HomeMy WebLinkAboutP1 - Presentation of Trees for Arbor DayTHE ROTARY CLUB OF NEWPORT - BALBOA
Founded 1939
P.O. Box 1944
Newport Beach, CA 92659
March 25, 2008
Mayor Edward D. Selich, Mayor Pro-Tem Leslie Daigle, and City Council Members Michael F. Henn,
Steve Rosaosky, Centennial Mayor Don Webb, Nancy Gardner and Keith D. Curry
THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
3300 Newport Blvd.
Newport Beach, California 92663
RE: ROTARY'S FORTIETH YEAR OF DELIVERING TREES TO THIRD GRADERS IN
NEWPORT BEACH AND COSTA MESA
Dear Mayor Sel'ich, Mayor Pro -Tem Daigle and Members of the Newport Beach's City Council:
The Rotary Club of Newport - Balboa started giving trees to all the Third Grade Students in the Newport-
Mesa Unified School District when Tom Riley was President of this Rotary Club forty years ago and
today we have now presented approximately 94,000 trees to, teachers, principals, and Third Grade
Students.
On March 19`h, our Rotary Club dedicated a Flowering Pear Tree to Principal Stacy DeBoom and
Paularino Elementary School. As a bit of history, Ms DeBoom received a tree as a Thud Grade Student
at Kaiser Elementary School which was planted in her parent's backyard in Newport Beach. Stacy's
Father, Jim DeBoom, is an active member, Past President and Past District Governor besides seeing on
the N -MUSD School Board, was the Master of Ceremony for this special tree planting ceremony.
This evening we are presenting to you a Ma.Wenra ba ria (Chilean Mayten Tree), which is the same tree
that we presented to approximately 2,055 Third Grade Students in thirty (30) Newport Beach and Costa
Mesa public and private schools.
We want to thank you for making Newport Mach a special place to live and hopefully you will plant and
enjoy this tree as a token of our appreciation.
THE ROTARY CLUB OF NEWPORT - BALBOA
Smith
Chairman, Arbor Day Committee
CC: City Manager Homer Bludau
City Attorney Robin Clausen
City Clerk LaVonne M. Hakim
ARBOR DAY
March 17 - 21. 2008
TO ALL THIRD GRADE STUDENTS IN NEWPORT BEACH AND COSTA MESA:
Arbor Day is a day to celebrate trees and their contribution to our environment
Over 100 years ago a noted educator, Birdsey Northrop, traveled all over the United States urging people to
plant trees to beautify America. In 1872 the State of Nebraska officially proclaimed the first Arbor Day to
beautify the country, enrich the soil and produce oxygen for us to breathe. In California we celebrate Arbor
Day from March 7 -14, honoring Luther Burbank, a famous naturalist whose birthday was March 7th. Other
states have different dates when they celebrate Arbor Day.
Today trees are more important than ever, as they help the World to combat pollution, which is causing Global
Warming, one of the greatest threats to our environment.
School children have been planting trees since 1884 when the National Education Association started
promoting Arbor Day. Many of the great trees which we now see at our national shrines, churches and public
buildings were planted by school children like you, in observance of Arbor Day.
The Newport- Balboa Rotary Club has been observing Arbor Day since 1969 by giving every Third Grader in
the Newport-Mesa area a seedling tree. So this is the 40`" year students like you have planted trees in this
area. This year about 2,300 Third Grade students will receive a tree. We estimate over 92,000 seedling trees
have been donated by the Rotary Club, and were planted by Third Graders, just like you. Many have now
grown into tall, beautiful trees.
We are pleased to give each one of you a seedling tree in observance
and celebration of Arbor Day. It will grow well in our climate. Please
plant your tree and watch it grow into part of our great and beautiful
country as it helps to preserve the environment.
Your tree is a Maytenus boaria (Mayten Tree) - A very attractive
evergreen tree that grows to about 30 feet tall and spreads with a
rounded crown and weeping branches of small bright green leaves. Tiny
yellow flowers appear in winter and are sometimes followed by small
brown capsules containing red seeds. The Mayten's root's are not
invasive. The Mayten Tree is native to waterways in and and semiarid
regions of Chile, Argentina and Peru. The name " Maytenus" comes from "mantun ", the Mapuche Indian name
for this species. The word "boaria" meaning "of the cattle" refers to the fact that cattle like to feed on its
leaves.
Culture
Plant in full sun and irrigate deeply and infrequently (about every 2 weeks) to encourage the roots to go deep.
It withstands cold to around 20 degrees F. Do not use mulch around the roots.
For more information on Arbor Day and your tree look at these sites on the Internet:
http: /hw .arbor- day.net
httpaftrees- stanford.edu/ENCYC/MAYbo. htm
http: / /www. smgrowers. com /prod ucts /plants /plantdisplay .asp ?plant _ id =1042
http: / /davesg a rden. corn/g u i des /pf /g o /59618/
Thank you for helping another tree to grow in our World!
THE ROTARY CLUB OF NEWPORT - BALBOA
WWW NEWPORTBALBOA.ORG