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Volunteers participate in the City of San Diego's Arbor Day tree planting event in 2023. Photo: City of San Diego

Celebrate Arbor Day: Discover How San Diego’s Tree Planting Programs Combat Climate Change and Save Water

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With climate change creating new challenges for managing safe and reliable water supplies, trees are increasingly recognized and relied on for their importance in helping mitigate weather extremes and contributing to water conservation efforts.

Trees are among the most valuable investments in San Diego County’s landscape – including your own waterwise landscaping. No other landscape plant plays a more significant role in fighting climate change and managing a healthy watershed.

National Arbor Day on Friday, April 26, presents an opportunity to call attention to the benefits of planting trees. Several Arbor Day promotions and ongoing programs in San Diego County offer support for planting trees, including rebates and volunteer events that let you contribute to the effort to provide more trees.

New Tree Rebate Program Launched By Metropolitan Water District

Carefully selected trees are the most valuable addition to your sustainable landscaping. Photo: Helix Water District landscape trees

Carefully selected trees are the most valuable addition to your sustainable landscaping. Photo: Helix Water District

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California launched a new rebate program in March, offering residents and businesses $100 for each eligible tree planted in their yards to replace thirsty grass for more sustainable landscaping.

Metropolitan’s new “tree-bate” provides incentives for up to five trees in residents’ and businesses’ turf replacement projects. The district partnered with TreePeople and local water agencies to identify and recommend trees with lower water use that are appropriate for Southern California’s climate.

Learn about this new rebate and existing rebates at the Be Water Wise website.

SDGE Community Tree Rebate Program

San Diego Gas & Electric offers a tree planting guide through its rebate program. Photo: SDGE arbor day

San Diego Gas & Electric offers a tree planting guide through its rebate program. Photo: SDGE

The San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDGE) Community Tree Rebate Program for Residential Customers allows qualifying residential customers throughout the region to plant trees that provide environmental, health, and economic benefits.

Qualifying customers can receive a $25 rebate for planting or potting a one-gallon tree, a $35 rebate for a five-gallon tree, and a $50 rebate for a 15-gallon tree. Customers can apply for up to five rebates annually. Customers do not need a yard to qualify. Trees can be planted in large containers on outdoor balconies or patio areas.

City of San Diego Arbor Day Event

Volunteers are needed for an Arbor Day event to help plant trees at Memorial Community Park. Photo: City of San Diego

Volunteers are needed for an Arbor Day event to help plant trees at Memorial Community Park. Photo: City of San Diego

On Arbor Day, the City of San Diego’s Urban Forestry Program hopes to plant 100 new trees at Memorial Community Park in Logan Heights. It needs volunteers to help with planting, prepping soil, spreading mulch, and cleanup. Learn more and sign up using this link.

Throughout the year, City of San Diego residents can request a new street tree through Free Tree SD. This program allows residents and the City to work together by increasing San Diego’s tree canopy cover. Residents need to identify a space in the public right-of-way and agree to water the tree for three years. City arborists will evaluate the space and determine an appropriate tree selection. Fill out the Free Tree SD application form on the City’s website to get started.

City of Escondido Celebrates Arbor Day 2024

The City of Escondido needs volunteers to help plant 120 trees for Arbor Day on Saturday, April 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Meet at the House of Prayer Lutheran Church, 795 N. Rose Street. Trees will be planted from Oleander Place to Fern Street between Lincoln Avenue and Mission Avenue. Volunteers of all ages are welcome and are asked to wear comfortable clothing for getting dirty, close-toe shoes, and a hat. Sunscreen is highly recommended. Register on the City website.

City of Vista Residential Tree Giveaway Program

The City of Vista now offers a new Residential Tree Giveaway Program. This initiative is available to Vista residents who own property or have permission from the property owner to plant a tree on the premises. The program is first-come, first-served, and available as long as the funds last. Increasing the local tree canopy on private properties enhances wildlife habitat, mitigates the effects of climate change, and supports the City’s Climate Action Plan goals.

Applications are available now. Since this is a pilot program, it is only available as long as funds last. It was funded through a $50,000 year-end fund balance request, approved by the City Council at the end of 2023. The application form is on the City of Vista website.

County of San Diego Tree Planting Program

The County of San Diego surpassed its goal of planting 10,000 trees in 2023 by adding 11,010 trees, including 5,744 new trees planted at County parks and facilities, 1,637 trees planted through non-government organizational partnerships, and 3,629 trees planted by incorporated cities. The Board of Supervisors has budgeted funds to plant 4,000 trees through spring 2024.

The County has a tree plotter to help staff track tree inventory and plantings regionwide. Residents can participate by reporting trees they plant on their own. Visit the County’s Tree Plotter web page to get started.

The Role of Trees In Preventing Climate Change

Healthy trees fight climate change and cool our cities, provide habitat, and improve the health of our neighborhoods. Photo: Kampus Production / Pexels

Healthy trees fight climate change and cool our cities, provide habitat, and improve the health of our neighborhoods. Photo: Kampus Production / Pexels

The hydrological cycle heavily relies on trees to absorb water in the atmosphere. Trees act as water reservoirs, taking in water from the soil and releasing it through their leaves, a process known as transpiration. The added moisture in the air leads to rainfall and the continuation of the water cycle.

Tree root systems filter and remove pollutants and slow down water absorption into the soil. This process helps to prevent erosion and reduce the risk of over-saturation and flooding.

Trees provide cooling to increasingly hot neighborhoods and cities, and they are among the most efficient tools for removing harmful carbon dioxide that fuels global warming.

San Diego forestry and landscaping professionals work with the San Diego County Water Authority and its 23 member agencies to help protect our region’s trees while conserving water. Find more resources at the Kate Sessions Trees website.

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Every Day is Earth Day for Water Agencies in San Diego County

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“Invest in Our Planet” is the theme for Earth Day 2023. Investing in sustainable, local water supply sources and conservation has long been a way of life in San Diego County by water agencies and residents.

“Investing in our planet can take many forms, and the challenges we face differ from community to community,” said San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl. “One investment I encourage San Diegans to think about on this Earth Day is landscape transformation. This is important because the biggest users of water at our homes are our landscapes – perhaps as much as 70% of our water use, depending on where we live.”

Sustainability is a priority of the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies. Maintaining a sustainable water supply ensures the vitality of San Diego County’s $268 billion economy and a safe, reliable supply for the region’s 3.3 million residents.

Earth Day and WaterSmart San Diego

Along with federal, state and local government support, including grant funds, the Water Authority and its 24-member agencies have developed diversified, sustainable, local water supply sources. The agencies also collaborate to secure funding for programs that help  residents and businesses use water efficiently and smartly.

Using water efficiently has long been a way of life in the region. Conserving more of our most precious resource is a responsibility that comes with living in San Diego’s Mediterranean climate. Over the past decade, residents and businesses across the county have adopted “WaterSmart” plants, irrigation technologies and habits that not only save money, but also create vibrant yards, reduce energy use, protect natural resources and reduce landscape maintenance.

Invest in the Planet by Living WaterSmart

The Water Authority partners with other agencies and organizations to offer a variety of WaterSmart tools, including classes and rebates, along with a water-use calculator and other resources.

Increasing local supply sources also benefits the greater Southwest U.S. by reducing demand on imported sources. A hotter, drier climate in the arid west requires climate adapation solutions and region-wide collaboration to ensure water supply reliability.

Sustainable water projects

The Water Authority and its 24 member agencies have long-embraced sustainable practices to conserve water and energy. All water agencies work together on forward-thinking projects to expand local supply sources. By investing locally in water recycling, desalination and potable reuse projects, the agencies reduce the need for imported water, freeing those supplies for other parts of California and the Southwest U.S.

Olivenhain Recycled Water Pipeline

A new recycled water pipeline in Encinitas is helping to reduce the region’s dependence on imported water supply.

East County AWP

Scheduled to be complete in 2026, the East County Advanced Water Purification Program will generate up to 11.5 million gallons per day of purified water— meeting approximately 30% of current drinking water demands for East San Diego County residents and businesses. “In 2045, potable reuse projects are going to provide up to 20% of the water that we need here in San Diego County,” said San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl at the June 2022 groundbreaking. “This region has been excellent in its innovation and planning for water needs for the region.”

East County Advanced Water Purification Plant Groundbreaking

“In this year when many areas of California and the West are facing extreme hardships with drought, the East County AWP is really another step forward in reliability for its water supply partners and the region,” said Sandra L. Kerl, General Manager, San Diego County Water Authority, at the June 1 groundbreaking ceremony for the recycled water project. Photo: East County Advanced Water Purification Program

Pure Water Oceanside

The $70 million Pure Water Oceanside project uses advanced technology, including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation to provide 3 million gallons per day or more than 20% of the City of Oceanside’s drinking water supply. The source of the recycled water to create the purified water is from the city’s own San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility.

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The $70 million project uses advanced technology, including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation to provide 3 million gallons per day or more than 20% of the City of Oceanside’s drinking water supply. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Pure Water San Diego

Pure Water San Diego is the City of San Diego’s largest-ever infrastructure program that will provide nearly half of San Diego’s water supply by 2035. Pure Water will use purification technology to clean recycled wastewater and is a cost-effective investment for San Diego’s water supply needs.

Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant has served more than 100 billion gallons of high-quality, locally controlled water over the past seven years – a milestone passed in late October 2022. The plant produces an average of more than 50 million gallons of high-quality water every day. It’s a foundational water supply for the San Diego region that minimizes vulnerability to drought and other water supply emergencies.

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The Carlsbad Desalination Plant is the largest, most technologically advanced and energy-efficient desalination plant in the nation, and it has provided a sustainable water supply to residents and businesses in San Diego County since December 2015. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Cutting-Edge Renewable Energy Projects

Renewable energy from natural resources such as sunlight, wind and water is quickly becoming a critical component of California’s power supply. As a water supplier, the Water Authority pursues a variety of hydroelectric and solar energy projects to help reduce energy costs and stabilize water rates.

A power purchase agreement with CleanCapital enabled the Water Authority to install solar power systems at no cost. The solar power systems installed at the Water Authority’s Kearny Mesa headquarters, Escondido Operations Center and Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant produce an estimated 2.5 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy each year. The 20-year agreement with CleanCapital will save the Water Authority approximately $3 million over the lifetime of the agreement, and supports the agency’s commitment to sustainability. 

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The solar power systems installed at the Water Authority’s Kearny Mesa headquarters, Escondido Operations Center and Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant produce an estimated 2.5 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy each year. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Earth Week and Earth Day Events

Scheduled events are hosted by several City of San Diego departments, including Library, Sustainability and Mobility,
Transportation, Environmental Services and Parks and Recreation, and are all free to attend.
• Arbor Day Celebration Event – Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Join the City of San Diego at the 2023 Arbor Day Event in Mission Bay’s Vacation Isle, on Hibiscus Lane, as volunteers and City leaders plant trees and beautify the park, reminding us of the benefits of trees and our urban canopy.
• Creek to Bay Cleanup – Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Join Think Blue San Diego and partner I Love a Clean San Diego for the largest cleanup in San Diego County. Choose from 4,000 cleanup sites to volunteer and beautify our local environment.
• Earth Day Celebration at South Clairemont Recreation Center – Saturday, April 22, 10 a.m. – Noon. Join the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department at the South Clairmont Recreation Center, 3605 Clairemont Drive. The free event will include seed planting, a park cleanup, simple crafts and a self-guided scavenger hunt. There will be informational booths throughout the park as well. All ages are welcome.

Along with April’s celebratory events, the City of San Diego’s Climate Action and Climate Resilient SD plans, and other initiatives under the “Our Climate, Our Future” umbrella, demonstrate the City’s commitment to climate action and protecting the environment. These evolving programs will help the City achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 while benefitting residents through new economic opportunities, improving natural and urban spaces, and protecting vulnerable communities from climate threats like extreme heat, wildfires and sea level rise.

Ramona Municipal Water District Saturday, April 22. The Ramona Municipal Water District will have a booth at Sustainable Ramona‘s 2nd annual Ramona Earth Day Festival, Noon- 5 p.m. at the Ramona Community Garden, San Vicente Rd. and 11th Street, Ramona. Staff will have water conservation giveaways, answer questions about water and conservation, and also participate in the festival “Treasure Hunt” for children.

City of Escondido Saturday, April 22 9 a.m. – Noon. Escondido will be hosting two clean-up location sites in partnership with I Love a Clean San Diego at Dixon Lake and Reidy Creek. A 3D poster using recycled material and created by students in Escondido is displayed at the Escondido Arts Partnership Gallery on Grand Avenue in April.

The Water Conservation Garden and San Diego Tree Week

San Diego Tree Week, April 22-29, an initiative of The Water Conservation Garden, is intended to bring neighbors together to plant trees in their community. Businesses, schools, and individuals will come together to celebrate the many benefits of trees. Details: thegarden.org/sd-treeweek/.

(Editor’s Note: The City of San Diego, City of Escondido, City of Oceanside, Helix Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Ramona Municipal Water District, Vallecitos Water District, and the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, are eight of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego region.)

San Diego Tree Week: Concerts and Free Trees

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The Water Conservation Garden is celebrating Spring this year by launching San Diego Tree Week. The goal, from April 22-29, is to plant 1,000 trees and bring San Diego residents together through tree planting.

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San Diego Tree Week: Concerts and Free Trees

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The Water Conservation Garden is celebrating Spring this year by launching San Diego Tree Week. The goal, from April 22-29, is to plant 1,000 trees and bring San Diego residents together through tree planting.

As drought stretches into a third year in California, The Water Conservation Garden hopes the tree week campaign will help educate and increase awareness of the environmental benefits of tree planting. Some of the benefits include removing carbon dioxide from the air, storing carbon in the trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.

San Diego Tree Week and free trees

The Water Conservation Garden will kick off San Diego Tree Week with a free event and tree giveaway.

Certified arborist Jose Bedoya of Leaf it to Us Tree Service will lead a workshop on April 23, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. on choosing the right tree for the right place. Bedoya teaches at Cuyamaca College, where he received a Certified Arborist Certificate.

The tree giveaway will follow the workshop. After the free tree event, another workshop will start at 11:30 a.m. on tree planting and care, led by Board Certified Master Arborist Brad Brown of Tree Life Consulting. In 2011, Brown obtained Registered Consulting Arborist status. A year later he became a Board Certified Master Arborist.

Registration and attendance to at least one of the workshops is required to receive a tree, which are first come first serve.

San Diego Tree Week features a tree giveaway and workshops. (Photo: Free Tree Giveaway at The Water Conservation Fall Garden Festival in 2021 courtesy of The Water Conservation Garden)

From Earth Day to Arbor Day

A few more hands-on ways to get involved include leading a tree planting event, volunteering at a local tree planting site, and becoming a tree planting site. They’re also looking for financial help through donations, gifted tree seedlings, and sponsorship opportunities.

San Diego Tree Week concerts

Another way to participate with the whole family is attending the San Diego Tree Week Concerts. The concerts, sponsored by Union Bank, will feature certified double platinum singer, songwriter Ryan Cabrera and special guest Lexington Field.

The concerts are suitable for all ages and will close out Tree Week on April 26 and 27, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. on both nights.

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Ryan Cabrera, musician, certified double-platinum singer, songwriter.

The venue on April 26 will be The Water Conservation Garden. The April 27 concert is at the Second Chance Beer Company. Tickets are $30 for members of the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum or members of The Water Conservation Garden; general admission is $40. Ticket sales from the April 27 San Diego Tree Week concert will benefit the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum.

Water conservation and sustainability

Six Joint Powers Agencies own The Garden and have contracted with Friends of the Water Conservation, a nonprofit organization, to manage it. The agencies are the San Diego County Water Authority, the City of San Diego, Helix Water District, Sweetwater Authority, Otay Water District and Cuyamaca College.

The mission of The Water Conservation Garden is to educate and inspire through excellent exhibits and programs that promote water conservation and the sustainable use of related natural resources.

(Editor’s note: The City of San Diego, Helix Water District, Otay Water District, and Sweetwater Authority, are four of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)