200 Seedlings Spread in Bid to Save Valley Oak

In an effort to restore the Valley Oak in Cheeseboro Canyon, 200 oak seedlings were planted Saturday by volunteers in the canyon west of Calabasas.

The planting was a joint effort by TreePeople, a nonprofit environmental group that supplied the volunteers; the National Park Service, which owns the canyon, and Southern California Honda dealers, who provided the trees.

TreePeople founder Andy Lipkis said the planting was part of a drive to aid the Valley Oak, which tree experts say is not regenerating as rapidly as in the past because of environmental problems.

He said the Cheeseboro Canyon planting was timed to coincide with Arbor Day, Thursday. Cheeseboro Canyon, north of the Ventura Freeway between Calabasas and Agoura Hills, was recently purchased by the park service.