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Tree diversity on campus grows
The diversity of trees on the Fort Lewis College campus has grown thanks to a $2,000 grant from the Colorado Tree Coalition. Under the Russian Olive Replacement and Improvement Project, nine mature Russian olive trees – an invasive species – in the 8th Avenue Parking Lot islands were removed and replaced with a selection of native species including, Turkish Filbert, Hot Wings Tatarian Maple, Chestnut Oak, and Western Hackberry. The City of Durango currently holds a Tree City USA designation, and replacing the Russian olives moves FLC toward a Tree Campus USA designation.
Mountain Studies Institute, a local nonprofit focused on research and science education in the San Juan Mountains, assisted FLC Physical Plant staff and professors from the Biology Department in procuring the CTC grant, funding the planting of the native deciduous trees, which boost ecological value and increase wildlife habitat on campus.
The 8th Avenue Parking Lot project is part of MSI’s larger effort to replace Russian olive trees with native and non-invasive tree species throughout the Animas River watershed. MSI has been working toward the goal of restoring watershed health and wildlife habitat by reducing the seed source of Russian olive trees since 2016.
The Colorado Tree Coalition awarded nearly $35,000 to 11 organizations in 2017. Along with matching funds provided by the grant recipients, the funds helped plant more than 360 trees in communities across Colorado. CTC grants are made possible through the support of the USDA Forest Service, the Colorado State Forest Service, Xcel Energy Foundation, Xcel Energy Vegetation Management, Colorado Public Radio, and CTC members and supporters.