Since 1984, Coronado has earned the nomination “Tree City USA,” through the conservation and expansion of its urban forest. This year, the 37th Arbor Day event was celebrated by individuals, groups, and families on March 11. Chairman of the Street Tree Committee Flavio Velez simply expressed, “It’s a great time for the community to get together by planting trees to help the environment.” Ranging in all ages, an estimated 100 volunteers planted 45 trees around the city. 
Public Services Supervisor Art Valdivia had worked to spread awareness to residents to request a tree before the tree planting day and more homeowners successfully applied earlier this year.
Coordination between the City of Coronado’s Street Tree Committee and the Department of Public Services planned the event to kick off at Spreckels Park. The crowd gathered in the early morning to enjoy refreshments which was followed by a planting demonstration. Locals watched as they learned how to properly dig the hole and massage the root ball preceding burying it in the earth. Next, the Arbor Day proclamation was read by Coronado resident and former councilmember Marvin Heinz, and then the teams were dispersed with tools in hand and a map of the island showing their designated location to plant.
The specific locations for the trees were due to a multitude of factors including: the owner’s requests, space/water availability, underground pipes, and power lines. The trees to be planted in the parkways in front of the homes are chosen from the approved street tree list.
Coronado High School seniors Zoe Quast, Jackie Reyes, and Dana Jennings enjoyed planting an Arbutus Marina ‘Strawberry Tree’ together. All three share a passion for taking care of the environment as interns for the local non-profit organization Emerald Keepers.
Down the block, the Talavera family were establishing three new Australian Willow trees. They moved to Coronado last month after being stationed in Japan and jumped on this opportunity as a way to build their new community. Everyone shared a role as they successfully planted each tree.
The newly rooted young trees will be monitored by the City for the first three years to ensure their success. The responsibility of properly watering is bestowed upon the homeowners, as defined in the city municipal code.
Request a tree for Arbor Day 2024
