IRVINE : ReLeaf Group to Expand Into Tustin

Members of Irvine ReLeaf, a community group that plants trees to help beautify public property, will branch into Tustin on March 7 to place 130 trees at C.E. Utt Middle School.

The school will be the sixth site planted by the group since it formed in the summer of 1990. Volunteers from the school and community will plant the trees, assisted by Irvine ReLeaf members and Clay Martin, Irvine’s urban forester.

The money to buy the trees comes from state grants the city and the Irvine Ranch Water District have used to plant trees in the area, Martin said. Since Irvine ReLeaf formed, group volunteers have planted 670 trees. So far, about 1,000 volunteers have helped with the plantings.

“Irvine ReLeaf has accomplished quite a bit in a short time,” Martin said. “I think it’s pretty incredible we’ve had that kind of turnout.”

Tustin was chosen for the March planting because the water district serves parts of that city as well as Irvine. Martin said Irvine ReLeaf got involved because Tustin has no local chapter of the California ReLeaf organization.

Volunteers interested in helping plant the six-foot to nine-foot trees should arrive at the middle school at 9 a.m. and bring gloves and a shovel, if possible. The school is at 13601 Browning Ave. For more information, call Martin at (714) 724-7667.

Area residents interested in Irvine ReLeaf can also attend an environmental education workshop from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Irvine City Hall. Among those speaking will be Tom Larson, president of Urban Forestry Consultants; Tom Ash of the UC Cooperative Extension, and Genni Cross, director of California ReLeaf.