![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wrec.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/one-tree-at-a-time_Page_1_Image_0001-209x340.jpg\")
At his apartment complex in West Wendover two years ago, Anthony Collazo yearned to see trees growing in the barren, arid landscape.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to plant trees to green and beautify as much of Wendover as possible,\u201d says Anthony, a senior at West Wendover High School. \u201cI was inspired by a science class and wanted to also increase biodiversity and sequester excess carbon dioxide from the air.\u201d<\/p>\n
He found a solution for a classic regional growing problem: how to help the trees flourish with northern Nevada\u2019s low rainfall and poor soil.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did some research and was excited to learn about Waterboxxes and mycorrhizal fungi,\u201d he says. \u201cI knew if I used those, the trees could not only live but thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n
He chose the Groasis Waterboxx, a round device planted with a tree to bolster water retention. The fungi help trees absorb nutrients in any soil type, eliminating the need for fertilizer.<\/p>\n
To make his dream become reality, Anthony established an organization, One Tree at a Time, in 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a mission in mind\u2014to support native desert habitat restoration, sustainable living practices, and to educate the community about our interdependence with the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
He spent months planning, meeting with government officials and local business owners, and fundraising.<\/p>\n
In six months, he raised $15,000 through a GoFundMe campaign and local business donations. He also obtained grants from the Nevada Division of Forestry\u2019s Urban and Community Forestry Program and Wells Rural Electric Company\u2019s Next Dollar Foundation.<\/p>\n Anthony and volunteers planted the first batch of trees in May 2020 at the apartments. Since then, they have planted 480 trees in the West Wendover area at local schools, a dog park, downtown city offices, and the golf course.<\/p>\n \u201cMy goal is to eventually plant 1,000 trees,\u201d Anthony says.<\/p>\n The trees are growing better than expected.<\/p>\n \u201cThe success rate is amazing\u201467% Anthony says. \u201cWhen trees are planted for restoration in the wild, only about 30% survive.\u201d<\/p>\n This fall, a new shipment of trees will be planted to replace those that died.<\/p>\n To implement the project, Anthony worked with the Nevada Division of Forestry.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re excited to support him,\u201d says Gary Reese, natural resource manager for the agency and Anthony\u2019s mentor. \u201cHe\u2019s really driven and has succeeded in growing trees.\u201d<\/p>\n The agency has applied Anthony\u2019s tree-growing techniques elsewhere in Nevada.<\/p>\n \u201cThe use of the water boxes is the key to trees surviving in the desert,\u201d Gary says. \u201cAfter seeing how well Anthony\u2019s trees grew, we will use 100 boxes to plant trees at the South Fork State Recreation Area near Spring Creek and to also stabilize the streambanks along the South Fork of the Humboldt River.\u201d<\/p>\n To select trees, Anthony relied on advice from the staff at the state forestry division\u2019s nursery.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir trees are acclimated to our area and have done great,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The staff suggested he plant Fremont cottonwood, lacebark elm, Mondell pine, Austrian pine, Scotch pine, burr oak, red oak, red cedar, hybrid poplar, Russian olive, and golden rain trees. They ranged from 1 to 7 feet tall.<\/p>\n Friends and local volunteers helped Anthony plant the trees.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t have done this alone,\u201d he says. \u201cI have no words to describe the gratitude I feel for everyone who has helped with this project. This will forever be a highlight of my life. It\u2019s totally been worth the backaches, blisters, and stress.\u201d Anthony uses a city water truck to water the trees about four times a year from May to November.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s nice about a small-town\u2014 city departments are willing to help,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The project has guided his career goals. Anthony plans to enroll at a Nevada university to study urban forestry and environmental science.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope planting the trees makes people think about our connection to the environment and the impact we have on our resources,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Eventually, Anthony wants West Wendover to be designated a Tree City USA. To be in the program, a city must annually allocate $2 per capita for planting and caring for trees.<\/p>\n Until then, Anthony and his supporters have about 500 more trees to plant.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t wait to plant more trees this fall and next spring,\u201d he says. \u201cSpringtime better come fast so I can see my babies get their leaves back. This started out as a dream, and it has now grown into something bigger than myself.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wrec.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/one-tree-at-a-time_Page_2_Image_0002-224x340.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wrec.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/one-tree-at-a-time_Page_2_Image_0001-340x256.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wrec.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/one-tree-at-a-time-267x340.jpg\")