Leaf It to Them to Shade Costa Mesa

A group of residents who want to plant more than 4,000 trees in the city will meet Feb. 26 to plant pear trees on Baker Street.

ReLeaf Costa Mesa, as the group is known, has a $4,500 grant from the state but needs volunteers to dig holes and plant the trees, said organizer John DeWitt.

ReLeaf was founded in September, 1993, and has about 150 volunteers, DeWitt said. “It’s new, but it really gained a lot of community support rather quickly,” he said.

Fifty-five people met in October to plant trees along Adams Avenue. DeWitt said he thinks about 80 will show up to plant 74 trees along Baker Street between Fairview Road and Bear Street. Snacks and drinks will be free, he said.

DeWitt said the trees will be planted along the parkway between the curb and sidewalk. Those areas along the north side of Baker are separated from residents’ homes by a wall. As a result, many residents leave the parkway untended, he said.

Next year, the group would like to plant trees on Placentia Avenue. DeWitt said they will need city help to break up some of the pavement.

DeWitt said the city’s Community Services Department has provided stakes and shovels. City workers also used a backhoe to prepare the holes and will fill them with dirt. “We’d almost need dynamite to get into that clay,” DeWitt said.

If there is rain, the group will plant the pear trees on March 5, DeWitt said. Volunteers will plant trees on Baker Street between Harbor Boulevard and Fairview Road on March 19.