Y2K planting connects kids to community

By Sam Scott

Long after most people have packed away the party hats, Celebrate Sunnyvale 2000 is still commemorating Sunnyvale's passage through the millennium. The volunteer group threw a large New Year's parade near downtown, decorated light poles on Sunnyvale's main streets with 88 banners, and organized monthly Sunnyvale history presentations at council meetings.

They recently left a living legacy of its efforts to mark a new 1,000 years. At 15 of Sunnyvale's public schools, they have planted oak trees that should mark the passing of an era for centuries to come.

"Not many generations get to experience a new century and a new millennium," said Margaret Lawson, the group's chairwoman. "I wanted something really permanent so that the children at the schools can come back and look at this tree and the way we celebrated a century and millennium and think 'I helped'."

Students from each school helped plant the trees, shoveling dirt to fill the holes. Next to the trees, plaques indicate the exact date of the planting and the reason for it.

Students at Nimitz Elementary School planted the first oak on May 17. The plantings finished two weeks later when students at San Miguel Elementary School put their tree in the ground.

The group planted oaks at all of the schools in the Sunnyvale School District, the Cupertino School District's three Sunnyvale elementary schools, and Fremont and Homestead High schools. Cupertino Middle School had no space for a tree. The three Sunnyvale schools in the Santa Clara Unified School District were left out initially, but Lawson said they would try to plant trees at those schools also.

Councilman Fred Fowler attended several of the plantings. He said he thought involving students would invest them in their community.

"It ties kids to the future," he said. "When you plant a tree, you're really giving a gift to people who are coming after you. I pointed out other trees and said maybe someone planted them thinking about you."

The oaks will be long-living and large markers. The trees, she said, typically live more 250 years and reach a span and height of 70 feet.

In addition to the trees' size and longevity, Lawson said they chose the Valley Oak (Quercus lobata for the scientific-minded) as the tree is native to the region and predominated in the Santa Clara Valley before the orchard era changed things.

Celebrate Sunnyvale 2000 has more activities planned, including building a timeline wall with Sunnyvale's history detailed alongside the world's.

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