Los Paseos Elementary School students planted 21 new shade trees on the campus last week. The trees were donated by Our City Forest, a non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating an “urban forest” in the city of San Jose. Our City Forest also provided expert guidance in how to properly plant, stake and care for the trees.
The “planting crew” consisted of all Student Council members, including the class representatives from all fourth, fifth and sixth-grade classrooms. First, second and third grade classes also sent student representatives
Classes gathered on the back grass for an official school-wide ceremony with Principal Rhoda Wolfskehl the afternoon of Sept. 20.
Five different kinds of trees were planted in five areas around the school.
In the field, along the fence behind the portables, four Southern Live Oak trees (Quercus virginiana) were planted. These are fast-growing evergreen oak trees that are native to the eastern and southern U.S. They are different from the oaks that are native to this area but more tolerant of the extra water from the lawn sprinklers. They can eventually grow as tall as 60 feet.
Next to the playground and picnic tables, students planted a small grove of three Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). They won’t stay small for long, though; they grow three to five feet a year and are the tallest trees in the world.
On the side of the cafeteria, next to the new planter boxes, students put in seven Chinese Pistache trees. They have delicate leaves that turn beautiful scarlet, orange and yellow colors in the fall.
Next to the kindergarten playground, there are now two flowering pear trees, which will help provide additional shade in that area.
In front of the fifth and sixth-grade classrooms and next to the driveway, students planted two Red Oak trees and three “Autumn Blaze” maple trees. These maple trees, which are actually hybrids bred from red maple and silver maple parents, can grow up to 50 feet tall and are famous for putting on a brilliant “blaze” of bright red fall color.
