BOZEMAN — To celebrate Arbor Day, Bozeman Forestry Division and Gallatin Watershed Council joined forces to plant trees at North Meadows Park.
“Every year we’re looking for a new park space or an area that’s lacking a tree canopy so that we can add some new trees,” explains Forestry Division Manager Alex Nordquest.
This Arbor Day marks the 30th year that Bozeman is considered a Tree City USA, meeting specific standards every year to earn the title.
“We always aim to plant more than we remove and it’s all a part of our long-term planning. We derive a lot of benefits from continually planting new trees that will someday grow into large canopies,” says Nordquest.
As a joint effort with the Gallatin Watershed Council, known as Branch Out Bozeman (BOB), Executive Director Holly Hill explains the benefits of trees.
“Trees really help to shade our streams and keep that water cooler, which helps fish populations and helps to keep that water cleaner, cooler, and healthier,” she says.
BOB’s goal is to enhance Bozeman’s tree canopy, affecting water quality, social equity, and urban heat islands—improving bare neighborhoods and reducing climate change.
“The watershed and the water that we have here in the Gallatin Valley is a shared resource and so we all rely on that shared resource, and we all have a role to play in stewarding it,” says Hill.
Ten trees were planted by volunteers today. The Red Oak, Black Locust, and native Engelmann Spruce will provide shade, air, and a home to wildlife for years to come.
“We really appreciate you coming out here, lending your time and talent to something that hopefully generations from now you will point to and say ‘I helped do that.’ So, thank you,” says Bozeman Mayor Terry Cunningham.
For more information on Bozeman Arbor Day, or the Branch Out Bozeman initiative, visit their website.
