Local group plants more than 400 trees along Russell Boulevard

Thirty-five volunteers from the Sacramento Tree Foundation planted 25 coast live oak trees along the bike path west of Davis on Jan. 12. Members of the Russell Boulevard Tree Project hope to get as many trees as possible planted along Russell, which runs between Davis and Winters.

Since 2009, volunteers have planted 419 trees, according to project coordinator Janet Mercurio.

Volunteers planted more valley oaks, live oaks and one olive tree at planting parties in December and January. All were planted beside the bike path along a stretch of Russell that borders the Glide Ranch, west of Fairfield School, at Russell and County Road 96. These recent plantings put the total number of trees planted this winter at 94, Mercurio said.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation, led by Greenprint regional coordinator Kelly Rathburn, provided the 25 coast live oak seedlings through funds from Pacific Gas & Electric Co., which donated $25,000 as part of the Tree Foundation’s 30k Trees Campaign.

Rich Marovich, streamkeeper with the Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee, donated 31 oak seedlings to the project from the California Forestry Department’s Lewis A. Moran Reforestation Center on Chiles Road in Davis.

Local residents Michael and Nika Turelli donated an olive tree that Michael and their 9-year-old grandson, William Baca, a student at Birch Lane Elementary School, planted in a spot that completes the row of mature olive trees near County Road 95A.

The rest of the oak trees were acquired from Oaktopia nursery in Sebastopol.

The holes for the plantings were augered by volunteer Dan Garrett of Garrett Landscaping of Davis. Water was donated by Phil Gross of Three Palms Nursery, located at the junction of Russell and County Road 95A, who also donates large quantities of water to the project every summer.

Permits for the plantings were issued by Yolo County Public Works Department staffers Todd Riddiough and Louis Ramirez, who have assisted the project since 2009.

“The community has been very supportive of the tree project and volunteers appreciate all the nice comments we get from cyclists and pedestrians on the path as we plant and care for the trees,” Mercurio said.

More trees will be planted next winter, she added.