Our Urban Forest – Trees, Bees & Water

If you live in a city, you live in some version of an urban forest. Parks, street trees, river corridors (riparian vegetation), landscaped areas like roadsides and medians, urban gardens, nature preserves, and any other green space including residential yards are what make up our urban forest.

Water is a critical need for Santa Fe's urban forest to thrive and the benefits are profound. Our urban ecosystem serves both people and wildlife. Trees and other vegetation help filter air and water, control storm water by reducing erosion, and save water and energy by shading which reduces evaporation and helps to minimize the needs for artificial cooling. Urban forests also provide an environment for recreation and they add economic value to our community. The beauty of Santa Fe's urban forest is an undeniably priceless aesthetic value.

Water conservation helps ensure that our urban forest receives the water it needs to provide us with these benefits as well as provide needed habitat for pollinators and wildlife. Value water.

The core principal of TreeSmart Santa Fe is that cultivating a healthy canopy is not just about planting more trees. It is about planting the right tree (and sometimes other vegetation), in the right place, with the right resources, at the right time. Learn more

Listen to our Que Suave Radio podcast with special guests Mayor Alan Webber and Councilor Carol Romero-Wirth. They discussed the City of Santa Fe's new TreeSmart Santa Fe initiative, which aims to increase and protect the city's tree canopy. Also visit https://treesmart-thecitydifferent.hub.arcgis.com, an ongoing source of information.

The mission of the Municipal Tree Board is to advocate for the health and proper care of the Urban Forest and to provide education to the public regarding the importance of benefits of the Urban Forest.

The Extension Master Gardeners of Santa Fe are working in liaison with the City of Santa Fe Municipal Tree Board to inventory the city trees, beginning with the parks system. By collecting species, diameter, condition, and location data, we are learning to identify trees, pests that afflict the trees, and factors influencing tree health. Tree identification and data collection workshops teach master gardeners, interns, and the public as well as build leadership in this citizen science effort. The community driven approach to collection ripples into the private gardens of our urban forest through proper species selection and knowledge of tree care. This project helps to build the urban forest through local education, while also providing the information to the Parks Division for further assessment, follow-up maintenance, and good decision making. Learn more at https://www.santafenm.gov/municipal_tree_board