Natural Perspectives

Vic Leipzig and Lou Murray

Last Sunday while I was writing this, Vic and I tried to go about our

so-called “normal” lives while the attack in Afghanistan aired throughout

the day on the news channels. Vic honed his birding skills during the

morning, catching glimpses of the bombings on TV when he stopped for

coffee. In the afternoon and evening, he prepared an exam on population

growth and energy consumption for his students in his course on Man and

the Environment while CNN played in the background.

In my life beyond the Independent, I’m a medical writer. I spent the

weekend working on an emergency writing assignment on possible medical

responses to biological, chemical, nuclear and explosive terrorist

attacks. Somehow, it seemed timely since experts warn us that there is

virtually a 100% probability of additional attacks on U.S. citizens on

American soil.

As bombs dropped on Kabul and Kandahar that morning, it was hard to go

about business as usual. It was hard to find hope in this newly crazy

world. But hope exists. It is all around us. Hope for the future took the

shape of a tree last week as Huntington Beach city officials planted a

California coast live oak in Central Park during the dedication of our

new Urban Forest.

Last Friday, I joined about 40 people, including former Mayor Grace

Winchell, environmentalist Juana Mueller, former planning commissioner

Bob Biddle, Fire Chief Mike Dolder, four riders on horseback and others

in a dedication ceremony marking the kickoff of an urban forest project.

Assemblyman Tom Harman, who spearheaded the project, related how he

had tried to get this project off the ground -- or into the ground since

we’re talking about trees -- back when he was on the City Council.

Somehow, he said, the city always had other monetary priorities. But

eventually, with the leadership of Councilman Ralph Bauer, he was able to

obtain funding to initiate the project.

Mayor Pam Julien Houchen and Council members Shirley Dettloff and

Bauer helped Harman toss a few shovels full of dirt to help plant the

beautiful live oak tree. Public works tree and landscape manager John Van

Oeffelen was also present. He said that the plan calls for three acres to

be planted with more than 100 trees during the first phase. Some of the

species will be California natives, while others will be exotics that are

deemed to have good wildlife value. The goal is to avoid a monoculture

and to select adaptable trees that will be likely to survive the changes

in climate that are expected with increased global warming.

“We want to plant a forest of trees from throughout the world,” Van

Oeffelen said. “We’ll also have California natives like coast live oak,

sycamores and poplars, with a semi-natural under story.”

He said the urban forest will not be a highly groomed park, but will

be a natural setting suitable for hiking, horseback riding and

dog-walking.

“It won’t be sheared and groomed,” he said.

Vic and I applaud that. A natural environment makes much better

habitat for birds and other wildlife.

The urban forest is being funded in part through the volunteer efforts

of Jean Nagy and the Tree Society, with private donations. Grants from

the California Department of Forestry, California Releaf Society and

local businesses such as Home Depot and Boeing, also have helped make

Harman’s dream a reality. Our sister city of Anjo, Japan, is donating 50

cherry trees to the next phase of the project.

While the politicians were making their speeches, I watched storm

clouds roll as the remnants of a tropical storm whipped the branches of

the trees that awaited planting. Overhead, two Coopers hawks flew by and

the last of this season’s migrating swifts winged southward. I thought

about how much better the park was about to become, both for these wild

birds and for us humans.

In front of us, an American flag hung at half-mast from a cherry

picker bucket, reminding us of the recent attacks on the World Trade

Center and Pentagon. Behind us, 30 trees awaited planting. Ginko bilobas,

also known as maidenhair trees, tipu trees, Chinese pistache trees,

flame-of-the-forest trees, Mondell pines and California bay laurels would

soon join the coast live oak in the new urban forest. Their leaves waved

like patriotic flags of nature.

We’re excited that an urban forest has sprung from the ground in an

otherwise neglected section of Central Park. We see it as a sign that the

world can be not only safe and sane, but that it can actually become a

better place to live as we all pull together, work hard for the future

and care about our city, our country and each other. God bless America.

* VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents and

environmentalists. They can be reached at o7 vicleipzig@aol.comf7 .