The leafy, 12-foot sycamore isn’t the biggest...

The leafy, 12-foot sycamore isn’t the biggest or most spectacular tree to grace the Imperial Avenue parkway in El Segundo.

But Marcie the Marvelous Tree undoubtedly gets the most love--from about 300 youngsters in the city who call themselves the Tree Musketeers.

A youth ecology group, the Tree Musketeers grew from the ranks of El Segundo Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who were concerned about the environment. Marcie, planted in 1987, was the first of many trees the group has planted in the city.

Red ribbons adorn her branches, a plaque proclaims her name, and the youngsters take turns watering her and clearing away weeds. She has her own song and her life story will soon be told in a children’s book.

“We treat her like a person. We put ribbons in her hair,” said 15-year-old Bret Barrett.

Marcie lived up to her billing as marvelous about a year after she was planted. One night, vandals attacked 20 parkway trees planted by the group. Some were pulled out by the roots, others chopped down at the base. Marcie’s branches were broken, but she survived.

Now, the city and an El Segundo general contractor are doing what they can to ensure that Marcie has a long life. The City Council has declared her a local landmark, providing protection against any digging or other intrusions into the parkway. Contractor Jim Carr has volunteered to spend about $1,000 to build a protective railing with viewing benches around her.

So far, the Tree Musketeers have planted 484 trees in El Segundo, and the group’s 1990 goal is to encircle the city with such drought-resistant trees as acacia, eucalyptus and pines. Trees and other supplies for the group’s projects are donated by residents and businesses.

With community support, the kids and their adult volunteers have expanded well beyond tree planting. They encourage recycling, have produced an environmental quiz show for local cable television and operate an environmental information line. They’ll soon open a tree-care center on a portion of a Pacific Bell parking lot. There, they will raise seedlings and store donated trees.

“We’re contributing to life,” said 13-year-old Allison Gilbert.