Boulder County seeks volunteers for tree, shrub planting

A limber pine.Photo byChris Earle via Flickr

By Matt Whittaker / NewsBreak Denver

(Boulder County, Colo.) Boulder County Parks and Open Space is looking for volunteers to plant trees and shrubs this month, the county said this week in a newsletter.

The county needs volunteers to sow limber pine seeds on one of its mountain properties near Nederland from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 15. Those interested can register here.

Limber pine, a species that serves many roles in higher elevation ecosystems, is facing threats including mountain pine beetle, white pine blister rust and dwarf mistletoe, the county said.

“All these agents can cause widespread tree mortality and, when found in combination, can be even more lethal such that the long-term sustainability of the species is threatened,” the county said. “One strategy to aid in the recovery of the species is to get more limber pine on the landscape by outplanting seedlings or by direct seeding.”

The county said that the limber pine project involves a strenuous half mile uphill hike through snow drifts to a location at 9,000 feet in elevation.

Separately, the county is looking for volunteers to plant between 150 and 200 shrubs along St. Vrain Creek from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on April 22. Volunteers will meet at the Ron Stewart Parks & Open Space Administrative Building in Longmont. Those interested can register here.

“This multi-objective restoration includes goals of floodplain connectivity, native fish passage and improving riparian habitat with native plants,” the county said of the shrub planting.