Today is tree planting day! Only I didn't know that until the volunteer
crews came up with the USFS and watershed people with what looked like maybe
60 volunteers and some 200 pine saplings about 4 years old (the saplings, not
the volunteers.)
This is great stuff! I was clearing pine needles and pine cones from around
buildings and generally making things look a little neater, trying to get as
much volunteer work done before the heat of the day drove me into Soldier
Creek for the rest of the day. Around noon time, USFS, Angeles Volunteer
Association people, and watershed reclamation people came up with their
trucks followed by many passenger vehicles with lots of volunteers.
It's always neat seeing trees getting planted. It's quite true that many
of them don't survive however there's always a percentage of these trees
that live, and that makes the effort well worth it. (In fact I have
photographs of trees from past tree plantings which I'll include in this
article.)
After all of the volunteers were gathered together, Karen (USFS) gave a
fairly detailed description of what it was like in the area on the onset
of the Curve Fire. At the time there had been somewhere around 10,000
campers, hikers, and other recreating people in the Crystal Lake Recreation
Area. Since the fire was sweeping North along Highway 39, the people had
to be evacuated to the North to Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2) to try to
stay ahead of the fire.
A massively heroic effort was instigated to save Crystal Lake, and if one
looks at the burn maps, one can see how the fire swept through the area
surrounding Crystal Lake and Deer Flats Group Campground, working North up
to Angeles Crest Highway and encountering enough moister plants to help
knock down the fire.
Karen then described how best to extract the pine saplings from their
carriers and insert them into the ground at the proper level.
Once the meeting was over (and safety issues were discussed) the volunteers
grabbed shovels and picks, grabbed pine saplings, and spread out.
For the most part open areas were treated to new pine saplings and shaded
areas received less attention. Care was taken to plant saplings away from
picnic tables, toilets, camping areas, and parking areas, and care was
taken to plant trees off of paths that people might utilized. Every effort
was made to attempt to give the pine saplings an opportunity to survive the
coming years.
I should add that buckets of dirt and mulch were brought up and utilized in
the tree plantings. Known areas that have a fungus in the dirt and aren't
conducive to pines were avoided.
It looked like hard, hot, difficult work so I avoided it. Ha, actually I
was raking and bundling up pine needles and pine cones from around the USFS
Visitor Center which was also hot, sweaty work, but I had the added
advantage of having ice and Coca Cola® resting in the shade to help
keep me cool, and a cool creek to climb under when I was done.
When I was finished, I hauled my burlap sacks of raked-up combustibles in
to a pickup truck for dumping and declared my volunteer day pretty much
finished. Walking around I got photographs of the tree planting volunteers
who continued to work in the hot Sun. Along the way I got photographs of
many of the other trees that had been planted in years past, happy to note
that every season of previous planting had survivors.
It's a shame that these plantings aren't done every month with various
areas hit by bark beetle infestation and fires getting re-planted one by
one. I like seeing kids working in the forest and getting some time away
from the --bleepen-- Idiot Box, Internets, Game Boys, and stink and filth
of the city, if even for a couple of hours.
Added to the benefits of getting out of the city for a while, tree planting
is one of the nicest things that people can do to make a real, positive,
lasting impact for future generations. Sounds cliché, yeah, but the fact
that a percentage of these trees will be around decades after the
volunteers that planted them have died makes these efforts so wonderfully
worthwhile.
I really appreciate these hard working volunteers and those who have come
before them who have assisted in keeping Crystal Lake the shaded paradise
that t is today.
If you would like to come out on one of these, contact the San Gabriel
River Ranger District office of the United States Forest Service located
in Glendora, California, and find out when the next scheduled tree
planting effort will be.
Volunteers will be using these shovels today
From a distance, a look at the general tree planting area
Lots of vehicles were used in this tree planting effort
Most of these efforts tend to take a long time to get started
Karen (USFS) makes an effort to get everyone gathered for the safety meeting
Buckets of soil were also brought along which will be used in rocky dirt
Volunteers start to gather for the safety and orientation meeting
As you can see, today's tree planting had many, many volunteers
It'a always great seeing Lois (USFS) our well loved Volunteer Coordinator
Volunteers stood around waiting for the effort to start
Another vehicle that had pine saplings waiting inside
A better ook at the very large crowd of volunteers
The tree planting finally begins and everyone grabs a tree and a shovel
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 1
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 2
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 3
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 4
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 5
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 6
Some of the volunteers got to work in the shade -- which helped
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 8
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 9
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 10
Most of the pine trees were planted in open areas with direct Sunlight
Care taker showing off new baby to USFS people on the left of the photo
I was mean and said that the baby looks just like the care taker. }:-}
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 14
Many of the volunteers were very young and their shovels taller than they
The USFS Visitor Center after getting brush raked and hauled away -- 1
The USFS Visitor Center after getting brush raked and hauled away -- 2
I also removed the brush and stuff from around the fuel tank -- 3
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 16
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 17
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 18
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 19
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 20
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 21
The best photograph of today, I think
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 23
Pine saplings waiting to be planted, resting in the shade
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 25
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 26
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 27
A previous tree planting maybe 2 years ago
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 28
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 29
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 30
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 31
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 32
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 33
A brave newly planted sapling
And another sapling waiting to be planted
The last remaining pine saplings waiting to be carried to their new homes
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 34
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 35
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 36
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 37
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 38
Taking a look at the general area of where the tree planting is taking place
Taking a look at the general area of where the tree planting is taking place
Taking a look at the general area of where the tree planting is taking place
Taking a look at the general area of where the tree planting is taking place
Toward the end of the project
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 1
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 2
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 39
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 40
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 41
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 42
One of the Angeles Volunteer Association volunteers pauses a moment
Tree planting, general photographs of the effort -- 44
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 3
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 4
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 5
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 6
This girl wanted to plant one more tree before finishing the day
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 7
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 8
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 9
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 10
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 11
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 12
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 13
A previous tree planting maybe 6 years ago
A previous tree planting maybe 6 years ago
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 14
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 15
The front of the Visitor Center after being cleared of brush
The side of the Visitor Center after being cleared of brush
A set of previous tree planting from maybe 2 to 5 years ago
A previous tree planting from probably last year
A previous tree planting from probably last year
Another tree planting going back to probably before the Curve fire
Another tree planting going back to probably before the Curve fire
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 16
After everyone else has left, I take some photographs of the general area
After everyone else has left, I take some photographs of the general area
Another previous tree planting, maybe done last year
Photographs of newly planted saplings -- 17
This tree limb needs to be cut up and the limbs chipped up
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provided on the http://CrystalLake.Name/ web site. Also this web site is
not connected in any way with any of the volunteer organizations that are
mentioned in various web pages, including the
San Gabriel Mountains
Trailbuilders (SGMTBs) or the
Angeles Volunteers Association
(AVA.) This web site is privately owned and operated.
Please note that information on this web page may be inaccurate.