Powell’s urban forest got a boost on Saturday, as a group of Boy Scouts and other volunteers with the Homesteader Roots program planted seven new trees.

The dozen or so volunteers split into two groups and spread across town to plant bur oak, lilac trees, harvest golden linden and maackia. If some of those varieties don’t ring a bell, that’s by design.

“We want to change the biodiversity a little bit,” organizer Josh Pomeroy explained. “We’re very monoculture in our area — especially with green ash. Way too many ash trees.”

For that reason, Pomeroy makes a point of mixing in new types of trees alongside species already known to thrive in this climate. 

Unlike past years, the group didn’t encounter any particularly rocky spots as they dug into recipients’ front lawns. That allowed the crew to complete all of the plantings in just over two hours. However, the work isn’t finished, as the Homesteader Roots program includes a year’s worth of maintenance to help the trees get off to a good start.

Homeowners pay $75 to participate, which covers only about a quarter of the actual costs. The rest is covered by donations from local businesses and organizations — who’ve contributed a combined total of roughly $7,500 of the past five years, Pomeroy said.

The final bur oak planted Saturday on 10th Street represented the program’s 36th tree.

For more information, email homesteaderroots@gmail.com.