Save the saplings

The wide expanses of oak woodlands that first greeted white settlers to Northern California roughly two centuries ago have been mostly swallowed up by the development of growing populations. Though there’s no question regarding where the trees went, environmentalists are mystified as to why they’re not growing back.

“Oak woodlands are not regenerating and nobody’s sure why,” said Becky Holden, program coordinator for a volunteer oak planting program started last fall by Butte Environmental Council. “Around here we have lots of old oaks, but few new seedlings, and as the old oaks die there’s a legitimate fear there might not be new ones to replace them.”

Some theories about the dearth of young oaks suggest increased distances between woodlands make it impossible for pollinators to reach areas of new growth, or that invasive grass species are the primary culprits. Then there’s the issue of “sudden oak death,” a fatal plant pathogen targeting the trees first detected in 1995, further fueling the need for restoration and conservation. Only one-third of California’s oak woodlands remain, and some populations, such as the blue oak, are dying off at up to 15 percent annually, according to UC Berkeley’s Hastings Natural History Reservation, a Monterey-area facility partly devoted to oak research and restoration.

The BEC program, which started last year with a $35,000 grant from the California Wildlife Foundation, is a five-year plan to bolster blue and valley oak populations in Upper Bidwell Park. The first stages of the project involved collecting blue oak acorns from the park, which was done to ensure the trees’ genetic stock and—BEC hopes—increase the future trees’ survival rate.

One hundred samples of that species were planted at several locations within the park early this spring, and similar efforts for valley oaks will begin later this year. The trees are planted with tree tubes to protect them from deer and other foragers, which are replaced by cages as the seedlings sprout. About 85 of the 100 acorns originally planted have shown promising growth, Holden said.

Throughout this summer, efforts will be focused on keeping the trees watered and alive through severe drought conditions, a job for which BEC is actively seeking volunteers.

As Holden explained, the program was designed to be a volunteer-oriented, citizen science project. More than 100 fourth- to eighth-grade students helped collect and plant some of the acorns through BEC’s partnership with Kids & Creeks, and the organization also joined with Butte County Juvenile Hall and the Bidwell Golf Course to plant more.

“We knew when we planted these trees that we are in a drought, and we hoped this would be an opportunity to engage our community,” said BEC Executive Director Robyn DiFalco via press release. “We placed signs near the planting area that educate the public about our native oak woodland ecosystem [and] why we should care about the oaks. We hope that runners, dog walkers and anyone who uses the park will see the oaks and want to help.”

BEC launched the watering phase of the program last Sunday (June 14), and will continue to gather volunteers for watering sessions every Sunday morning through August. Volunteers are asked to report to the North Rim Trail parking lot at 8:15 a.m., wearing sturdy shoes. The program requires participants to be able to carry at least 1 gallon of water. The sites are vehicle-accessible, located just 5 to 10 yards from existing roads, Holden said. A BEC official will lead each session and provide necessary resources including water, buckets and hoses.

Volunteers are encouraged to just show up, or contact BEC to sign up as a group, which Holden said she hopes to see happen.

“We’re hoping people will look at it kind of like an Adopt-a-Highway program, so if someone wants to get a bunch of friends together to water trees for a day, that’s great.”