This spring, City Arborist, Kyle Peep, had a vision for underutilized land at Optimist Park. His vision, once initiated, would take time, patience, and some experimenting. Yet soon, residents will benefit from newly planted apple trees. Peep is prepared to provide the time and attention to ensure they grow into the abundant fruit trees Peep envisioned for the park. 

“I wanted to plant apple trees in the plot of land at Optimist Park that wasn’t really being used because I wanted to give the City something that would provide them more than just shade,” Peep said.

Apple trees have a deep-rooted history in Wyoming; thousands of apple trees were planted in the 1800s and served as a food source and resource for pioneers and homesteaders across the state. Peep said he drew inspiration to start the Apple Orchard in Optimist Park from other efforts throughout the state, including the Wyoming Apple Project – spearheaded by UW professor of botany Steve Miller – and initiatives in Cheyenne, Lander, and other Wyoming communities.

As a newly planted orchard, the Optimist Park Apple Orchard is in its infancy. Just six trees were planted this Spring, two each of Renown, Norland, and Harlred varieties.  

“We had to start small, see what would flourish and survive Wyoming’s winters. Our goal is to plant a few new varieties each Spring and in 5 years we should start seeing pickable fruit for our community,” says Peep. “There is something special when you can harvest food from something that has been cared for by our own hands.”

Not only will the trees provide shade, blossoms, and fruit in 5-10 years, but the goal is to help educate the public as to which varieties will do best in Laramie so they can successfully plant their own fruit trees for future generations to enjoy.

For any questions, please contact Kyle Peep at kpeep@cityoflaramie.org or (307) 721-5338. More information on the apple trees and Optimist Park can be found at www.cityoflaramie.org/facilities/facility/details/7.