Carmelita Avenue & Portola Road Creek Reservation Planting Project

These planting sites consisted of planting young trees to encourage regeneration in natural areas along Atascadero Creek. Plantings were placed on creek reservations, and took place in 2008 through 2010. CCC labor was used to assist with this effort, and trees were watered from a water truck during establishment. Valley oaks, coast live oaks, blue oaks, and sycamores were installed, as well as some native shrubs that are common in understories of our local oak woodlands. The planted trees that survived may be difficult to pick out from natural vegetation now that they are established and blend in with the site. During this effort, we learned that a soil test can be beneficial prior to planting, as the soil at the Carmelita site proved challenging for establishment.

The Carmelita site was re-planted on March 8, 2018 with 23 coast live oaks trees.  ALPS Native Tree Committee volunteers performed the planting.

Unfortunately a grass fire at the site on June 9, 2020 destroyed many of the oak seedlings planted in 2018.  On November 14, ALPS Volunteers planted 17 coast live oak seedlings to replace the dead.  Six additional oaks were planted which included one blue oak seeding and five valley oak seedlings.