Volunteer Spotlight – Chris Boswell

“Cheyenne’s a tough place for young trees, between dry conditions, alkaline soil, lots of wind, a short growing season and the seemingly inevitable hailstorms. But with some help, certain young trees can grow and flourish, and that’s what attracted me to Rooted.”

“I’ve been fascinated by the historic Cheyenne Arboretum west of town and what used to be known as the High Plains Horticultural Research Station on Hildreth Road, where science, some hard work and a bit of watering resulted in helping literally thousands of plantings rise up from the windblown prairie. Seeing trees and shrubs succeed with care–and in periods without care–helps demonstrate the importance of picking what gets planted in Cheyenne, and how significant regular early-life watering can be.”

“As a Rooted tree waterer, I can help the young trees which were planted by teams of volunteers. That year of regular watering can make a big difference for a newly-planted tree.”

“The Rooted staff, and all the folks in the city’s Urban Forestry division, are friendly and appreciative of the volunteer effort. They embrace Rooted, and it’s good to be able to play a small part in an important community initiative.”

“I’ll admit to not being the most gregarious of individuals, so it’s nice to be able to enjoy working on my own as a part of a larger effort. It’s important that I can pick my shifts over the course of a week or month. Getting out and about, learning the neighborhoods, talking to a few people and imagining what the trees in the neighborhoods will look like in ten, 20 or 30 years is remarkably rewarding. I found myself wanting to volunteer as often as circumstances might allow.”

“I look forward to 2021!”