Urban forest takes root

Just days before spring’s official debut, Rotarians brought new life

to Huntington Beach’s urban forest.

Huntington Beach Rotary Club and Huntington Beach Sunrise Rotary

planted 50 new trees in the city’s recently dedicated urban forest at the

corner of Edwards Street and Ellis Avenue Saturday morning.

The groups planted white alder, Arizona ash and California Sycamore

trees, which they received from the Preserve Plant Earth Project

undertaken by the Rotary Club of Villa Park.

Another 100 trees from the project will be planted in the park with

about 40 western redbud trees set to go in the urban forest in the coming

months, said Rotarian Dale Dunn.

The urban forest started in October with one California coast live oak

-- now it boasts more than 60 trees, with about 300 on the way. In

addition to the Rotarian’s redbuds there are 100 coast live oak, 100

sycamore and 40 Poplar trees soon to be planted in the urban forest, said

John Van Oeffelen, operations manager for the city’s park, tree and

landscape division.

Assemblyman Tom Harman and Mayor Debbie Cook went out to move some

earth and show their support for the project Saturday morning.

It was Harman who planted the idea years ago when he was on the City

Council, but it took years to get off, or in, the ground. It was

Councilman Ralph Bauer, who was finally able to obtain funding to

initiate the project.

The urban forest is 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 have helped Harman’s dream grow

and flourish.

The urban forest is not meant to be a highly groomed park, but a

natural setting suitable for hiking, horseback riding and dog-walking.

Girls from Brownie Troop No. 563 of Golden View School in Huntington

Beach planted about two acres of hillside with 12 pounds of wildflower

seeds several weeks ago, that sound began to make an appearance soon.