Citizens Invited to be Part of History

The Benicia Tree Foundation is inviting all Benicians to celebrate Benicia’s , a California coast live oak (Quercus Agrifolia), Saturday at 9 a.m. at Jensen Park, directly behind Fire Station 11, Benicia's main fire station.  

Wolfram Alderson, executive director of the , explains: “In this simple act that will only last a few minutes, we will come together as a community to make a point: Trees do matter and play an important role in our history and environment. Honoring this tree and recording the moment will
take no more time than posting your status on Facebook, but carry far more social meaning.”

The large oak tree was given heritage tree status on March 15 by the Benicia City Council. Its trunk has a diameter of more than 3 1/2 feet and a canopy radius of about 50 feet. The oak, one of the largest and oldest oak trees in the city, is estimated to be 70 to 100 years old.

A heritage tree may be associated with important local or regional history, people, structures or landscapes. In Benicia, heritage trees are described in the City's tree ordinance. Designating a heritage tree requires the permission of the property owner, in this case, the City of Benicia.

An application to begin the process can be found on the City of Benicia web site. The Benicia Tree Foundation is providing online resource pages for each heritage tree that is established. Signage will be provided at the heritage tree sites that will include links to information about the tree on the foundation website.