There’s a good reason why Boise is known as the “City of Trees.” The moniker can be linked to the early 19th century, when French Canadian trappers, coming upon what is now known as Boise, exclaimed, “Les Bois! Les Bois!”
Translation: “The woods” or “the trees.”
Indeed, there’s much from the 19th century that has faded, but Boise’s reputation of being a “city of trees” continues to flourish.
“We recently had a tree canopy assessment that was able to estimate how many woody plants we had in the City of Boise,” said Michael Andrews, Boise’s City Forester. “They were able to estimate that…”
But that’s when Andrews, talking with Morning Edition host George Prentice, paused.
“Do you have a guess of how many trees there are?”
The answer was the first of many fascinating facts about trees in their conversation. More importantly, they talk about what it takes to grow and maintain the city’s tree canopy, Andrews’ favorite tree, and the tangible health benefits of a flourishing tree canopy.
Find reporter George Prentice @georgepren
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