At least 50 trees were damaged last winter at Reiman Gardens.

The cost of their replacement and removal is estimated at $20,000.

Staffers hope to take care of it this summer, and they plan to invite the Ames and ISU community to contribute in any way they can.

Sarah Rummery, outdoor horticulturist at Reiman Gardens, is familiar with the damages.

She explained that crabapple trees were most widely affected because of the high population of rabbits that live in the garden.

The accumulated piles of snow surpassed the cages and wrappers that protect the trees. Without the protection, the rabbits were able to get to them.

“What the rabbits do is that they girdle the tree and chew off all the bark surrounding it,” Rummery said.

“When a rabbit chews this top layer of the tree, it loses those tubes that are transferring food and water up and down between the roots and the leaves. The snow was so high that rabbits chewed above the wraps.”

Rummery explained that some of the damaged trees are still flowering, thanks to the energy they obtained last year.

But they will essentially starve by the end of the season, because their tubes won’t be able to transport nutrients anymore.

She also explained that, after the removal of some of the trees, the wood from the trees will be gilled, and the University of Iowa, Central Iowa and other organizations will take it.

The organizations will turn the wood into useful products such as art crafts and beds.

Rummery emphasizes that this is a positive outcome.

And it certainly helps with the high cost they have estimated for the 25 trees that will have to be replaced.

The cost of which is too high for the garden’s insurance to cover.

“Each one of the trees would probably cost between $300 and $400,” Rummery said.

“On top of that we have the cost of the labor to remove the tree, the equipment that it takes to chip it off, and everything else that’s involved in removing the tree and planting a new one,” said Rummery.

“We’ve been doing some fundraisings asking some of our volunteers and visitors and members of the garden, if they’re willing to help us and contribute, and so far, from small gifts, we’ve raised about $1,000.”

Reiman Garden staffers hope hawks, which are the rabbits’ principal predators, will stop at the garden more often and grow in number to help control the rabbit population.

Staff hope that decreasing the rabbit population will, eventually, decrease the number of trees that are affected every year.

“This last winter, we saw the first red-tailed hawk actually living out here, in the garden,” Rummery said.

“And we’re hoping that more of those will come and stick around,“ Rummery said.

Staffers also invite the Ames and ISU community to get involved and help them with the high expenses.

“Think of it as your own yard and garden,” Rummery said.

“When you have 14 acres to be replacing, it does take a lot of time and effort.”

“All gifts of any size will definitely help the budget.”