Springtime in Reno comes with beautiful white blossoming trees across the city, and a strange odor in the air. The Biggest Little City has over 2,100 pear trees - the most abundant tree in town - and along with their beauty, they're perhaps best known for their fish-like smell.

One man is trying to usher in a more fragrant future for Reno.

"Since I started in 2017, I haven't planted any more of them," Matt Basile, Reno's urban forester, told 2 News Nevada with a laugh, later adding, "I think the Bradford pear has a place. It is cheap. It's readily available. ... Will I be planting any in the foreseeable future? Probably not."

This week’s Someone 2 Know is doing his part to improve the face - and fragrance of the Biggest Little City.

The 'right' trees for Reno

Aside from the smell, Basile says the big reason he's not bringing more pear trees to Reno is that he'd like to see more variety in town.

"We're working on really diversifying the trees that we have in our canopy," he said.

Reno also benefits from tree diversity when it comes to figuring out what species are willing to lay down roots in Northern Nevada.

"Reno's a tough place for trees to grow," Basile said. "To me, a great tree for Reno is a tree that is extremely hardy, extremely drought-tolerant, and extremely heat-tolerant."

And Reno, in turn, is a great place for some trees that can't survive elsewhere. A chestnut tree sitting by the pond in Idlewild Park has gone extinct in other parts of the country, but Northern Nevada's dry desert climate is protecting it from disease.

Basile's tree-mendous excitement for trees

Basile's passion for his work is palpable as he walks through Idlewild Park, patting trees as he goes and describing what makes each one special and unique.

Studying natural resources and environmental science in college, Basile initially wanted to work in fisheries. But a few key experiences changed his mind - including getting prescription glasses. He says it literally opened his eyes to the beauty of trees. He could finally see the detail in the leaves and structure.

Now, working for the city, he gets to share that beauty with others.