PlanIT Geo joins the City of Arvada for a neighborhood planting event

October 28, 2021  |  Alec Sabatini

Is there a better way to spend a crisp autumn Saturday than planting trees?

For many of us at PlanIT Geo the answer is no, and so this past Saturday morning we gathered at Homestead Park, wrapped up in our flannels, for a day of community tree planting hosted by the City of Arvada.

The event was organized to celebrate the City of Arvada’s 30th consecutive year as a designated Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, as well as the launch of the Arvada Tree Campaign, which aims to spotlight the role trees play in supporting our vibrant community and ecosystems, as well as raise awareness to the impacts of Emerald Ash Borer on trees in Arvada.

The event kicked off with a Facebook livestream hosted by Ben Irwin, Chief Communications Manager with the City of Arvada, and he interviewed representatives from the City Forestry team, Colorado State Forest Service, and Arbor Day Foundation, as well as Arvada Councilmember-at-large Bob Fifer and our own Ian Hanou, CEO and Founder of PlanIT Geo.

The speakers discussed the importance of trees to their community and the growing challenge of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) for public and private trees alike. The first confirmed EAB infestation in Arvada was actually in Homestead Park, so it was a fitting backdrop to raise awareness on this threat to the city’s ash trees.

Once the speakers finished it was time to roll up our sleeves and get to digging. Several members of the Arvada Parks Division demonstrated proper tree planting technique and then we dispersed across the park to plant twelve total trees. Colorado’s hard clay soils put up a fight, but our collective willpower and immaculate shovel technique persevered! The excellent work done earlier in the week by the Arvada forestry team to prepare each tree site was also a huge help.

 “There’s no better way to practice what we preach than in our own backyard on the city’s 30th anniversary of Tree City USA. While planting is important, increasing awareness of EAB and available treatment options to residents is critical to preserving the urban canopy we have now, especially in areas with lower canopy and resources.”

-Ian Hanou, CEO and Founder PlanIT Geo™

PlanIT Geo also provided 90 native saplings to the event that were given away to community members, volunteers, and one US Postal worker who drove by at just the right time. We were honored to work with the City of Arvada, the Colorado State Forest Service, and the Arbor Day Foundation for this event. Though we love providing technology solutions for our client’s urban forestry challenges, it was great to have the chance to be hands-on and plant trees in a beautiful park just three miles from our main office.