Tiniest Tree Planters Begin Replacement of Vandalized Trees

On Tuesday afternoon, a gaggle of 5- and 6-year-old Girl Scout Daisies planted a tree in Southampton Park at the corner of Panorama and Chelsea Hills. The troop leader was contacted by Wolfram Alderson, executive director of the Benicia Tree Foundation, about tree replacement efforts in the park.

Eighteen newly planted trees were cut down by vandals a month ago. “People in the community are less concerned with punishing the culprits and are focused on taking positive action as a community and setting an example...” said Alderson.

Benicia Tree Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by residents and launched with funds from 's Good Neighbors settlement. Additional funds were obtained from California Relief. Working with the city to support planting efforts, the foundation is 99 percent volunteer operated. The group has a goal of planting 1,000 trees in Benicia.

The focus of the foundation is private lands such as Benicia Unified School District school grounds, which are not under the city's jurisdiction. The Benicia Tree Foundation leveraged funds for the at Benicia High School last week. Six other trees have been planted in various locations.

When Alderson contacted Andrea Ward, a leader of Girl Scout Daisy Troop 0639, the Scouts were more than happy to help. The girls were quite upset about the trees that were cut down. Alderson wanted to give the Scouts the opportunity to begin the replacement project. More plantings are planned for the park.

With the guidance of , the eight Scouts planted a liliodendron tulipifera, commonly known as a tulip tree. The troop also donated $30 for the cost of the tree, funds raised from recent cookie sales. The planting is just one of  the community service projects in which the troop will participate this year.

Jones thanked the Scouts for their efforts: “You have shown a terrific interest in what goes on here in the city. By helping us to replace these trees makes a huge statement, both for yourselves and for the Girl Scouts.”

Jones called the girls the youngest and cutest tree planters with whom he had ever worked. “They did a great job,” he said. “They are obviously excited by it. I think it's great to see young children get involved in the community, especially in a project like this.”

Scout leader Sharon Lynch, whose daughter is one of the Scouts, was proud of her troop. “It's great for the girls to be involved in the tree planting. They'll get to watch it grow,” she said. “If 5-year-olds can plant a tree and care about trees, than people that vandalize should recognize that there is no reason to do such things.”

Jones gave the following tree-planting tips: Dig a wide hole but not deeper than the root ball. Remove tree from its pot and break up the soil around the roots so they don't continue to grow in circles. After placing tree in hole, fill it with good soil and pack down. Be careful to not cover the tree's crown with soil; this stifles its growth. It's better to plant the tree a little higher than the ground. Top it off with mulch and water regularly.