With roughly 110 genera and one to six species per genera, the beauty and health of CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 trees does not happen by accident. Caring for native and non-native species requires patience, knowledge and a dedicated team of arborists.
鈥淭here鈥檚 science and art, and you have to be thoughtful about what you鈥檙e doing,鈥� said Vince Aquino, lead campus arborist. 鈥淭he things you do to a tree in a couple minutes or an hour affect it for years or decades. You have to respect that and be cautious, and take your time about what you do and how you train others to do things.鈥�
Aquino started working at CU 麻豆影院 20 years ago as a seasonal groundskeeper. Shortly thereafter, he became a full-time groundskeeper and started working on his certification as a professional arborist. Now, 15 years into his role as the lead campus arborist, Aquino knows each tree personally, including its location, water and sunlight needs, and required maintenance.听
鈥淚t challenges me intellectually, but also allows me to work in the field and be outside,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a really cool blend of mental and physical work.鈥�
Aquino relies on the help of two additional full-time arborists, Joel Serafin and Roland Boller, to maintain the campus canopy.
鈥淭wenty years ago, we were a bunch of hardworking, well-meaning people who wanted to do a good job, but we didn鈥檛 have the technical knowledge and the skill level that we have now,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are a complete professional landscape operation now. We have a high level of professional expertise in turf care, irrigation management, tree care, perennial, annual and shrub care鈥攁ll the facets of urban landscape care and maintenance.鈥�
A leader among trees
Aquino鈥檚 favorite trees are the yellow buckeye tree west of Varsity Pond and the witch hazel tree in the swale west of Norlin Quad, which flowers around Halloween. Also on his list is the Old Main cottonwood, a 140-year-old tree located just south of the Old Main building.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a very distinct tree because, for one thing, it鈥檚 physically massive,鈥� said Aquino. 鈥淚t鈥檚 clearly some sort of superior genetic material because it鈥檚 twice the age that a cottonwood typically might live to, and it has a structural habit that is not typical of cottonwoods. Its structure is more reminiscent of a big American elm, rather than a cottonwood.鈥�
A typical cottonwood, said Aquino, would not be able to weather quite so many storms or issues as the Old Main cottonwood has. With help from the EBIO Greenhouse, the campus arborists harvested scions from the Old Main cottonwood. The clippings are currently being cultivated into clones and will later be planted.听
Of the trees on campus, the cottonwoods and silver maples require the most care and attention. These trees grow fast and provide a lot of shade, but their chemical composition is different than slower growing hardwoods, which, according to Aquino, makes them inherently weak.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not as resilient,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey can鈥檛 handle storm damage. They can鈥檛 handle pests and diseases as readily. That鈥檚 the trade-off.鈥�
White oak, hackberries and catalpas represent the opposite end of the spectrum, thriving with minimal routine care and maintenance.
Sustaining diversity
Sustaining species diversity and the health of trees across campus is no easy feat, especially amidst heavy winter storms, hail damage, disease and infestations, such as the emerald ash borer. The two worst storms in recent history, in terms of tree damage, were the heavy, wet snowfalls of Halloween 2010 and this past March.
鈥淲e sustained massive damage, with a lot of trees affected,鈥� said Aquino about this spring鈥檚 storm. 鈥淩emarkably we only lost outright two or three trees. The key to those events is getting out there, locating the imminent hazards and creating a plan to mitigate that. I would commend our whole Outdoor Services Department for rising to the occasion and creating an effective response.鈥澨�
Time and time again, CU-麻豆影院 earns Tree Campus USA designation, along with other arboriculture awards. Twice annually, the CU Museum of Natural History and Facilities Management host a campus Tree Walk, where participants can learn more about the unique characteristics of the campus trees.
To experience the array of CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 campus canopy on your own, Aquino recommends visiting the Norlin Quad and Varsity Lawn areas, which present the greatest combination of species diversity and a mature landscape.
鈥淲e are working hard to have an appealing aesthetic for now and for the future,鈥� said Aquino. 鈥淕et off the beaten path. Find the little alcoves, the quiet corners. Enjoy the trees, the shrubbery, the plantings and the aesthetics.鈥�
Facilities Management relies on the campus community to help gather information about trees in need of assistance. If you see any damage or safety concerns, please call the Facilities Management service line at 303-492-5522.