Many volunteers from Cal Poly, Cuesta College, local junior high schools, grade schools and the California Conservation Corps helped plant dozens of California-native trees last fall on the Central Coast. Lionel Johnston, an advocate for planting native trees in the area, hopes to see as many or more volunteers this year. Johnston said November is the best time to plant native trees, including live oak, tan oak, sycamore, cottonwood, maple, box elder and alder. Johnston said planting the native trees is crucial to the future of local waterways, parks and open public spaces.
Trees do more than just give off oxygen and look pretty.
They save water in creeks by slowing down evaporation. They provide a habitat for wildlife and provide food for all species. The strong, well-established and untampered roots of an oak even prevent erosion by holding topsoil in place. This is different than that of a Eucalyptus tree, which is common but not native to the Central Coast. The Eucalyptus has a lot of branches and leaves, but has small, shallow roots.