‘Trees are like children’ to Iowa City man who nurtures tree canopy in College Hill

IOWA CITY — Jim Walters can be seen from time to time sneaking around the city’s College Hill neighborhood in the early morning hours, but don’t be alarmed as he’s only planting trees.

Walters calls them “guerrilla” trees because he planted seedlings without officially getting permission from a landlord or homeowner.

“I usually ask but sometimes …” Walters, 75, said as he looked over the top of his glasses and started grinning. “When I haven’t been able to find the landlord at a rental property, I have planted some. Some of the landlords will run me off. Sometimes that happens.”

Lifelong love of nature

Walters has been working with trees and flowers most of his life. He farmed for 25 years and then worked as a groundskeeper at the University of Iowa for 20 years before retiring.

He grew up in western Johnson County, near what is now the Redbird Farms Wildlife Area. Walters attended school across the road in a one-room schoolhouse, which novelist Vance Bourjaily later moved up the hill and used for a writing studio for many years.

“I got my interest in the natural world from my parents, who were both avid naturalists,” he said. “They planted lots of trees wherever they lived.”

He grows seedlings from acorns and then transfers the seedlings into a 16 ounce paper cup to give them a good start before planting in the ground.

Walters estimates growing 400 tree seedlings this way and giving them away. He estimates he planted about 40 trees in his neighborhood and about 100 “scattered around” Iowa City.

“Buying a tree is expensive,” Walters noted. “These are free and only costs a little work.”

When he was a reading volunteer at Longfellow Elementary, he would have the kindergartners plant seedlings. Then they could take a tree starter home at the end of the year. The students would take an acorn home and keep it in the refrigerator over the winter to grow one seedling per acorn. If their seedling died, Walters made sure to replace it without them knowing about the loss.

Walters admitted that he knew where in the neighborhood a few of those trees that came from students’ acorns were planted.

Tree Walk preview

During a mini tour Thursday, Walters highlighted some of the properties where he has planted trees, even some “guerrilla” ones, as a teaser for his Tree Walk with the College Hill Neighborhood Association that he’s leading Sunday.

His passion for trees was obvious as he pointed out bur, red and white oaks, along with shagbark hickory, Canadian hemlock and Kentucky coffee trees. Many were trees he planted over the years.

Walters also noted the ones he replaced that were destroyed in the 2006 tornado in Iowa City. Not many were damaged during the 2020 derecho in his immediate neighborhood, but some were damaged on nearby Summit Street.

“Trees are like children, you don’t realize how fast they grow,” Walters said. “You can have nice tree growth in 10 years or less. It’s like our granddaughter. We’ve been taking care of her since she was a baby and now she’s almost in kindergarten. Well, trees will be here for you and provide shade. I see all these people sitting in the sun … I like sitting in the shade.”

Walters’ home has plenty of shade. Sitting in the backyard provides the view of a miniature forest. Mature trees — cherry, walnut, hackberry, red and bur oak and a Katsura Japanese tree. Some he grew, some were from the previous owner. The yard is lush with various green plants, flowers and other vegetation, and a small koi and gold fish pond sits on one side.

During the tour, he said he wanted to make sure to point out trees in different stages of growth. He noted that many are 20 years or younger.

Walters said an important step in growing a seedling is putting cages around the starters to prevent damage from animals and sometimes people.

Most people don’t interfere with the starters, but Walters patrols them just in case. When people who’ve had too much to drink are walking home from downtown bars, “sometimes they pull up the trees or fall over them,” he said.

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