THOUSAND OAKS : Company to Donate 4,100 Trees to City

The city of Thousand Oaks, which has sought to save its stately oaks from destruction, will become 4,100 oak trees richer through a corporate donation.

Officials from McDonald’s Corp. on Tuesday presented the first 10 trees to a group of about 480 students at Glenwood Elementary School.

An additional 75 will be distributed to 25 other schools in the Conejo Valley Unified School District.

The contribution was part of the company’s “A Thousand Oaks for Thousand Oaks” program, said Bill Marble, McDonald’s vice president and regional manager. An additional 4,000 oaks will be given away Sunday at four McDonald’s restaurants in the city and 15 others have been given to the Tri-Valley Environmental Committee.

Thousand Oaks school and city officials present at a tree-planting ceremony at Glenwood school said they were pleased that some of the oak trees that have been destroyed in development will be restored.

“Replanting some of what we have taken away from the land is very important to the children,” said Dorothy Beaubien, president of the Conejo Valley school board.

“We don’t want to be like Orange County, where everyone asks, ‘Why is it called Orange County?’ ” said Barry Branagan, city building and safety director.

The public can get free oak seedlings at four McDonald’s franchises in Thousand Oaks: 605 E. Janss Road; 442 N. Hillcrest Drive; 3805 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.; and 828 N. Wendy Drive in Newbury Park. The seedlings will include planting and care instructions.