San Diegans came together today to celebrate Arbor Day in Balboa Park by planting dozens of trees to add to the existing canopy of more than 15,000 trees in the park.

Our employees were there to support the event, providing free tree saplings to attendees and educating folks about the “right tree, right place” approach to ensuring proper clearance around power poles and lines.

Today’s effort was organized by the Balboa Park Conservancy, Friends of Balboa Park and Tree San Diego, in partnership with the City of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department.

Tree tours

Next time you are in Balboa Park, consider taking a “tree tour”. You can walk along the West Mesa to see newly planted trees near Inspiration Point; visit the iconic Morton Bay Fig tree near Spanish Village, which is more than 100 years old; check out the Dragon trees in the Desert Garden; and find respite in the Bennington Memorial Oak Grove in Florida Canyon.

There is an amazing variety of trees and plants throughout the urban forest that is Balboa Park, covering 1,200 acres. 

Tree stewardship year-round

Replenishing and maintaining the tree canopy in Balboa Park requires ongoing support from volunteers. 

Earlier this year, our employees and their families volunteered to plant more than two dozen trees in Balboa Park’s West Mesa. These trees will help climate change and air pollution, provide shade for picnics, and prevent runoff. They will also be cataloged and added to the Balboa Park tree tracker, which is can be publicly viewed here.

Want to help?

The Balboa Park Conservancy and Tree San Diego recently launched a Tree Steward program and are seeking volunteers to help monitor and catalog the trees of Balboa Park.

Learn more here.