What’ll it be? Elderberry? Coast live oak? Bay laurel? Box elder?
For our less flora-savvy readers, those are all trees, made available to Santa Barbara Clean Energy (SBCE) customers — most city residents are SBCE customers — thanks to the city’s community tree program. Participants get to pick their preferred plant to take home, at no cost.
The first pickup parties were this past weekend, and 50 oak and elderberry trees are still remaining. SBCE customers are invited to fill out an application to reserve a tree through the city’s website — while supplies last.
This is the second year of the program, after it was met with much enthusiasm last May.
“It was so well-received that doing it again was a no-brainer,” said Stephanie Holmes, Energy and Climate Specialist for the city’s Sustainability & Resilience Department. More than 100 city residents are now the proud owners of new trees thanks to the program.
This February, the city started with a stock of 106 drought-resistant, native trees — double what they had last year. They source the trees from Santa Barbara Natives and the Botanic Garden. They all get names, too, including “Morgan Treeman,” the elderberry.
How it works: Participants must be a SBCE customer, it’s one five-gallon tree per household, and they must plant it on their property — no street-planting vigilantism allowed.
Trees are available by reservation only. Once approved, applicants pick up the trees at a designated time and location.
Participants are provided guidance on which type of tree would best suit their household. Each tree is special. Some are good for erosion control, others live longer. Some are bigger and some are smaller.
The elderberry, for example, is great for erosion control. “If you live by a creek, or your backyard gets flooded when it rains, the root structure of an established elderberry will be able to minimize damage and keep it together,” Holmes said.
But every tree is good for reducing greenhouse gases, and all are appropriate for Santa Barbara’s different climates. They’re resilient, Holmes said, and can survive cold, rains, drought, and heat waves.
With urban tree planting, the city inches closer to its climate goals, outlined in its Climate Action Plan. Trees beautify neighborhoods, while providing benefits such as shade, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. With the city’s main goal being to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions — to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 — trees make for essential partners.
“This is a great opportunity to empower community members to take meaningful climate action at home,” said Jon Griesser, SBCE Programs Manager. “Trees are one of nature’s most effective tools for capturing carbon from the atmosphere, and we are delighted to continue offering this program to our customers.”
A final pickup day is scheduled for March 21. Interested community members can apply here: SBCE Community Tree Program | Sustainability & Resilience.
You must be logged in to post a comment.