Meet the Team: Scott Aker Joins the City of Cheyenne, Q&A

Published on December 20, 2022

Name: Scott Aker

Born: July 8

Place of Birth: Rapid City, South Dakota

CHEYENNE − The City of Cheyenne is happy to welcome Scott Aker as our new Botanic Gardens manager. Aker joined the city on October 31, as a transplant from the “National Capital Region,” or as many refer to it, the DMV area.

Born and raised in South Dakota, Aker is no stranger to subzero temperatures and icy-cold wind chills. On the contrary, he wears a smile so bright and warm, you forget about the numbing cold that awaits you outside the gardens’ doors.

He’s inquisitive, personable, and responsible some might say, but of course, none of those characteristics matter when a new episode of “Young Sheldon” or “Crime Pays but Botany Doesn’t” is on.

In his free time, Aker enjoys cooking, watching YouTube videos, taking day trips, visiting gardens and nurseries, or being caught in a thunderstorm.

On a not-so-busy day at the botanic gardens, I was able to chat with him and learn more about his journey to the High Plains. Here’s a little of what he shared:

What is your favorite sport if you have one?

Plant Collecting

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A horticulturist!

What originally got you interested in your current field of work?

My mom had me plant some iris rhizomes when I was about five. I thought they were rocks with green shoots and was hooked on horticulture when they grew and bloomed.

What are some things you’ve accomplished throughout your life from either past employment or volunteer work?

I created the Grass Roots Exhibit at the U.S. National Arboretum, an exhibit featuring ornamental grasses, grass crops, and turfgrass, with no funding other than donor funding. I staged a Hippeastrum Holiday exhibit at the U.S. National Arboretum featuring thousands of blooming amaryllis from late November through early February. I [also] reduced pesticide [usage] by 75 percent at the U.S. National Arboretum, while reducing pest and disease damage to collections.

What do you wish other people knew about you, your job, or a fun fact you wish to share?

I love maps and geography and geographic connections to plants; how they grow, and how they fit into their ecosystems.

What’s your philosophy on what an individual should do concerning global warming?

We need to take a cue from plants, which are elegantly designed to adapt. We need to adapt also—perhaps do a bit less traveling and appreciate nature where we are. Plant trees and preserve grasslands. Most of all, we need to realize that Nature is in control, not humankind.

A year or five from now, what is something you hope to accomplish?

I hope to complete a master plan for the Botanic Gardens that increases the diversity of plants in our collections while highlighting High Plains gardening style and ethics and begin implementation of the plan. I also hope to put a strong team of collaborators together to develop and begin to implement plans for the High Plains Arboretum, in conjunction with the Cheyenne Department of Urban Forestry.  

If you found out today was your last day on Earth, what would you do?

I would find a nice place to enjoy the trees and the sky.

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