Southwest RivCo Volunteers Plant 300 Trees In Temecula On Arbor Day

Temecula CA

30 April, 2022

8:49 PM

Description

TEMECULA, CA — On Arbor Day, one day after Earth Day in 2022, Temecula volunteers and parks workers rolled up their sleeves and planted 300 trees at area parks to help build the urban forest. Local dignitaries Zak Schwank, Mayor Pro Tem of Temecula, and Council Member and former Mayor Maryann Edwards were on hand to witness the planting and see how far the city has come with greening up local neighborhoods. The project leaders from Temecula's Public Works Parks department and the Urban Forest Group identified sites across the city in need of growing trees, such as the long swath of Vail Ranch Park. Trees were also planted in Sunset Park, Redhawk Community Park, Mike Naggar Park and Murrieta Creek Trail along Diaz Road, according to Temecula's Parks and Landscape Superintendant Stacy Fox. Workers also added yards of mulch along Diaz Road, Patch was told. Fox identified the species to plant and where and many hands made light work for the actual planting. Ryan Allen, a project leader from the forestry group, taught volunteers how to free each young tree from its container properly and then plant each tree at the right height. Allen hopes to improve the urban forest by planting drought-tolerant, low water use trees. "This will ensure that the city's landscape can adapt to future weather conditions in the area," he told Patch. The sense of community was strong while volunteers did their work. Over 400 volunteers from Southwest Riverside Wards of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints learned about the project and arrived to help in a massive coordinated effort, according to Andrew Dixon, State president of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. "We generally do several big community service projects a year," Dixon said. Organizing the volunteers at sites across Temecula was a yeoman's task but handled by numerous church elders. Their work was not lost on area residents who walk the trails daily. One resident, Jenny Greaves, lives in the area of the Vail Ranch linear park and saw the city workers dig holes and mark them with bright orange cones. Greaves spoke with Patch about all of the work at her park while on her morning walk. "It feels fantastic to see the new trees," Greaves said. She has noticed that trees are "frequently broken" along the long linear path of Vail Ranch Park. She hopes that these new trees will survive and thrive here. "It's a positive move by the city to plant so many." For additional information regarding improving the City's Urban Forest Management Program, please visit temeculatrees.org or contact Stacy Fox at [email protected]