Cheyenne observes Arbor Day, celebrates 42 years as a Tree City USA

Published on April 24, 2024

The City of Cheyenne observed Arbor Day on Tuesday, April 23, celebrating 42 years as a Tree City USA and 27 years with the Arbor Day Foundation’s Growth Award.

At Tuesday’s ceremony at United Nations Park, staff from the Urban Forestry Division invited sixth graders from Bain Elementary School to participate in the event, learn about the work Urban Forestry does in the community, and help plant four new trees at the park. Mayor Patrick Collins read this year’s Arbor Day proclamation.

Urban Forestry also gave three awards to individuals and groups in the community:

• Larry Griffith was given the Partner of the Year award for his efforts to maintain the historic High Plains Arboretum,
• Sam Cox was recognized as the Rooted in Cheyenne Volunteer of the Year for tirelessly volunteering his time and expertise to advocate for trees, and
• The GFWC Womens' Civic League of Cheyenne received the Rooted in Cheyenne Sponsor of the Year for helping improve forestry outreach and education to the public.

Cheyenne’s tenure as a Tree City USA is the longest in Wyoming and among the longest of communities in the Front Range.

To qualify as a Tree City, a city must meet four standards: form a tree board or department, establish a tree care ordinance, maintain a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita, and proclaim and observe Arbor Day. Growth Awards are given to communities that demonstrate higher levels of tree care and community engagement during the calendar year.

To learn more about Arbor Day, visit https://www.arborday.org.

To learn more about Rooted in Cheyenne, visit www.rootedincheyenne.com.

To learn more about Cheyenne Urban Forestry, visit www.cheyennetrees.com.

Photos of this year’s ceremony and event are available on the City’s Flickr account at https://www.flickr.com/people/cityofcheyenne.