LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Campolindo Trees Removed for School's Landscape Facelift


Trees are removed at Campolindo High School. Photo Cathy Dausman

Tree huggers have fewer trees to hug on the Campolindo High School campus after the Acalanes Union High School District removed 155 trees during the recent spring break, but the problem will be short-lived.

"Those pines were unhealthy," said Principal John Walker, adding that everyone will be pleased with the end result as healthy trees and shrubs will be added.

Taking down the trees was only "step one" of a $500,000 campus-wide landscaping project funded by Measure E in 2008. Dave Humphrey, director of facilities, maintenance and grounds for AUHSD, explained that the trees were tall but frail and drought-affected. He said some branches were intermingled so tightly that the trees couldn't breathe, some branches were dying on the tree and other branches had already fallen to the ground.

While arborists did not formally test for bark beetles, they did visually inspect the downed trees and found some evidence. Because of the noise disruption, the district elected to cut and chip the trees when school was not in session. The trees will be replaced with 130 six- to eight-feet tall saplings plus a variety of shrubs and ground cover. Empire Landscaping of Davis is the contractor.

Humphrey says the project is off to a good start and the work bids were reasonable because it is still early in the landscape season. He says they are "on track" for a completion in mid-July.

"People just love trees," Humphrey said, "and I'm with 'em!"

Asked if the district has landscape projects slated for Miramonte High School or Acalanes High School, Humphrey said Miramonte is undergoing an irrigation replacement which involves digging up planters and repotting some vegetation. The Acalanes campus landscape "looks gorgeous as it is," Humphrey said.

Here is a partial list of trees removed and some of their replacements.

Removed:

Arizona cypress

Bottle Brush

Canary Island Pine

Aleppo Pine

Liquid Amber

Ash

Willow

Ponderosa Pine

Mulberry

Replacements:

Trees: Shrubs and ground cover:

October Glory Maples Strawberry trees

Easter Red Bud Four varieties of manzanita

Western Red Bud Japanese Barberry

Raywood Ash Bush ananome

Deep red Crepe Myrtle Wild lilac

Chinese Pistache Lantana

Aristocrat Pear Western ferns

Coastal Live Oak Flowering currant

Valley Oak Sage

Soquel Redwoods Periwinkle