30 New Trees Put Down Roots in Sepulveda Basin

With Earth Week around the corner, new trees are going up across the Valley. In the Sepulveda Basin Saturday morning, volunteers planted 30 eucalyptus trees.

Under a bright sun and with cars whizzing by, about 30 volunteers planted the trees on the median on Burbank Boulevard between Woodley and Hayvenhurst avenues, said Jim Summers, manager of the Urban Forest Program, part of the nonprofit TreePeople. Volunteers planted trees in the area last Saturday also, Summers said.

“It’s like Christmas in Macy’s for us. We do three months of work in two weeks,” Summers said.

Volunteer Jerome Spruit had the idea to plant the trees on the median.

“It’s the emptiest place there is, and it’s a perfect place for trees,” said Spruit, 24, of Encino.

Spruit completed TreePeople’s citizen forestry program, which teaches volunteers how to organize their projects and work with the city.

“We go wherever there is someone willing to do the proper work and organizing,” Summers said. “If we don’t do it, it’s not going to get done.”

The group also makes sure the trees are maintained after they’re planted, Summers said.

The Sepulveda Basin isn’t the only tree planting site. Cal State Northridge’s historic six-acre orange grove will be the focus of today’s “CSUNday in the Grove” event.

The tree-planting ceremony at noon will launch a community Adopt-a-Tree campaign to help care for the grove’s 625 trees. Many of the trees are so old they are unable to resist certain agricultural pests and diseases, said John Alderson, CSUN grounds and landscape services manager.

“We’re losing 20 to 40 trees a year and will have to replace them at that rate or maybe even more,” Alderson said. “Over a 15-year period, we’ll transition into a disease-resistant grove.”

There will also be a petting zoo, games, food, arts and crafts and live entertainment from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the corner of Nordhoff Street and Zelzah Avenue. Admission and parking are free.