Mourning The Loss Of 400 Trees

As we mourn the loss of close to 400 decades-old trees from our local parks, at least there’s this good news: there's a lot we can do to protect the big trees that still live in our midst.

Nothing will ever bring back those majestic trees, and no matter how many new trees are planted in their place, it will still take decades to recover the beauty, sustenance and shade they so generously provided to humans and animals alike. But at least this tragedy can be a spur to do the right thing for the mature trees we already have.

Let's start with trimming. Poor trimming (cutting in the wrong places, taking off too large of branches, pruning too much) weakens trees and can cause them to fail before their time. If you do need to trim your trees, be sure to use a certified arborist for consultation and a reputable tree service to do the work.

One major threat is that many insurance companies now require drastic tree trimming near structures. Many trees won't survive this assault. How ironic if to protect ourselves from climate-change-induced wildfires we lose the trees that are absorbing carbon, let alone cooling our residences every day. Ample tree shade, particularly on the southwest side, can save as much as 30% of a home's cooling costs.

While we're noticing and appreciating the older trees among us -- which absorb carbon at a much greater rate than younger ones — we can continuously plant new trees at our homes, schools and places of business, preferably native and climate-adapted species. As the planet becomes hotter, shade will become even more precious, as will the habitat for birds, mammals and insects that trees provide.

One easy way to be part of the solution is through the all-volunteer nonprofit, Ojai Trees, which holds four tree planting events each year to get young trees rooting all over the Ojai Valley, planted by volunteers. Everyone is welcome.

If you're upset about the County Parks tree deaths, you can take action where you live, work and play. Our next planting event is April 20 and we could use some able bodied volunteers!