Good things come in trees with the Newport-Irvine Rotary Club for Arbor Day

Volunteers weren’t stumped when they arrived at Arroyo Park.

Rolling up their sleeves and grabbing a shovel, members of the Newport-Irvine Rotary Club and other locals got to work planting trees and other native plant species along the park’s hiking trail bright and early Saturday morning in honor of Arbor Day.

About 15 saplings were planted, in addition to what the club’s environmental chair, Patricia Brainerd, estimated was around 200 native shrubs.

Dozens of volunteers help plant trees and other native plants on Saturday at Arroyo Park in Newport Beach.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

The plants were from Shadetree Nursery in Irvine, which has a program in which organizations can be donated trees so long as they provide a plan to not only plant the saplings, but maintain them.

This is the second such event held by the local Rotary club, the first having taken place last year near the park’s soccer field.

The event Saturday was held by the club in collaboration with both the nursery and the city of Newport Beach. Others from local Boy Scout troops, the UC Irvine Rotoract Club and Corona del Mar High School’s Interact Club were present.

Kristy Riddle, 16, left, Sofia Bonanno, 17, center, and Emma Geng, 17, right, with Corona del Mar’s Interact Club, help plant trees and other native plants on Saturday at Arroyo Park in Newport Beach.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.