Trees…Sustainers of the Landscape
by Dale Carlon, Certified Arborist
We all learned in school the values of trees; providers of shade, producers of oxygen, screeners of winds. These are all important contributions, but there are so many more ways we can use trees to enhance our environment when utilized correctly.
Everyone can recognize a tree that has been planted in the wrong place, the roots are buckling the sidewalk because the tree is too close, or fruit bearing trees littering yards with rotting fruit, the list is endless. But how often do we say “Wow, that tree is placed perfectly in that space!” The most common mistake we see are large growing trees planted in small areas, this may look good in the beginning, but years later extensive pruning and even removal may be required. To avoid this, check out mature trees of the variety you are interested in and see if they would fit the area you intend to plant fifteen years from now. Consider placing a deciduous tree on the west or northwest side of your house, providing shade to assist in cooling in the summer but in winter with leaves gone allows for a passive heating source. You can increase efficiency of air-conditioning units by placing an evergreen between the afternoon sun and the unit. We use the evergreen for this so that falling leaves will not get into the unit. Winds can make a backyard virtually unusable in the afternoon, the columnar evergreen fits this role perfectly, we can plant these close together and they put on height quickly. Using one of the Pine varieties gives interest to the landscape in winter and provides a safe haven to birds year-round. Providing a canopy of shade over your lawn and shrubs can reduce water usage significantly. Try placing a tree with fragrant flowers like Prairiefire Crabapple between the prevailing wind direction and a house window, just open the window on a spring afternoon and bring a beautiful, natural perfume into your home.
There is a great deal of information out there available to help you in choosing the right tree for your yard .On the web try communityforestry.org, a site by the Truckee Meadows Community Forestry Coalition . Also on the web is the treesaregood.com site by the International Society of Arboriculture. For a more personal connection try a visit to the University Of Nevada Cooperative Extension at 5305 Mill street which is staffed by some of the most knowledgeable people around.
So, whether you have a new yard to landscape or an existing yard that could use some “sprucing” up, (pun intended) think about using trees, the venerable and beautiful sustainers of the landscape.
Home Means Nevada
I remember a particularly interesting conversation around the time a group of us were starting the Nevada Land Conservancy, the first independentland trust in Nevada. I was chatting with someone who took no care to mask his disdain for what we were setting out to accomplish. He was certain we were going to be “in the way” of progress. We talked further about what makes this area unique. I listened for the essence of his attachment to this area. It didn’t take long to find. As a child, some sixty-odd years ago, he spent every possible minute on, along, and in the Truckee River. He spoke of “his” swimming hole and where he learned to fish. He reflected on the stunning seasons along the river, when the cottonwoods turn from green to brilliant yellow in the fall. I said “That’s exactly what we’re going to do. We are going to protect those kinds of places, and those kinds of experiences, for future generations.”
It’s been eleven years since I had that conversation, and much has changed. Nevada Land Conservancy has helped protect over 35,000 acres of Truckee River corridor, private parcels within wilderness study areas, trailheads, scenic valleys, and the tops of mountain ranges. We’ve helped Nevada ranching families stay on their land, and we have built coalitions of people to find conservation solutions together. We’ve done it for wildlife, recreation, and water. We’ve done it today for Nevada’s future generations.
I didn’t have any “future generations” of my own until 2002; now the objective is more personal. I want my children, and yours, to know: how cold water feels right where it springs from the earth and how massive lenticular clouds form in a clear blue sky. I want them to know infinite distance – the vast gold, brown, purple, and blue horizon of the Great Basin — and the magical Black Rock under a full moon. I want them to know the fresh smell of sagebrush after rainfall and the changes in light and sound after snowfall. I want them to see the tops of distant peaks where the mule deer, the pronghorn, and the pygmy rabbits play. I want them to climb to the top of the hills where young children stood a thousand years ago. I want them to know where birds stop to rest as they journey through in spring and fall. I want them to have “their” swimming holes and know where trout hide in the Truckee River.
I want our children’s hearts to be full of “belonging” to this place, their home – Nevada.