During Nevada Shade Tree Week 2015 and the University of Nevada, Reno Homecoming Week, the University Arboretum Board, Grounds Services, and Associated Students of the University of Nevada partnered for a tree-planting workday Friday, Oct. 23.

Work began at 8 a.m. by the John Sala Intramural Fields on the northeast side of campus and was completed by 11 a.m. There were 32 student volunteers and 11 Arboretum Board volunteers. Combined, the 43 volunteers logged 122 hours.

"The weather was perfect; it was cool, crisp, calm and cloudless," Cheryll Glotfelty, professor of English and chair of the University's Arboretum Board, said. "The purpose of the planting is for beautification and erosion control; the slopes were badly eroded in this past summer's rainstorms. It was a wonderful and cheerful day. Several times throughout the planting, we asked if anyone wanted to take a break, but nobody did. They wanted to get those seedlings in the ground."

Glotfelty said the crew planted 192 seedlings on the very steep, south-facing, dirt slope to the north of the Intramural Fields. They planted a mix of tree and shrub seedlings, ordered from the Washoe State Nursery, favoring drought-tolerant and native species, including Ponderosa Pine, Scotch Pine, Curleaf Mountain Mahogany, Hackberry, Black Locust, Honey Locust, Oakleaf Sumac, Antelope Bitterbrush, Golden Currant, Serviceberry, Wyoming Big Sagebrush, Quailbrush and Mormon Tea.

University Grounds Services prepared the slopes in advance by installing horizontal rows of wattles and ropes for safety and assistance to volunteers going up and down the slope. They were anchored to giant water bags at the top of the hill.

Marty Sillito, assistant director of Grounds Services, mapped out where each seedling would go, then marked the area with flags that corresponded to the species that were to be planted.

"We stationed rows of volunteers along the wattles, with a vertically placed ‘human-chain' seated on steps carved in advance in the very steep dirt slope," Sillito said. "Volunteers at the bottom passed the specified seedlings up the chain. In this way, we minimized traffic on these extremely steep slopes."

After the planting, University Grounds staff installed drip irrigation. Starter fertilizer was applied at the time of planting to each plant, and Grounds Services will continue to monitor the growth and health of the plants.

The Arboretum Board applied for and was awarded more than $850 from the US Forest Service/Nevada Division of Forestry. The University matched the grant with materials, labor and volunteer hours.

"We would like to sincerely thank the US Forest Service and Nevada Division of Forestry's Urban and Community Forestry program for the subgrant that helped to fund this project," Glotfelty said.

The University celebrated becoming a Tree Campus USA last spring. Maintaining Tree Campus USA status requires an annual student service project.