Community members and volunteers, including City Councilmember Mike Johnson and local business sponsors, team up with the Ventura Tree Alliance to plant trees at Camino Real Park, restoring Ventura’s urban canopy. Photos by Barbara Brown.
On Tuesday, October 29, from 10am to noon, neighbors, dendrophiles, park lovers and interested community members gathered for a fun, family-friendly tree planting. The Ventura Tree Alliance (VTA), the City of Ventura’s Urban Forestry team and interested stakeholders teamed up to plant thirteen trees at Camino Real Park. VTA also sponsored five additional street trees that will be planted on Telephone Road by the Government Center. Tree planting is crucial in preserving and restoring our urban canopy post the Thomas fire, drought and bark beetle losses of the last decade. Last year alone, the City lost more than 300 trees.
Volunteers included City Councilmember Mike Johnson, City of Ventura Water Commissioner Jim Ackerman, and City staff including Assistant City Manager Carlene Saxton and Ventura Parks and Recreation Director Stacey Zarazua. The City’s Urban Forestry team, led by Andy Torres and Mike Melore, dug the holes and helped place the trees for optimal survival and added shade. Companies including Airgas and West Coast Arborists also rolled up their sleeves to help out.
“It was a warm, autumnal day at Camino Real Park…perfect for planting trees” said Les Weber, District Manager for Airgas, “Tree planting is a wonderful team building experience for our crew, allowing us to come together while giving back to the community. We’re proud to contribute to a cooler, shadier future for Ventura.”
The funds for this event were provided through generous donations from the Ventura Tree Alliance Hundred Founding Donors, other charitable gifts and our community — people who see the value of trees and want to take part in making a difference; cooling the air, providing habitat, reducing water run-off, and mitigating CO2 emissions.
The Ventura Tree Alliance is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit public-benefit corporation that brings community members, educators, and business professionals together to enhance the urban tree canopy in the city of Ventura.
The mission is to “plant trees to augment Ventura’s urban forest, beautifying Ventura and counteracting climate change. Our goals are to inspire, engage and support Venturans in planting and caring for trees through education, advocacy, volunteerism, and fundraising. To donate, visit VenturaTreeAlliance.com/donate.
