Friends help friends, and environment
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Friends help friends, and environment
The Friends of Oak Park Open Space group invited volunteers to help water and mulch 110 baby Coast Live Oak trees previously planted in February and November of 2024. The group collected more than 500 acorns (from thousands on the ground) with the exciting goal of growing and planting new trees in Oak Park. After 200 of the acorns successfully sprouted, 110 saplings were planted last year in two fields of non-native mustard and thistle seed specifically cleared near the dog park in Oak Canyon Community Park. This location was selected, in part, as it had previously burned during the Woolsey fire.
That’s exactly what members of the Oak Park community (and a couple of board members from Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks District) did on Aug. 30 after Debbie Sharpton from the Friends of Oak Park Open Space group invited volunteers to come to Oak Canyon Community Park to help water and mulch 110 baby Coast Live Oak trees previously planted in February and November of 2024.
To see what a little acorn—in this case 110 acorns—can become in such a short period of time, and to be a part of them someday becoming a beautiful oak grove, was so amazing.
How did all this get started, and Debbie’s vision become reality?
During the “Great Oak Park Oak Walk” along Medea Creek in October 2022, event attendees learned about our local Coast Live Oak and Valley Oak trees and saw firsthand some of the oldest and magnificent examples in the area.
The group collected more than 500 acorns (from thousands on the ground) with the exciting goal of growing and planting new trees in Oak Park.
After 200 of the acorns successfully sprouted, 110 saplings were planted last year in two fields of non-native mustard and thistle seed specifically cleared near the dog park in Oak Canyon Community Park. This location was selected, in part, as it had previously burned during the Woolsey fire. It was the hope that the new mature oak trees would someday provide protection from wildfires moving towards homes as they did back in 2018.
Oak trees are naturally fire resistant due to their thick insulating bark and ability to retain moisture. They help with weed control and serve as wind and fuel breaks, both key factors in slowing wildfires.
Bottom line: It seems we can never have too many oak trees.
Other fun events of the past organized by the Friends group include the “Great Oak Park Bird Walk” and the planting of the Monarch and Pollinator Garden near Oak Park High School.
A huge thank you to Debbie and her “friends” for being such amazing stewards, educators, and advocates of the open lands surrounding our community.
For more information about how you can help nurture more Oak Park baby oak trees and learn about future events, go to oakparkopenspace.org, send an email to hello@OakParkOpenSpace.org, or contact Debbie Sharpton at debbie@oakparkopenspace.org.
Michelle Santucci is vice chair of the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council, the governing body of Oak Park.
Source: https://www.theacorn.com/articles/friends-help-friends-and-environment/