In a small patch of open field, shovels break the soft soil, making holes that will welcome young Coast Live Oaks. With each new hole dug, a new tree is given a chance to grow.
On Thursday, Feb. 15, the Habitat Stewardship Project (HSP) held a tree planting event just past lot 59, at the edge of California State University, Monterey Bay’s (CSUMB) campus.
HSP is an environmental restoration and education project partnering with CSUMB “to bring nature closer to people, and people closer to nature through hands-on experiences in community-based habitat restoration and environmental education,” according to the university’s website.
“We’re the ones who get the trees. We bring them out here, and we plant them in spots around campus to restore the oak groves here,” said Jeni Schmedding, CSUMB alumni and AmeriCorps VIP Fellow for HSP.
Though an individual new sapling may feel insignificant, for those working with HSP, every tree planted is a part of something bigger: an ambitious goal to plant 2,030 trees on campus by the year 2030. “If we get 200 plants a year, I think we’re going to be on track to get to 2030 trees,” said Laura Lee Lienk, director of HSP. “We are at over 600 now.”
Despite efforts by both HSP and CSUMB, the tree-planting ambitions are not without obstacles. “We have to plant in areas that are not [the locations of] future buildings or where there are underground pipes,” Lienk said.
“A big challenge with a lot of these lots is they still have the foundations of old military buildings, so you dig down a foot and it’s just cement,” said Cole Mefford, CSUMB alumni and restoration assistant for HSP.
“Another challenge is funding. We ran out of funding on campus,” Lienk added, with the main expense of the project being purchasing the saplings. The funding for this year’s planting events was provided by community member Janette Leonidou, who purchased 200 trees for HSP.
Above all, Lienk commented that one of the biggest challenges to HSP’s tree-planting efforts is simply “getting the word out to students.” Student volunteers fuel tree-planting events like the one on Thursday, and more help is always needed. Though planting is hard work, many participants commented on its rewarding nature.
“It feels good afterward because you feel like you got a workout and then you can see the tree grow,” said Schmedding.
Mefford, reflecting on past plantings, commented, “It’s really cool. [Tons of oaks are becoming] mature and you can see there’s even a bird nest in one of them now.”
“I think what you have to do is to make this a part of your life,” said Lienk. She highlights the importance of believing that today’s service and stewardship will one day make a difference. “The quote that I have on my desk is that ‘ideas become real at the point of action.’”
For those interested in getting involved, the Habitat Stewardship Project holds planting and restoration events every Saturday.