You know Balboa Park for its museums, beautiful architecture and hundreds of acres of open space. But what about the trees that make up so much of the park?
Forever Balboa Park, a nonprofit organization, hosted its annual community event Plant It Forward Friday to acknowledge and celebrate the park’s urban forest.
With the help of SDG&E’s Environmental Champions Grant, City Heights Preparatory Charter School students were able to plant trees. Instead of being in the classroom, 16-year-old Niya Ombeni and her classmates took their learning outside.
“We feel free, like nature,” Ombeni said. “You know they’re free, they’re everywhere.”
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It’s true, they are everywhere. Sophia Galvez, the volunteer project coordinator for Forever Balboa Park says there are more than 16,000 trees in the park, and that number is going up.
”I feel like it’s a really beautiful thing to see,” Ombeni said.
San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn who oversees District 3 was in attendance Friday, explaining to the students in attendance that he is serious about protecting and enhancing the environment, especially when it comes to air quality. They also provide areas of shade to cool off on a hot day.
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“Planting these trees is replacing the urban canopy that was here before,” Galvez said.
The trees planted included Torrey Pine and Engelmann Oak trees – both planted by students and volunteers.
“The Torrey Pines will get very tall and they’ll hopefully provide a lot of canopy coverage and the Engelmann Oaks will be on the outside and be a little shorter,” Galvez said. “The reason that’s important is that we don’t want really large trees that are going to be under sidewalks.”
These trees are short now, but they tell a much bigger story about our urban forest.
“This tree planting event not only advances that goal of healthy people, healthy nature, but it also is teaching the students some really important science and environmental concepts,” Elizabeth Babcock, Forever Balboa Park’s CEO and president said Friday.
A reminder that lessons don’t only happen in the classroom.
“I do appreciate that I have nature and without it, I don’t know what this world would look like," Ombeni said. “It’s a beautiful world to have nature around.”
For those wanting to plant a tree of their own, you could get one for free. As part of Forever Balboa Park’s Plant It Forward event, the first 100 people who show up at Plaza De Panama between 9 a.m. and noon Saturday will get a free sapling tree.
