Honoring Roger Boddaert, a founder of Treescape Fallbrook

FALLBROOK – Save Our Forest is honoring Roger Boddaert for his contribution to what became the Save Our Forest Treescape Project. A handmade, very unique bench has been installed at the little park like area on the corner of Vine and Alvarado streets.

Permission to landscape the site from owner Moquey Marquross enabled Save Our Forest to plant some new trees on Arbor Day 2019 to enhance the area. Trees and outreach were made possible with a grant from California ReLeaf. The Torrey Pine trunk piece used to craft the bench was donated by Hank Hornsveld.

The story behind this well deserved recognition actually began in 1972 when San Diego County marked 22 trees for destruction on Live Oak Park Road. Boddaert's neighbors were instrumental in a successful campaign, supported by the Fallbrook Chamber, to hire a traffic engineer. There were only two trees lost.

Twenty years later, again came the same challenge. He again helped organize the campaign to address the issue and the group was again successful losing 1 ½ trees. At that time the group name was called Save the Oaks. In that bargain, reflectors were placed on the trees to bring attention to the ancient oak trees on that historic road.

Following a major rainy winter of 1992-93, when 17 oaks were downed in the storm, that same group responded by planting 165 oak trees on Live Oak Park Road, in Live Oak Park itself and the surrounding streets to maintain that oak forest.

There followed work by Boddaert to begin a quest to document the existing trees in Fallbrook to kick start plans for improving Fallbrook's community forest. The very first grant for 110 trees in downtown Fallbrook on public right of way was received and implemented in 1995 and completed in 1996.

The community rallied for that event at the corner of Main and East Mission long before El Toro Market was built. It was a real community party with music, donated food from local restaurants, and tent stations set up all over town. Coordination was aided by ham radio operators. Over the years that followed Boddaert helped coordinate more grants and independent plantings made possible by area developers and nurseries donating trees for areas such the Pico Promenade.

Jackie Heyneman commented, "Who could conceive at that time the tremendous head start that was obtained for current concerns about the fight against climate change. The simplest way is to plant a tree. The benefits are immense."

The bench has involved many to bring this beautiful and unique addition to Fallbrook. In addition to Marquross and Hornsveld, participants included Fallbrook Equipment Rentals, Russ Heyneman (and his ingenuity in moving the bench), Robert Olds (expert woodworker), Dan Martiinez (graffiti proofing the bench), Nancy Heins Glaser (who captured the picture story), the volunteers of Save Our Forest and those who just happened to pass by and stopped to help.

Submitted by Save Our Forest.