Photograph by Douglas Rider
Tree's a Crowd: Kurt Newick, left, helps Tony Wolcatt from Our City Forest load a tree into his truck Saturday to transport it to another planting site in Campbell. The organization plants trees for cities.
Our City Forest plants the town green
San Jose-based group brings trees to town with help from state grant
By Steven Raphael
John Muir once wrote, "The wrongs done to trees, wrongs of every sort, are done in the darkness of ignorance and unbelief, for when the light comes, the heart of the people is always right."
This is the belief Our City Forest relies on in their effort to rejuvenate Bay Area urban forests. The San Jose-based, nonprofit organization was formed in 1992 and has planted over 15,000 trees since that time.
"Basically, we're here to get trees planted and to get people involved," said Director Rhonda Berry. "A city with a lot of trees is a healthy city. They provide beauty and serenity and all the obvious things, but they also do a lot of other things, like reducing the street temperature with shade."
Last year, the city of Campbell entered into a partnership with Our City Forest to plant trees in the city. Shortly after it joined with the organization, Campbell received a $50,000 "Trees for the Millennium" grant from the California State Department of Forestry, according to Public Works Analyst Debbie Reichling. This money is earmarked for the planting and maintenance of street trees, Reichling said.
Starting last spring, Our City Forest has been using the grant money to plant trees in Campbell. The nonprofit organization has planted over 200 trees in the city and plans to plant 300 more this year, starting on Oct. 21.
Our City Forest has helped Campbell stretch the funds from their grant to great lengths, Reichling said. "It's a great organization," she said. "They cost about half of what a commercial organization would cost, and you also get all their expertise."
Our City Forest's expertise comes from two certified arborists who are employed by the organization.
The secret of their success lies in their involvement with the community. Aside from the arborists and a handful of staff, the group relies entirely on volunteers to plant and maintain the trees.
"The reason we have such a high tree survival rate is because we get people involved," Berry said. By having neighbors monitor the trees, Our City Forest is able to keep close watch on all of their recent plantings.
Jeanette Scrivano, 30, a lifelong Campbell resident, is an extremely dedicated volunteer for Our City Forest. She is a Tree Amigo, a citizen who has been trained to teach others how to plant trees, and she volunteers almost every Saturday morning.
"I wanted to do something good for the environment instead of just complaining," she said. "I wanted to do something proactive."
Scrivano said she enjoys the atmosphere at the plantings. "It's very social afterwards," she said. "It's really great when the neighbors come out."
The city decided to focus the plantings on those neighborhoods that are barren of trees. However, if a resident would like a tree planted in a specific place, he or she can call Our City Forest and make a request.
Reed Stevens, 59, is one Campbell resident who asked for trees to be planted in front of her house. In August, Our City Forest planted two trees there and one across the street.
"I think it's made a big difference," Stevens said. "It makes the streets much more appealing to anyone walking or driving through."
For this Campbell woman, trees serve an even greater role.
"The difference between a street without trees and a street with mature trees is like the desert compared to the sweet Valley of Heart's Delight," she said.
For more information, call Our City Forest at 408.998.7337.
Campbell, California
