This year we dedicated the Gamstetter Grove in Burnet Woods in honor of the recently retired Cincinnati Parks Head of Urban Forestry, Dave Gamstetter. Dave was a dedicated public servant who spent 30 years making Cincinnati greener. Over his tenure, Dave oversaw the planting of roughly 50,000 trees in the city. The Gamstetter Grove is carefully designed in both layout and tree composition to be a stunning fall foliage display. It includes 16 trees such as elms, maples, hawthorns and more. Students enrolled in Dave’s University of Cincinnati course “Urban Landscape I: Forestry” helped design the grove and plant the trees.
The grove was planted in the shape of a comet flying through the air, with a round base and tail. The trees will mimic the colors of a shooting star as the foliage changes colors in the fall. Thank you Dave for all of your years of service, your expertise, and for your continued passion for making Cincinnati green.