Celebrate Earth Day

To commemorate Earth Day on April 22, the City of Wayzata is hosting the Champion Tree Contest. Participants are encouraged to visit public spaces around the city (residents can submit trees from their private property) to identify some of the community’s largest trees. Determining factors include the height of the tree and/or the diameter at breast height (DBH), which is a standard measure method for identifying tree trunk diameter.

Submissions for the Champion Tree Contest are due April 22nd (Earth Day) and the winners will be announced via social media on April 28th (Arbor Day). A prize is in the offing! Additional contest rules are available at wayzata.org.

Certified arborist Bennett Myhran, the City of Wayzata’s forester, speaks to the importance of the event. “It draws attention to the world around us,” he says. The city will also hold another event on May 20 during which volunteers will plant a variety of bareroot trees in Wayzata. “We’re always working toward this goal of expanding the canopy of trees,” he says. “We want to regulate how trees are dealt with privately and also work on diversification of the tree population.”