Butte-Silver Bow Urban Forestry

10/14/2026

The October 7th event at the Basin Creek Edible Forest was a blast. My Seasonal Assistant Kelton B (seen driving the red UTV) and Linda Palagi (from Butte Urban Forest Board) helped guide the younger aged kids on proper wood chip installation and its benefits, as well as w**d identification and removal.
I helped teach the older aged group on how to prune fruit trees (to allow sunlight on all branches,no crossing branches, select desired height for ability to harvest all fruit, disinfect pruning tools between trees to avoid bacterial infections, etc). They learned so incredibly quick that they could become professional little orchard pruners if they wanted. Would love to see them in Arboriculture and/or Urban Forestry in the future and my fingers are crossed 🤞. Thank you Zea Stoner-Daigle for another incredible event! You and your kids/students made my year!

10/14/2026

10/05/2026

On Wednesday, October 7th, there will be another learning event out at the Basin Creek Edible Forest (in Basin Creek Park at the end of Basin Creek Rd) with Zea Stoner-Daigle ,but all are welcome. It will begin at 11am and end by 2PM, but people usually filter in and out. The fruit trees are finally at the point where they need to be pruned, and fruit trees require a unique type of pruning when grown for fruit production vs ornamental qualities (like pretty flowers and fall colors). I hope to make this an annual fall event and I am happy to answer any questions for anyone interested. I’m sorry for the late notice, and will upload pictures and/or videos to illustrate the techniques used.

07/21/2026

This summer, we have had the opportunity to put our efforts into diversifying the urban forest seen around Skyline Dog Park! This project was made possible through funding from the DNRC's Development Grant.

Some species we have planted so far include accolade and triumph elms, cultivars of American lindens, cultivars of lilacs, Austrian pines, and Siberian larches! Here are a few pictures of the progress we have made so far.

06/09/2026

This year's Arbor Day Celebration was a great success! A big thank you to the Urban Forest Board of Butte-Silver Bow for hosting a great event and to all community members that assisted with the plantings. While we did not take any photos during the event, here are the 4 trees that were planted, which include an elm, two lindens, and a poplar.

06/02/2026

It's that time of year again! Please join us 10:00 AM-11:30 PM this Friday, June 5th, at East Middle School for our 2026 Arbor Day Celebration! At this event, four trees will be planted on the 46th Parallel near the Bus Stop.

In addition to planting, Butte Urban Forest Board Chairman, Bruce Schlaebitz, will welcome all attendees, a brief history of Arbor Day will be shared, Butte’s Tree City USA recognition will be acknowledged, and Butte Silver Bow’s Chief Executive JP Gallagher will be delivering an Arbor Day Proclamation!

There will also be free seedling trees donated by the MT DNRC and refreshments available on site.

We look forward to seeing you all!

05/22/2026

A couple pictures from the second annual “Stormwater Festival” at Father Sheehan Park on Wednesday. Over 400 4th-6th graders learned about the entire stormwater ecosystem through hands on methods. I led the Tree ID station and these kids couldn’t have been more enthusiastic. I am very thankful to have been a part of it and to Ripple (The Center for Education & Ecosystem Studies) for the invite. I hope the kids got as much out of it as I did, more details can be found here https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/butte-students-learn-about-delicate-nature-of-stormwater-ecosystem

05/15/2026

Did a tree consultation the other day and it reminded me I should share the basics on pollarding willow trees. They’re one of the best species for pollarding in our area and handle it really well.
First off, dont do any big pruning cuts on willows in the spring. They bleed heavily this time of year. Especially in dry years like we’re having, it’s important to wait until they’re fully dormant. The best window is October through February.
When you’re ready to pollard, pick a height you can easily reach from the ground with a pole saw (6 to 15 feet is usually good). Make clean angled cuts (45 to 60 degrees) on the main trunks at that height so water doesnt sit on top. You dont have to make every trunk the exact same height, some people like a more natural uneven look. Just make sure you or whoever maintains them can reach them comfortably.
Once the trunks are cut back bare, wait for spring. You’ll get a big strong flush of new growth that fills out into that nice full canopy over time. Willows take this hard pruning better than most species.
Over the years they’ll form a tough knuckle at the cut sites (you can see it in the photos). That’s why every 3 to 5 years (every 2 to 3 in places like Missoula) when you cut back all the new shoots, make sure you cut them clean, no stubs. A knuckle will form over time which helps seal the open wounds from disease and rot. Leaving stubs messes with knuckle formation and can lead to problems (as seen in marked up photos.
Let me know if you have questions. I’m happy to help if anyone’s thinking about pollarding their willows this year. The ideal way to prune if the goal is to reduce height vs the “topping” method.
Happy Friday! 🌳

05/08/2026

The BSB Urban Forest Board and I hosted the Butte Montana Forest School on Wednesday out at the Basin Creek Edible Forest. The school provides hands on leaning opportunities for kids being homeschooled. It was one of the most well attended events we have hosted together and hope they enjoyed it as much as we did. Was amazing to see kids of all ages having a good time out there, all the way down to kids just learning to walk. The younger ages loved digging in the dirt (finding worms like in picture) and the older kids were asking a ton of great questions. Bruce & Linda from the BSB UFB lead a tour of Basin Creek Park which has many diverse, mature trees. There is a multi year project happening at the park and reservoir so Basin Creek Park is closed until further notice. If a group would like to set up a similar group event at the edible forest, please reach out for availability. I’m sorry for any inconvenience and will make a post if anything changes. More information on the park’s closure can be found on the Butte-Silver Bow website.

05/04/2026

The before and after photos are from a post I saw online. It’s a great example of a mature tree getting the root flare above grade and installing mulch. The last picture is the toba hawthorn on the west side of the Uptown Fire Station. I included it in order to show one of the many options available if some type of border is preferred. It can help control the grass from taking over again. I know it’s a lot of work, but one of the best things you can do to promote long term health. One of those “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” scenarios. Reach out with any questions, always happy to help.