Tree Programs: How to Help
Street Trees
After reading the following, please support this effort by communicating with San Rafael Mayor and Councilpersons either by phone or letter.
Mayor Al Boro and City Council
City of San Rafael
P.O. Box 151560
San Rafael, CA 94915
(415) 485-3070
Vision
- To collaborate with City of San Rafael in development and implementation of pilot street tree planting program for neighborhoods
- To help develop an on-going urban forestry public education campaign
Proposed Pilot Plan
- This three year program will provide enough time to determine the effectiveness of the educational program for new owners of street trees.
- During which time we will examine each step and change accordingly when possible.
- The Program is to work in neighborhoods thereby leaving City funds for major entry points, thoroughfares, and business districts.
- We propose to work with the Parks Dept. in contacting the individuals already wishing street trees, provide the property owner with the approved the tree list, and pulling any required permits.
- In the neighborhood of the property owner wishing a street tree, we will try to locate 10 other potential sites and contact that property owner.
- The party wishing a street tree will be required to sign a contract of mutual understanding of rights and obligations.
- Seasonal care documents will be sent to each with the guarantee that Marin ReLeaf will be available for advice up to three years.
- Prior to planting of the trees, there will be an orientation of volunteers during which time educational material will be distributed.
At some point Marin ReLeaf will offer classes on “Young Tree Care” and “Pruning Young Trees”. In the past there has been standing room only and a waiting list for these classes.
Memorial & Honorarium Trees
Dedicating a tree in recognition of all occasions is our specialty! This is a one-of-a-kind gift for the birth of a new baby or a birthday, to honor a favorite teacher, graduation, retirement, any holiday, or to honor the memory of a dear friend.
Marin ReLeaf offers two methods:
- Program A will send your honoree a card with your personalized message. Donations through Program A are used for our general planting programs.
- Program B allows you and your honoree to attend the tree planting, and a certificate with the GPS address so the tree can be located for future visits throughout its life time. Trees purchased through Program B, provide a minimum of a 15-gallon tree in one of several Marin Parks.
Both Programs are recognized in the on-line newsletters. To make the gift of a tree, call our office at (415) 721-4374, or click here to request online.
Certificate with our gold seal listing the following
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Acorn to Oak
Where water cannot be brought to new trees either by irrigation or bucket, our volunteers have started acorns. Volunteers from as far away as eastern Canada and Mexico have joined in planting and maintenance efforts here in Marin County. Each site provides its own challenges and funding opportunities. Volunteers have gone on to establish more woodlands throughout Marin. Plantings occur in December. Join us.
Hwy 101, Marinwood/St.Vincent Interchange
Many volunteers came from the Marinwood neighborhood who took pride of ownership of the site. Today, trees in the southeast quadrant are under attack by rodents from the dairy across the roadway. In winter when there is little to eat, they are girdling the trees at the base and burrowing under the roots. If we cannot solve the problem, all of the oaks at this quadrant will succumb. Right from the beginning, the north quadrants proved difficult due to the “hot” chemicals left from road construction. There are only 4 trees on each while there are 30 on the south two quadrants.
Falkirk Mansion
Started as a project with Phoenix Academy, an alternative high school for teens recovering from drug and alcohol abuse, this site has almost lost all of the oaks trees begun in 2003. The invasive exotic Scotch Broom has crowded out the new seedlings even though many volunteers spent two years removing it. Cooperation with San Rafael Parks Dept to remove the invasive exotics will allow us to return to the site.
Marin County Civic Center
Students from Phoenix Academy started these new oak trees at the Dry Garden on the south end of the famous Frank Lloyd Wright building. Many of the Monterey pine trees are expected to die within a few years and the 45 new oak trees will be there to provide a native atmosphere to the garden. Middle school students across Marin through Americorps operated by North Bay Conservation Corps, monitor these trees every summer. During the winter of 2010 the successful sites were recognized by Marin County Board of Supervisors.
China Camp State Park
This site has been our most demanding to date. After eucalyptus removal, the ridge was bare and subject to erosion. The site is 20+ acres. In the beginning of the project scientists noticed that young trees did not seem to be succumbing therefore we proceeded with the project. It is anticipated that the new oak trees will provide a bridge across the ridge from cross pollenization for any oaks that may survive the disease. With out water, we over planted by 25 percent. Volunteers harvested acorns within a five mile radius of the site in an effort to maintain a “native” genetic pool. Middle school students across Marin through Americorps operated by North Bay Conservation Corps, monitor these trees every summer. Two Phytophera, ramorum and cinnamonium, cause Sudden Oak Disease and they continue to cause many tree species to die today, including Madrone. Marin ReLeaf will host researchers of Sudden Oak Death at this site summer of 2010.
Map of Plant Site | goto Pictures
Terra Linda High School
The first week of December 2009, students from the Leadership Class worked along with Principal Lars Christensen to plant 12 sites near the baseball and football fields.
Plant a Tree, Rescue a Forest
Here is a unique chance to assist rangers with forest restoration after back to back forest fires throughout California. Volunteers will be planting seeds and performing seedling preparation activities at the US Forest Service Nursery in Placerville, CA. From these growing grounds young seedlings will be distributed throughout California’s national forests to areas of recent fires.
Did You Notice?
Air quality over the Bay Area has been significantly reduced during the summers of 2008 and 2009 due to fires in our forests resulting from numerous droughts, insect damage, and decades of fuel build up. Deforestation from fire is one of the major factors of global climate change.
The carbon that we continue to produce daily through our choice of consumerism; food, energy, clothing, and general purchases needs to be removed from the air. Trees capture and hold carbon throughout their lifetime. Fires release all that carbon immediately. Forests are considered "carbon sinks". Human intervention is necessary to forest recovery. ReLeaf groups are being asked to help by either going to the nursery or planting in the forest with rangers.
Replacing burned forests is crucial to balancing nature. This is an opportunity for sustainability beyond what is normally offered to the average citizen.
Register for Spring 2011 planting event | goto top
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