
His favorite species of trees are the Bur Oak and the Tuliptree:
…it’s just a darn good-looking tree that also happens to be super tough. I’ve planted a bur oak at the last 7 houses I’ve lived in, and they are all still alive. As for a specific tree, I immediately think back to our house in Tennessee that had a massive 95-foot, 35-inch diameter tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in the front yard that was so huge it seemed like it belonged in a National Park. The tuliptree is a gorgeous species that just won’t grow well in Colorado or Wyoming (I’ve tried several times). When we pulled up to that house in Tennessee with the realtor and saw that tuliptree in the front yard, I almost bought the house without even walking inside.
We certainly appreciate his positivity, knowledge, and dedication to bettering the environment. RIC would not be the same without Sam Cox.
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