By Hannah Traverse, Director of Communications
The Taos Youth and Family Center is a community recreation facility, offering residents of Taos, NM, access to a pool, skate park, game room, and other gathering spaces. Thanks to assistance from Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC), the outdoor area surrounding the facility now has additional tree cover.
This tree planting project was made possible through the United States Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program, supported by funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. RMYC is one of 11 UCF sub-grantees across the country operating under The Corps Network. With locations in Taos and Albuquerque, RMYC is a “stepping stone to new opportunities,” offering youth and young adults the chance to gain work experience through service to the community and environment.
Two AmeriCorps members with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Taos, NM, help plant a tree.
During the week of June 26, the RMYC crew began digging holes for four large trees. The final tree was planted on July 3. Four Urban Forestry crew members were involved; they were assisted by RMYC’s Urban Forestry Coordinator and staff from the Town of Taos Parks and Recreation Department. The crew member positions are all supported by AmeriCorps.
The crew members learned how to properly plant trees and learned about the importance of a healthy tree canopy in social spaces. Shade from a healthy, mature tree can lower surface air temperatures by up to 20–45°F in an isolated area. The crew also learned how to work safely in the same space as a backhoe, which will be helpful for future projects. Planting larger trees requires a high level of communication between the crew and the machinery operator – proper safety protocols and training helped make this project a success.
Three AmeriCorps members with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Taos, NM, pose next to a tree they helped plant at the Taos Youth and Family Center.
“Planting these trees in an area that has such little canopy cover is going to make a difference in temperature, visual appeal, and we used trees that would’ve otherwise ended up in a chipper,” said Kate Sorrell, RMYC Urban Forestry and Saw Program Coordinator.
The trees included junipers and spruces, which will do well in Taos’ arid climate. These particular trees were previously used for an event in a local park. The planting project allowed the trees to have a long life instead of being discarded.
“This effort checks all the boxes when it comes to creating an ideal urban project: a group of young adults, outside, in their community, providing a service that would’ve otherwise been put on the back burner. This project, along with many others this crew has done in town, have made such a positive impact in the urban forestry health in Taos by creating more canopy cover. This means more shade and cooler spaces for the whole community,” said Sorrell. “In the process of planting these trees, our crew members had the opportunity to…better understand what their impact can look like as future arborists or tree professionals. They were given the chance to make executive decisions about where the trees can be planted and what would look best. Giving young adults that kind of responsibility over something they can see on their drive to work every day is something they can look back on and admire and say, ‘I did that with my crew’.”
Two AmeriCorps members from Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Taos, NM, pose next to a tree they just helped plant at the Taos Youth and Family Center.
AmeriCorps members from Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Taos, NM, pose with their hardhats, featuring stickers from The Corps Network.
