Author - Colorado Trees

15 Sep

Celebrating 5 Years by offsetting our Carbon for 2021!

Wow. FIVE years.

It’s been a crazy road to where we are today. Colorado Trees started off as one man (Mark, owner) and a truck and a boat trailer. Mark worked hard and cut trees alone, dragged brush alone, loaded brush on his raft trailer and tied it down alone, booked jobs, did invoices and estimates and built this company through blood, sweat, and sometimes tears. We aren’t too proud to admit that!

Today, Colorado Trees is still mostly run by Mark in many facets, but he’s added a truck, a chipper, more chainsaws, ground crew, and climbers. Mark studied hard and became a certified Arborist and then did two years of training to become a Qualified Supervisor with the Department of Agriculture.  He uses this knowledge to diagnose and treat trees for many situations. Keeping trees healthy and happy is his passion. That passion for trees continues today. Since day one we have thought about how to replace the trees that have had to come down. Being a cog in the health of our environment is important.

Taking down dead trees and keeping trees beautiful is important to our environment but taking them down also takes a BIG truck that emits Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Running a big chipper to chip dead branches uses fuel and emits carbon. Running a chainsaw uses fuel and emits Carbon. To celebrate five years, we wanted to make a positive impact on the environment in a BIG way.

That’s why we’ve partnered with Native, a Public Benefit Corporation and the Medford Spring Grasslands Conservation Project in southeastern Colorado. With this partnership we pledge to offset 100% of our carbon footprint made by our diesel work truck, our wood chipper, and our chainsaws. The fuel used for us to trim, treat and remove trees is 220 tCO2e which is equal to eliminating the carbon from 26.5 homes energy use for an entire year.

How? Grasslands store one-third of the Earth’s carbon, and just one acre of grassland can store an estimated 50 tonnes of carbon or more. Yet, in the U.S., over one million acres of grassland are still converted each year, which has the potential to release 50%-70% of the carbon they hold as carbon dioxide (CO₂). Colorado’s shortgrass prairie The Medford Spring grasslands, hosts bison and black-tailed prairie dogs will help limit shrub and tree encroachment and preserve habitats for native swift fox, ferruginous hawks, burrowing owls, elk, pronghorn antelope, and the mountain plover. This eco-system is important to essentially “pull down” negative CO2 and hold it in the soil and release what you can call “good carbon” back in the air.

We are currently supporting the Medford Springs Grasslands project through Native to offset the 220 tonnes of CO2 we will emit this year essentially ending at net ZERO for 2021.

Choosing CO trees for your trim or removal not only means incredible customer service, fair pricing, and unparalleled expertise, it also means giving back and making our world a better, cleaner place. We believe we can all make change.

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22 Jan

Team Work Makes The Dream Work

When it comes to putting out good services and taking pride in what you do, having a supportive team is a major component. Our team at Colorado Trees makes all the difference. Being able to enjoy the people you spend your time with while working, not only benefits you personally but it also benefits the customers that get to deal with such a well oiled machine.

The leader of this team is Mark. His passion for this industry started at a young age. Although he did explore other professions, the tree care industry all kept pulling him back in. With his exploration of other pass times, he was able to bring a different perspective to the team. He worked in the hospitality industry for a bit. Having the experience in dealing with people, he knows how important it is to make people feel comfortable and confident in their decisions. This same idea applies to the tree care industry as well. He also understands that you need the right group of people to help you achieve that.

The team that Mark has put together consists of 4 main players. Rich has been working in the tree care industry for over 7 years. His experience gives him confidence and ease when he is up in the trees. Colin has also been in the tree care industry for a while. His love for rock climbing is what got him interested in trees. Being comfortable off the ground has helped him grow and learn quickly what this industry has to offer. Benjamin has been able to grow quickly within the tree care industry also. He is always trying new things and pushing himself out of his comfort zone. Having an interest in nature since a young age made the tree care industry an easy choice for him. Shane is a hard worker and also takes pride in the jobs that he does, just like his team mates.

When you ask the guys, “what is the most important way to keep everyone on the team safe?”, they almost all said communication. This can sometimes be a dangerous job so making sure everyone is safe and on the same page is extremely important. A strong and like minded team takes safety and success very seriously. Every guy on our crew at Colorado Trees brings something unique and important to the table. The best way to put out great work is when everyone is working together to achieve on one common goal.

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16 Nov

What’s an Arborist?

Like people, trees need proper nutrients and care to thrive. Consider an arborist as your tree’s primary care physician.

An arborist is a professional, certified by the International Society of Arboriculture. This person studies tree function and structure, engaging in the management and care of trees. Arborists can help diagnose the structural integrity and health of your tree.  Arborists recommend treatments or trim plans to get your trees where they need to be when heavy snows or winds come through. Thus, they are helping you in mitigating as much hazard to your property as possible. 

However,  arborists can also have specialty skills. These can include climbing and trimming the trees, and removing trees in various conditions or locations. They’re also able to treat your trees to be as healthy as possible.

The arboricultural industry has a collaborative culture. Various arborists with various skill sets are utilized in many cases to get the job done correctly, and with lasting positive effects. Colorado Trees‘ crew has an amazing mix of arborists to handle every situation they’re faced with. 

Fall Tree Service

Colorado Trees has a culture of continuing education. We are constantly training our arborists, and arborists-in-training. We give them the education they n

eed to be the best, while also keeping our experienced Arborists on the cutting edge of this new and changing industry.

Want to know what an ISA certified arborist can do for you and your trees? Schedule a free estimate here! We’d love to hear from you. 

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denver tree service
06 Nov

Denver Tree Service with Colorado Trees

Trees bring more than just mental and physical health benefits to our lives. Trees add value to properties in Denver’s front range. Beautiful, regularly maintained trees on your property can increase the monetary value of your home from $1,000 to $30,000 depending on the size, location, and how well they’ve been taken care of. If you’re browsing for a certified arborist to maintain your properties’ trees, look no further! Trust Colorado Trees is your friendly Denver tree service provider.

Regular tree service is important to maintain the health and value of the trees on your property in Denver. Consider a certified arborist from Colorado Trees to serve as the primary care physician for these organisms. In doing so, your trees can stay healthy and valuable for as long as possible!

What does regular Denver tree service and maintenance look like?

Trimming: Regular maintenance of branch health and length in our Urban Forest Environment is important for many reasons. Careful maintenance trims or pruning facilitates fresh, young productive growth. Older and dead branches can increase a trees risk of pest infestation or disease. Trimming regularly also mitigates the potential for hazard from fallen or broken branches. All of this maintenance in turn protects your valuable tree assets for years to come.

Removals: In many different cases, you may need a tree removed from your property. The crew with Colorado Trees is able to remove trees of all sizes, in many different seasons and weather conditions. We’re also able to remove trees from lots of different locations.

We’ve safely removed trees from between houses, hanging over a structure (i.e., a garage, fence, shed, home, et cetera).  Our crew is highly trained to handle removals that require technical rigging and/or use of a crane to remove larger trees. We work with the city to get all necessary permits for temporary street closures to ensure this is a smooth and safe procedure, every time.

Treatments: Colorado Trees has a Qualified Supervisor with the Department of Agriculture to diagnose and treat various tree health issues. Denver tree health issues which require service range from mitigating infestations or infections, or treatments after they have been infested or infected to help get their immune systems working on their own again. We also offer vitality treatments to boost the overall metabolism of your tree, helping their immune and vascular systems run at an optimum level to fight off both infestations and infections.

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04 Nov

Weather Emergencies and Colorado Trees

Weather emergencies and other extreme weather events are commonplace in Colorado’s front range. In this case, the Colorado Trees crew is here to help resolve tree-related weather emergency calls.

Although Colorado’s deciduous trees go dormant for the winter, they are still susceptible to damage via extreme weather. Fluctuating temperatures, swift temperature drops, and low soil moisture are weather emergencies which influence your tree’s vulnerability to damage.

Property owners can decrease tree susceptibility to illness, injury, and death in the case of winter weather emergencies via preventative maintenance. Thus, decrease your risk of tree damage or property damage during a weather emergency by keeping soil moist in the fall, and making sure limbs are pruned regularly.

If you weren’t able to do your yearly maintenance and your tree gets hit by the heavy snows, a certified arborist from Colorado Trees is happy to help set your trees straight. We mitigate this damage through trimming or removal of hazardous trees or their limbs.

After a snow or ice storm, there are some questions you can ask to see if you need our help:

  • Has the tree lost any portion of its canopy?
  • Does the tree have any broken limbs or branches?
  • Are there cracks in the wood?
  • Is the tree leaning?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, please get in touch with us.

This means your tree is likely damaged, and we’ll need to come trim or remove parts of it. Broken trees as a result of weather emergencies are hazardous. They have the potential to harm people and property if not taken care of swiftly.

With Colorado Trees, the winter season is a fantastic time for removing trees that could become a problem if not dealt with.  We offer discounted pricing on all trims and removals during the winter. So give us a call!

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27 Oct

Maintain Trees That Are Ready for Denver’s Winter

As winter approaches, you may be wondering whether or not your property’s trees are ready to face ice and snow. It’s no surprise that snow and ice can damage your trees. Yet, you’re wondering if there’s anything you can do to maintain trees that are ready for Denver’s winter months. 

The answer is yes! Allow us to explain. maintain trees that are ready for denver's winter

Maintenance pruning is the thoughtful cutting back of certain parts of your trees or other woody plants. This controls the size and shape of the tree. However, it also keeps the organism productive and healthy. An added bonus of maintenance pruning is that it decreases your tree’s susceptibility to pests and disease.

When your tree has lots of dead branches and thick, congested areas in the canopy, they are more susceptible to breaking in snow, ice, and wind storms. For this reason, maintenance pruning throughout the year can set your tree up for success before the heavy snows come in. 

For your trees that are younger or newly transplanted, it’s a good idea to wrap the lower 1 to 2 feet of the trunk with a light cloth wrap. You can get these at any nursery. This will help protect your younger trees from frost damage and help better prepare them for Denver’s winter. 

Your trees are a valuable asset to your property, so it’s important to care for and maintain trees that are ready for Denver’s winter. If you’d like to learn even more, be sure to schedule an estimate with a certified arborist from Colorado Trees to make sure your trees are ready for anything this winter. 

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denver tree trimming
05 Oct

Denver’s Urban Forest and Colorado Trees

If you live in Denver, you live in an Urban Forest Environment.

Much of Denver’s urban forestry efforts were founded by a recent college graduate named Al Rollinger, in the summer of 1969. He walked around the city noting the types of trees that existed on 3×5 index cards. That fall, his secretary typed up Rollinger’s “Tree Pioneers of Denver.” A fifty year project with Denver’s Botanic Garden began shortly thereafter. This project keeps tabs on tree species thriving (and dying) in Denver, giving city foresters insights into what urban forestry might look like as we move into the future. 

Historically, and today, trees are an extremely important asset to any property for aesthetic and functional reasons. In Denver, trees provide for attractive streets and properties. They also share vital shade from the sun at this mile-high altitude. We have a lot to thank trees for, like cleaning the air around them, and turning carbon dioxide into usable oxygen! On the same hand, tree populations help fight climate change for this reason. 

Through cooling homes and beautifying our local landscape, trees do a lot. They increase property value, create character in neighborhoods, improve water and air quality, and reduce hot summer temperatures through shading the land. The city of Denver valuates the annual ecosystem benefits of our trees at over fifteen million dollars annually! This information is quantified and kept in a really interesting tool, the Denver Treeport Card. You can check it out here!

Denver really cares about its environment.

It’s one of the only major cities in the United States with a City Forester. We love that! This being said, we’re here to help where the city doesn’t — at your home and commercial properties. 

The most prevalent tree species in Denver are Maple, Ash, Locust, Linden, Oak, and Elm trees. There’s thousands of them! Basic tree care you can do at home includes making sure your trees are watered, and making sure you can see the sky if your standing underneath the tree’s canopy. Dense, tangled branches are more prone to breaking, dying, and falling. 

Denver’s City Forester takes care of all trees located on streets and in parks. The city relies on property owners to properly care for their own trees. This is where Colorado Trees can help!

It’s important to know an arborist! If you have established, larger trees on your property, we’re able to come check them out, just because! Right now, we’re offering a Vitality Treatment Soil Application. This helps your tree get through dormant and drought periods for a longer amount of time then it would on it’s own. This treatment helps the transpiration process, increases leaf thickness and root density, and helps the microbiome on the roots and in the soil work more effectively. 

 

If you still have questions, contact us! We’d love to chat. 

 

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Elm Leaf Beatle in Active Season
11 Sep

What is an Elm Leaf Beetle, and Why Do I Care?

Elm Leaf Beetles are an invasive species in the Denver Metro area, as well as the rest of the lower 48 states in America.

In case you didn’t know, there are over twelve thousand elm trees in Denver. They make up eighteen percent of Denver’s canopy cover in our urban forest ecosystem. They’re a well studied pest in forestry, because they’ve been a known invasive species for a really long time — and seriously damage elm trees. 

Elm Leaf Beetle

Both adult beetles and their larvae eat elm leaves on the surface. The green-and-yellow adults lay eggs on the leaves. When the babies are born, they eat the leaves, leaving them looking lacy and dead. Loss of foliage from the trees is both an aesthetic and functional setback, as it reduces shade cover, and can increase the tree’s susceptibility to diseases, like Dutch Elm Disease. 

It’s hard to prevent an infestation, because of how widespread the pest is. One cure-all for keeping any tree healthy is keeping the soil at the base of the tree saturated with water, as long as weather will allow it.

There are few natural (or ecologically preexisting) enemies of Elm Leaf Beetle populations. Certain small parasitic wasps and breeds of fungi can reduce population sizes at the pupal stage. However, these species aren’t nearly as widespread as Elm Leaf Beetles are.

If your trees are experiencing an infestation you’ll want to schedule a consultation with a certified arborist from Colorado Trees.

By treating an infestation, you’re reducing the beetle population, and ensuring improved tree health for the following season. For instance, this year (2020), Colorado has seen a huge impact from elm leaf beetles. 

Elm Leaf Beetles are known to seek shelter inside homes and other buildings for harsher winter months, and more often than not, they don’t make it back outside. That’s just icky! 

It’s important to treat an Elm Leaf Beetle infestation sooner, rather than later. Just like you’d rather see a doctor with the sniffles and a headache, rather than in a more dire situation. Trees can be treated early on!

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Icicles on branch
11 Sep

Can Snow and Ice Damage My Trees?

Ice buildup on tree branch

Here in Colorado, winter weather is a given. Between seasons, snow can come at what seems like any moment. While some arbor species were meant to handle this harsh climate, the climate is changing, and so are the weather patterns. Extreme fluctuations in the weather can seriously damage your trees! 

Any deciduous tree can be damaged by the snow and ice storms which frequent the Denver Metro area. Softer trees like elm and birch trees can be damaged by the weight of ice accumulation on branches. Trees with a single trunk that splits into two can even crack right down the middle!

When trees and branches break, they can impair buildings and power lines. This can create a dangerous situation for your family or business. If a tree is damaged in any way, you’ll want to call a certified arborist from Colorado Trees. We’re happy to come give you an estimate or assess storm damage on more immediate notice.

There’s not too much you can do to prevent storm damage on your older, more established trees before a big storm except regular maintenance. They’ve been through a lot, but with proper care you can set them up for success before a storm comes. Younger, smaller trees around twelve to fifteen feet tall might fare a little worse at the onset of an extreme temperature drop or winter storm. You can loosely wrap a tarp, burlap, or thin plastic around these guys if they still have leaves.  

If one of your trees or branches is starting to crack due to winter weather — don’t worry! Just get in touch. We’re certified, licensed, insured, and not to mention, pretty good at what we do! We’d love to make sure your trees are ready for a wild winter, and we’re here to help in case of immediate tree damage, too.

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