Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Volunteers, including Bev Jones in the foreground, bring trees to the parking lot between Alvarado and Fig streets in 2006.
SOF and community volunteers meet to correct loss of precious water at the parking lot between Fig and Alvarado streets, from left, Jackie Heyneman, Russ Heyneman, Don Weeks, and Kevin Bresnahan with his augur.
High School Art Department students' work decorates the 36" containers to brighten the parking lot at the old library parking lot in 2008; the boxed trees were planted once the new library was built in 2010.
A shaded parking lot that produces a healthful environment is the work of a years long project of Save Our Forest.
FALLBROOK – The community parking lot between Alvarado and Fig streets now has trees creating real shade for cars that are often parked there all day or provide a parking place for those who shop on Main Avenue.
This property owned by the Parking Lot Trust currently provides free parking for shoppers. These trees on Alvarado Street, Australian willows were planted by, and with continued maintenance by, Save Our Forest. This was through a grant and support from the Village Rotary Club in the year 2006.
The interior trees, Chinese elms, began with 15 gallon trees in 24" containers, then transferred into 36" boxes donated by Pardee Nursery. There followed years of growing in those containers, which were brightly and creatively painted by students from the Fallbrook High School Art Department to bring a little cheer to the wooden boxes. They were finally put into the ground in 2013.
Recently the Save Our Forest team had the help of a couple of community volunteers in preparing them for the summer months. They were Don Weeks of Village Rotary and Kevin Bresnahan, a great community volunteer who brought his small augur to dig into the dirt and remove old watering tubes.
Helping SOF downtown in the past, the Village Rotary has provided parking stops, helped with mulching and tree site cleanup.
This team attacked a problem that has developed over the years. That is loss of water. a precious commodity. The perforated watering tubes 3 feet long were placed in the tree wells when the trees were put into the ground. The purpose was to promote deep root growth to prevent eruption of the asphalt. Without this measure, tree roots will seek surface moisture.
Over the years, the capped pipes have been buried by dirt washing into and filling the tree wells and the pipes with dirt.
The trees are quite drought tolerant and will spread to a canopy width of 30 feet fulfilling the County standard for shade in parking lots. Breaking up the heat islands caused by large expanses of black asphalt is an important way to reduce pollution. Hot days in such a situation cause interior car temperatures of 140+ degrees.
Pollution from heated gasoline is released into the environment. When asked, Jackie Heyneman said, "Twenty-five years of planting trees to promote a healthful environment requires that we continue to address any issues that destroy that purpose."
Submitted by Save Our Forest.
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