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Goleta Valley Beautiful News-January 2009


Save the Date - February 7th - Al Turnbull Grove dedication near the Goleta Depot at Lake Los Carneros


    GVB Volunteer Opportunities - RSVP 685-7910 or 252-1952 day of event. Community service credits for school, church, scouting and all legal community service requirements available. All tools, refreshments and expert training provided. All ages and groups welcome, with no experience necessary except as noted below. Smaller children should have family members present for supervision. Look for the one-ton white box GVB truck at the site. Restroom not always conveniently available. For additional information, opportunities and current updates, visit the GVB Volunteer Calendar
  1. Sat Jan 3rd 9am to noon and 1 pm to 4 pm. Greenhouse tree plantings. Planting acorns and nursery care for the next generation of trees at the GVB Greenhouse and Growing Grounds . GVB Greenhouse is located at 6980 Falberg Way on the Devereux property west of Isla Vista. At the corner of Storke Rd. and El Collegio Rds, take Slough Road (unmarked-its really an extension of Storke Rd) one half mile and turn left onto Devereux Way. Go up the hill 50 feet to a stop sign at the Falberg/Devereux Way intersection. Make a right onto a a circular Road that you take 1/2 way around (about 500') to an unmarked dirt road that leads down to the Greenhouse. Call 252-1952 if you get lost.
  2. Sat Jan 10th and 17th 9am to noon Tree Care for Goleta Valley Park and Street trees. Meet at Isla Vista School parking lot 6875 El Collegio Road.
  3. Sat Jan 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st 1pm to 4pm Greenhouse tree plantings. Planting acorns and nursery care for the next generation of trees at the GVB Greenhouse and Growing Grounds (see above for directions).
  4. Sat Jan 24th 9am to noon Dos Pueblos High School Tree Care. Meet in the faculty parking lot at 7266 Alameda Drive near the Distinguished School Sign
  5. Sat Jan 31st 9am to Noon Tree planting and care at Camino Corto Park. Meet at Camino Corto Park at the corner of Camino Corto and Abrego in Isla Vista
  6. Sat Feb 7th 8:00 am - 2:30pm Young Trees: Planting, Pruning and Care workshop @ Goleta Union School District Board room (401 N Fairview Ave)
  7. Science Nights Volunteers needed-we'll train you to help teach math and science concepts using tree-related exhibits . Upcoming: Foothill Elementary (Jan 28th), El Camino (Feb 24th) and/or Ellwood (Feb 26th) Call 685-7910 to volunteer.
  8. Devereux Greenhouse/Growing Grounds tree nursery care - Every Friday 9am to noon and by appointment - Call 685-7910
  9. Litter pickup 2nd and 4th Sat. - Call Don and Judy Nason 964-4895
  10. Graffiti removal and reporting - Call Ed Graper 964-7117, edgraper@yahoo.com
  11. Monthly Goleta Valley Beautiful Award nominations - Call Zea Bauer 967-2211
  12. Additional GVB ongoing indoor/outdoor volunteer community service activities including the Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds, call 685-7910
  13. SAVE THE DATES!! Friday March 13th 8am - 4pm Project Learning Tree workshop emphasizing wild land interface planning and recovery. Held at UCSB as part of TEAWET training.
  14. Sunday May 3 in the afternoon - GVB Annual Membership and Awards Barbeque at Stow House Gardens

Sign up now for Young Trees: Planting, Pruning & Care Workshop - Saturday Feb. 7th - Free with Advance Registration !



Amateur gardeners and seasoned professionals (6 CEU's available) are welcome to attend our hands on young tree care workshop on Saturday February 7th. Some of the best arborists in and out of the area will be leading the workshop, including Dan Condon (visiting from Michigan), Bill Spiewak (see his class description below) and our ever popular pruning expert Dougal House, Jr. We'll have classroom activity interspersed with hands-on training and we'll provide the tools. Even if you've taken this class before, if you haven't been actively working on trees within the past year and you want to get acquainted with the latest research on tree care techniques, we'll be exploring new information not provided in previous workshops. All work done from the ground, no climbing involved.

The workshop will be held at the Goleta Union School District Board Room from 8 am to 2:30 pm. The workshop is free if you register in advance and $10 at the door. Registration forms are available by visiting the GVB website www.goletavalleybeautiful.org. For more information call 685-7910. An optional box lunch is available for $7 if ordered in advance. Those who successfully complete our morning activities will then proceed to our annual pruning and care of the Optimist Grove in Lake Los Carneros Park in the afternoon. The Optimist Grove will be getting a new name at a dedication ceremony in the afternoon after the workshop. More information on that to come.

For those interested in learning more about trees, register for Bill Spiewak's Santa Barbara City College Class "Arboriculture: The Study of Trees, Shrubs & Vines" beginning Monday evening January 26th from 6:30 to 9:30 pm and continuing for 15 weeks. Bill is a Certified master Arborist and registered Consulting Arborist with decades of tree experience to convey. You can register on line at www.sbcc.edu or at the SBCC Student Services Building. For more information call SBCC at 965-0581.

State freezes Bond funded projects including current GVB programs - How you can help


The State Controller issued a statewide notice including GVB stating that effective December 17, 2008, all bond funded disbursements would be frozen until further notice. This means that reimbursements on current grants for work not completed and not submitted to the State Controller's office by 12/17/08 are frozen and grantees will not receive payment until the suspension is lifted. Since over half of GVB's income is derived from state grants and contracts, GVB will have to curtail many of our tree planting projects until the state's budget issues are resolved.
    How you can help support GVB:
  1. Contact your elected state representatives. Urge them to find a solution to the current budget impasse.
  2. Renew your membership in GVB. Donations of any amount are gratefully accepted. Every dollar invested in GVB pays long term dividends. We only send out one membership letter a year, so if you have misplaced yours, please download one from our website www.goletavalleybeautiful.org (see 'Support Us') or call 685-7910.
  3. Relink your Albertson's Preferred Savings Card to GVB. For Albertson's shoppers, many of you have linked your Preferred Savings Card that allows Albertson's Community Partners Program to donate to GVB at no cost to you with every purchase. That link will be removed as of February 28th as part of a regular update process. To relink your card, just follow these three steps:
    1. log onto www.albertsonscp.com
    2. Enter your Preferred Card number
    3. enter the Goleta Valley Beautiful Community Partner ID# 49001008145.
    Check the GVB website 'Support Us' section for additional information on how to sign up for an Albertsons Preferred Savings Card.
  4. Help with the GVB Wish List. One of our long time wish list supporters Helen McPherrin will be moving out of the area next month. She has kept GVB volunteers supplied with granola bars and water for our volunteers. We wish her well and look forward to others to help with occasional snack donations. With over 1400 volunteers annually, we have a large need for keeping up their energy.

The Thanks to GVB's 2009 non-State supporters - helping to diversify our income base


    Among the many 2009 individual, family and other donor members of GVB that we will be highlighting on our website, we also want to highlight major partnerships with non-State organizations that will be assisting GVB in the upcoming year;
  • UCSB Coastal Fund and the Green Park Foundation provide funding for the lease of the Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds, planting materials, and intern stipends.
  • Santa Barbara Foundation provided a two year operating grant for a Fund Development Specialist and a Data Entry assistant to help in further diversifying our income base.
  • Alliance for Community Trees provides mini-grants to promote NeighborWoods projects
  • City of Goleta, County of Santa Barbara, Isla Vista Recreation and Park District, Goleta Union School District, Santa Barbara School District for the continued long term maintenance of GVB planted trees. Please note that while these governmental organizations support urban forestry efforts, they do not provide GVB with ongoing tax funds for operating costs.
  • Kitson Landscape Management, UCSB Associated Students, and past and present GVB Board members for financing the renovation of our 'rolling office' truck
  • Friends of GVB/Business Sponsors: Tierra Contracting, Santa Cruz Market, Kitson Landscape Management, Inc., Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce, Jean Paynter, Michael T. Bennett, David C. Fainer, and John Ingram

    The GVB Projects Delayed due to State freeze on bond-funded grant programs


  • California ReLeaf Tree Planting 2008 Grant - GVB can't plant the remaining 50 Goleta Street trees until the state funds are unfrozen. You can still place an order at 687-7510 for a free street tree, but we will be temporarily on hold for installation.
  • California ReLeaf Tree Maintenance 2008 Grant- Our Saturday afternoon field maintenance projects will have to forgo the assistance of our lead maintenance contractor George Jimenez. Until we are unfrozen, we'll be spending Saturday afternoons providing maintenance and new plantings at the Devereux Greenhouse where we have local funds to rely upon.
  • City of Goleta Urban Forest Management Plan - The State's freezing of the Goleta Valley Beautiful contract with the City will require a curtailment of GVB staff member Mark Broomfield, Executive Director Ken Knight is volunteering his time to continue non-billable preparatory work for this project. Those who have signed up for e-mail notices will get further updates. For more information or to be placed on the mailing list to receive updates on the status of the Goleta Urban Forest Management Plan, please contact City Arborist Bill Millar at 968-6848 or Ashley Flores at (805) 961-7578 or email aflores@cityofgoleta.org

The GVB Recently Completed Major Projects in 2008


    Among the major projects recently completed this year are;
  • Green Trees for the Golden State Tree Planting $64,477 Grant - This 3 year project to plant 744 trees was completed ahead of schedule and resulted in 768 trees actually being planted. This included 248 trees at Dos Pueblos High School, 157 at San Marcos High, 56 at numerous County unincorporated area Goleta Valley parks, 31 at Brandon School, 30 at El Camino School, 33 at Elwood School, 34 at Foothill School, 35 at Hollister School, 43 at Isla Vista School, 19 at Kellogg School, 41 at La Patera School, 26 at Mountain View School, and 15 at El Estero Park with the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District. Now if we can just get the State to reimburse us for $24,891 of expenses we incurred in completing this project.
  • UCSB Restoration Projects Coordinated through the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Preservation - In partnership with CCBER, GVB volunteers planted 46 trees along East Mesa, and another 13 trees by the Ortega dorms. We also completed another 40 tree project along West Storke with a ReLeaf Tree Planting grant before the budget freeze occurred.
  • Preliminary results pending additional data to be entered into our system indicates the Total Individual 2008 Volunteers = 1,292. The 6,548 volunteer community service hours are worth $127,751, valued nationally at $19.51 by the Independent Sector research firm.
  • The GVB/Cambridge Community Church litter collection crews spent 312.5 person-hours collecting 164.5 thirty-two gallon garbage bags of roadside trash with no significant injuries and much satisfaction.
  • For the fourth year, Lori Roper and Marc Bradley brought Happy New Year floral greetings to clients at local senior care centers, This year, 16 vases were distributed through Julie at the Buena Vista Care Center and 10 through Rosemarie at the Heritage House.


Goleta Valley Beautiful News- February 2009



Learn Pruning and Young Tree Care from Professionals at our February 7th Workshop



    GVB Volunteer Opportunities - RSVP 685-7910 or 252-1952 day of event. Community service credits for school, church, scouting and all legal community service requirements available. All tools, refreshments and expert training provided. All ages and groups welcome, with no experience necessary except as noted below. Smaller children should have family members present for supervision. Look for the one-ton white box GVB truck at the site. Restroom not always conveniently available. For additional information, opportunities and current updates, visit the GVB Volunteer Calendar
  • Sat Jan 31st 9am to Noon Tree Planting and Care at Brandon Elementary School, 195 Brandon Dr
  • Sat Jan 31st 1 pm to 4 pm Greenhouse tree plantings. Planting acorns and nursery care for the next generation of trees at the GVB Greenhouse and Growing Grounds. GVB Greenhouse is located at 6980 Falberg Way on the Devereux property west of Isla Vista. At the corner of Storke Rd. and El Colegio Rds, take Slough Road (unmarked-its really an extension of Storke Rd) one half mile and turn left onto Devereux Way. Go up the hill 50 feet to a stop sign at the Falberg/Devereux Way intersection. Make a right onto a a circular road that you take 1/2 way around (about 500') to an unmarked dirt road that leads down to the Greenhouse. Call 252-1952 if you get lost.
  • Sat Feb 7th 8:00 am - 2:30pm Young Trees: Planting, Pruning and Care workshop @ Goleta Union School District Board room (401 N Fairview Ave) 6 Community Service hours/CEUs for attending. Call 685-7910 to preregister.
  • Sat Feb 14th No Projects, President's Day Weekend.
  • Sat Feb 21st 9am to noon. Dos Pueblos High School Tree Care. Meet in the faculty parking lot at 7266 Alameda Drive near the Distinguished School Sign
  • Sat Feb 21st 1 PM to 4 PM. Tree planting. Meet at southwest corner of Los Carneros and Covington Way.
  • Fri Feb 27th 8 AM to 5 PM Hollister Avenue Anti- Graffiti and Beautification Project #2. On the south side of Hollister Avenue between SB Shores and Palo Alto. Project to include planting of trees, vines and shrubs to deter graffiti and green the area. Contact 685-7910 to volunteer.
  • Sat Feb 28th 9 AM to Noon Tree care at San Marcos High School. Meet at the student parking lot on the Turnpike side of the school. We'll be continuing the pruning and care of the trees that we have previously planted at the school. Call 685-7910 to RSVP.
  • Sat Feb 28th 1 PM to 4 PM Tree Planting at La Goleta Open Space. Meet at the southeast corner of Manzanillo Dr and La Goleta Drive. Call 685-7910 to RSVP
  • Science Nights Volunteers needed-we'll train you to help teach math and science concepts using tree-related exhibits . Upcoming: Foothill Elementary (Jan 28th), El Camino (Feb 24th) and/or Ellwood (Feb 26th) Call 685-7910 to volunteer.
  • Devereux Greenhouse/Growing Grounds tree nursery care - Every Friday 9am to noon and by appointment - Call 685-7910
  • Litter pickup 2nd and 4th Sat. - Call Don and Judy Nason 964-4895
  • Graffiti removal and reporting - Call Ed Graper 964-7117, edgraper@yahoo.com
  • Monthly Goleta Valley Beautiful Award nominations - Call Zea Bauer 967-2211
  • Additional GVB ongoing indoor/outdoor volunteer community service activities including the Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds, call 685-7910
  • SAVE THE DATES!! Friday March 13th 8am - 4pm Project Learning Tree workshop emphasizing wild land interface planning and recovery. Held at UCSB as part of TEAWET training.
  • Sunday May 3 in the afternoon - GVB Annual Membership and Awards Barbeque at Stow House Gardens


Sign up now for Young Trees: Planting, Pruning & Care Workshop - Saturday Feb. 7th - Free with Advance Registration !



Amateur gardeners, student volunteers (6 hours community service credits) and seasoned professionals (6 CEU's available) are welcome to attend our hands on young tree care workshop on Saturday February 7th. Some of the best arborists in and out of the area will be leading the workshop, including Dan Condon (visiting from Michigan), Bill Spiewak (see his class description below) and our ever popular pruning expert Dougal House, Jr. We'll have classroom activity interspersed with hands-on training and we'll provide the tools. Even if you've taken this class before, if you haven't been actively working on trees within the past year and you want to get acquainted with the latest research on tree care techniques, we'll be exploring new information not provided in previous workshops. All work done from the ground, no climbing involved.
The workshop will be held at the Goleta Union School District Board Room from 8 am to 2:30 pm. The workshop is free if you register in advance and $10 at the door. Registration forms are available by visiting the GVB website PRUNINGFor more information call 685-7910. An optional box lunch is available for $7 if ordered in advance. Those who successfully complete our morning activities will then proceed to our annual pruning and care of the Optimist Grove in Lake Los Carneros Park in the afternoon. Due to some paperwork requirements for the City of Goleta, we've had to postpone the February 7th dedication of the Al Turnbull Grove that was to take place at the end of the workshop. We hope to reschedule it very soon. We'll keep you posted!
For those interested in learning more about trees, register for Bill Spiewak's Santa Barbara City College Class "Arboriculture: The Study of Trees, Shrubs & Vines" beginning Monday evening January 26th from 6:30 to 9:30 pm and continuing for 15 weeks. Bill is a Certified master Arborist and registered Consulting Arborist with decades of tree experience to convey. You can register on line at www.sbcc.edu or at the SBCC Student Services Building. For more information call SBCC at 965-0581.

GVB February Residential Award Winner! 5031 Rhodes Ave, Goleta 93111- Frank and Mary Bischof Residence



It was on a road trip to Sedona, where desert style homes and landscapes inspired the Bischofs to transform the front of their suburban Goleta tract into a garden perfectly suited to Santa Barbara’s climate and style. The clean lean lines and resilient plantings typical of Pueblo style make cacti and succulent specimens an ideal plant palette for this project. They are stunning against earth-colored courtyard walls and set off by decomposed granite beneath. With a mature Palo Verde tree as its center, the Bischofs designed and built the courtyard, its walls, flagstone patio and gates as a family. Fine care and craftsmanship make this sustainable design a neighborhood gem.
This month's nomination write-up and photo provided by Awards Contact Lisa James. You can nominate your favorite Goleta Valley property by downloading a nomination form from the website. You can also contact Goleta Valley Beautiful at 685-7910 or Lisa James (ljameslandscapedesign@cox.net , 805/570-7588).

State freeze

on GVB Bond funded projects continues - How you can help



    GVB volunteers will continue working on non-State funded tree planting and care projects until the state's budget issues are resolved. How you can help support GVB:
  • Contact your elected state representatives. Urge them to find a solution to the current budget impasse.
  • Renew your membership in GVB. Donations of any amount are gratefully accepted. Every dollar invested in GVB pays long term dividends.We only send out one membership letter a year, so if you have misplaced yours, please download one from our website www.goletavalleybeautiful.org (see 'Support Us') or call 685-7910.
  • Relink your Albertson's Preferred Savings Card to GVB. For Albertson's shoppers, many of you have linked your Preferred Savings Card that allows Albertson's Community Partners Program to donate to GVB at no cost to you with every purchase.That link will be removed as of February 28th as part of a regular update process. To relink your card, just follow these three steps: 1. log on to Albertsons 2. Enter your Preferred Card number 3. Enter the Goleta Valley Beautiful Community Partner ID# 49001008145. Check the GVB website 'Support Us' section for additional information on how to sign up for an Albertsons Preferred Savings Card.
    Help with the GVB WishList.
  • granola bars/packaged snacks for volunteers
  • hoses, shovels, mattocks,
  • storage sheds
  • drip irrigation


What do you think about this?!



City of Goleta Community Grant Project Proposals Due February 13 – We’re looking for a service based project is a neighborhood or area that would benefit a maximum number of Goleta citizens. The maximum dollar amount for the project is $2500 provided by the City, and GVB will leverage it with our volunteer and Greenhouse resources. Let us know if you have a neighborhood cleanup, beautification, tree planting, anti-graffiti, or other project that you think we should apply for funding. The main criteria is that it should be an area that can be seen by the public. Call 685-7910 or send us an e-mail with your thoughts.
Classroom teachers looking for field trips or in-room presentations – GVB just secured a Greenworks! Grant to allow us to bring students to our Greenhouse and take back small trees to grow in the classroom. This project is part of the Project Learning Tree program. GVB is also available to providie Project Learning tree training in the the Goleta Valley area at no cost for local educators. Arbor Week is coming March 6-12, give us a call at 685-7910
GVB is looking for new Board and Committee members- With the recent resignations of John Ingram and Jill Tiegs, GVB has openings for two more Board members. We are especially looking for a UCSB student for completing the remainder of the current Board term through July 2009. We are also looking for occasional assistance with our Awards and Special Events Committee. The time involved is variable according to your schedule.
Tree Failure Reports - If you know of any tree failures in our area, please let us know. GVB is part of a Statewide network that reports on tree failures to a State database. This information is helpful in letting us know the best growing conditions for trees, and how to manage our urban forest more effectively.

GVB January Volunteer Event Results - See our website for more photos


Date Location Volunteers Hours Trees Planted Trees Maintained
1/10 Isla Vista School AM 7 22 4 R 9
1/10 San Marcos High PM 12 36 0 40
1/10 Greenhouse PM 4 12 0 9
1/17 La Patera ES AM 5 17 4 R 16
1/17 Greenhouse PM 14 43 0 96
1/24 Dos Pueblos HS 29 90 0 70
1/24 Greenhouse PM 51 90 0 200
ALL TOTALS 122 310 8 R 440


The GVB/Cambridge Community Church litter collection crews spent 20 person-hours collecting 8.5 thirty-two gallon garbage bags of roadside trash.
GVB also provided support to Marin ReLeaf as part of a mentoring project through the California ReLeaf Network. We will be working with the Marin ReLeaf Executive Director to help her learn about our methods for creating a strong Board of Directors and establishing effective volunteer outreach programs.
Volunteer groups participating included: representatives from UCSB, Dos Pueblos High School, The Rotaract Club of Santa Barbara, UCSB Environmental Affairs Board, UCSB Chicano Latino Grad, Alpha Phi Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha, Theta Nu Kappa, Alpha Epsilon Phi, and Goleta Valley Beautiful.
Sponsors for these events include: the Alliance for Community Trees, UCSB Coastal Fund, Beautify Dos Pueblos, The Goleta Union School District, The Santa Barbara School District, The Green Park Foundation, Western Farm Service, and GVB donor members.

Goleta Valley Beautiful News- March 2009



The GVB Membership Drive ends March 31st. Please renew your 2009 Calendar Year membership by downloading the form from www.goletavalleybeautiful.org, or call 685-7910

California Arbor Week (March 7-14) Celebration Kicks off with a March 6th Girsh Park Planting



Come celebrate the only holiday specifically for trees, the annual California Arbor Day celebration in Goleta. This year’s event will take place Friday March 6th at Girsh Park, 7090 Phelps Road from 11:00 am to Noon. We’ll meet in the parking lot next to the maintenance building for a tree planting with City, Girsh and GVB officials. .

CITRIX Online Funds Hollister Avenue Beautification Project #2 and Volunteers to implement it



CITRIX Online generously contributed $6000 towards implementing the second beautification and ant-graffiti project GVB has implemented along Hollister Avenue. This project is on the south side of Hollister Avenue between Santa Barbara Shores and Palo Alto Drive. In addition to providing the funding, seven CITRIX Online volunteers spent the entire day on Friday February 27th prepping the project. The final planting and installation of irrigation will take place on Friday March 13th. The public is invited to participate

Science Fairs Scheduled for March 12th at Hollister and March 17th at Brandon Schools



We’ll be having more fun at upcoming Science Nights at Hollister and Brandon Schools on March 12th and 17th respectively. If you want to learn how to tell time with a tree, or how to differentiate between a good and bad acorn to plant, or if you are just curious about all the different types of tree species on your campus, come to a Science Night. The Tree Doctor is in!
In February, we had help from Tami and Emily Mason at El Camino’s Science Night, and from Haley Anderson and Phebe Mansur for Ellwood’s Science Night. Thanks for helping make it a success.

Project Learning Tree Workshop, March 21st from 9 AM to 4PM



Ken Knight, Certified Project Learning Tree Instructor, will present a workshop on Saturday March 21st dealing with Wildfires and Watershed Recovery.
This workshop is directed at classroom teachers and interested members of the public. We’ll be reviewing many of the 90 lesson plans in the Pre-K-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide. Each participant will receive a free copy of the Guide, which was developed through the Project Learning Tree program of the American Forest Foundation.
The classroom activities and field trip will be oriented towards local impacts and recovery from last year’s Gap Fire. There is no charge to attend this training, but enrollment is limited to twenty. RSVP please to 685-7910

New Grants Received - Green Park Foundation and GreenWorks!!



Melissa Murdoch of The Green Park Foundation has generously provided GVB with a second $5000 grant towards the support of Greenhouse and Growing Ground operations. The funds will be used for lese payments, purchase of soil and materials for growing our native trees that we plant throughout the Goleta Valley.
The American Forests Foundation provided us with a $1000 grant to assist in our Science Night demonstrations, and to bring elementary student on field trips where we give them hands on instruction. Thanks to our local supporters who help us keep the trees growing.

Stewards of the Goleta Valley Major Donor Program Underway



Next month we’ll have an update for you on the initial results of our program to diversify our local funding to keep the trees growing. For more information on our major donor program, please contact Jeff Cotter, Fund Development Specialist at 688-4904.

Young Trees: Planting Pruning and Care Workshop



Thanks to the 32 attendees of the Saturday February 7th Young Tree Workshop-Planting, Pruning and Maintenance. Workshop attendees arrived to a steady rain, but by the time classroom activities were over the skies had cleared. Master Arborist Bill Spiewak provided a big picture review of trees and urban forestry. Dan Condon, visiting from Michigan, teamed up with George Jimenez to walk the participants through the tree selection and planting process by planting an alder. Dougal House explained the decision-making process when formative pruning, and used 20 trees from GVB's nursery to provide hands-on demonstration of the process. We also reviewed a test of young tree maintenance knowledge that participants were able to take home with them.
Our afternoon community service project included splitting into 5 groups each headed by an arborist to provide hands-on additional pruning training. The participants received further experience in implementing the five steps of formative tree pruning, and the oak grove received an annual maintenance pruning that resulted in a large mound of branches at the top of the grove.
This project was made possible with the support of the Central Coast Region Urban Forest Council, the Goleta Union School District, the City of Goleta, and hundreds of Goleta Valley Beautiful donor members.

February Events Summary – Thanks to all the volunteer groups involved…





-The GVB/Cambridge Community Church litter collection crews provided 29.5 service hours collecting 10.5 thirty-three gallon garbage bags of roadside trash in February, for a 2009 cumulative total of 63.5 hours and 26 bags of trash. Thanks to Bob Morgenstern and the City of Goleta Community Services Department for keeping the trash crews outfitted with grip and grab tools.

-Volunteer groups participating included: Cub Scout pack 105, Beautify DP, UCSB, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Lambda Theta Nu, PathPoint, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos High students, Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Kappa Psi, Citrix Online, Black Pioneer Renaissance Organization, Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Phi, Carnales in Aztlan, Sigma Alpha Zeta, Hermanos Unidos, Kapatirang Pilipino, and several unidentified groups.

-Sponsors for these February events included: UCSB Coastal Fund, Goleta Union School District, City of Goleta, Green Park Foundation, GreenWorks!, the Alliance for Community Trees, the California Urban Forestry Division, West Covina Nursery, San Marcos Growers, Western Farm Service (now known as Crop Production Services), Santa Barbara County Resource Recovery Division, Devereux of Santa Barbara, Beautify DP, and hundreds of GVB donor members.

Date Location Volunteers Hours Trees Planted Trees Maintained
1/31 Brandon/Glen Annie AM 58 171 10 R 34
1/31 Devereux Greenhouse PM 25 75 0 R NA
2/7 Young Tree Workshop 32 192 1 P 40
2/21 Dos Pueblos HS AM 46 138 1 P 70
2/21 Los Carneros Rd PM 12 36 12 P - -
2/27 Hollister Project #2 8 54 - - - -
2/28 San Marcos HS 6 18 - - 60
2/28 Hollister Project #2 PM 16 49 6 P - -
2/24 El Camino Science Night 3 10 - - - -
2/26 Ellwood Science Night 3 9 - - - -

GOLETA VALLEY BEAUTIFUL - PO Box 6756 Goleta,CA 93160-6756 | (805) 685-7910 |E-mail Goleta Valley Beautiful


Reserve your place now for the Sunday May 3rd Goleta Valley Beautiful Community BBQ and 35th Annual Awards.

We`ll be in the historic Stow House garden at 304 N. Los Carneros Rd. from 12:30 to 3:30 pm. BBQ will be provided by Woody`s, DJ Mell Hueston will provide music, with entertainment by Berzercus and Las Fiesteras.

Tickets are only $25 for members, $30 for non-members and $10 for any full time student. Children under 5 are free.

Please reserve by April 30th by sending in the attached form, or by calling 685-7910.

Goleta Valley Beautiful News- April 2009



Reserve your ticket today for the May 3rd Community BBQ and awards at our new location at Stow Gardens.



    GVB Volunteer Opportunities- RSVP: 685-7910 or day of event: 252-1952. Also visit our Volunteer Calendar at www.goletavalleybeautiful.org
  • Sat. April 4th, 9 am to Noon - Young tree Care. Meet at Isla Vista Elementary School. All work from ground level. Tools, refreshments and expert training provided.
  • Sat. April 4th, 1 to 4 pm Young Tree Care. Meet at UCSB Central Stores Parking Lot 37 on Mesa Road. All tools, refreshments and expert training provided. Prior RSVP required 685-7910.
  • Sat. April 9th, 9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Dos Pueblos High School, 7266 Alameda Dr. Meet by the Distinguished School Sign in the Faculty Parking Lot. All work from ground level. Tools, refreshments and expert training provided.
  • Sat. April 9th, 1 to 4 pm - Young tree care. Meet at Calle Avenue, the Mobil Station at Glen Annie and Calle Real. All work from ground level. Tools, refreshments and expert training provided.
  • Sat April 18th, 9 am to Noon - Maintenance of Hollister Avenue Beautification and Anti-Graffiti Project #1. Meet at Girls, Inc. parking lot, 4973 Hollister Ave.
  • Sat. April 18th, 1 to 4 pm - Young tree care. Los Carneros Interchange. Meet at Calle Koral and Los Carneros. All work from ground level. Tools, refreshments and expert training provided.
  • Sat. April 25th, 9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.
  • Sat. April 25th, 1 to 4 pm - Young tree care. San Marcos High School, 4750 Hollister Avenue. Meet on the Turnpike side Student parking lot. All work from ground level. Tools, refreshments and expert training provided.
  • Sat. May 2nd, 9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.
  • Sat. May 2nd, 1 to 4 pm- Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.
  • Sun. May 3rd, 12:30 to 3:30 pm - Annual GVB BBQ - Stow House Garden
  • Sat. May 9th, 9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Dos Pueblos High School, 7266 Alameda Dr. Meet by the Distinguished School Sign in the Faculty Parking Lot. All work from ground level. Tools, refreshments and expert training provided.
  • Sat. May 9th, 1 to 4 pm - Isla Vista Youth Projects. Meet at 6842 Phelps Rd, Goleta. All work from ground level. Tools, refreshments and expert training provided.
  • Sat. May 16th, 9 am to Noon - Young tree care. Los Carneros Interchange. Meet at Calle Koral and Los Carneros. All work from ground level. Tools, refreshments and expert training provided.
  • Sat. May 23rd - No Projects - Memorial Day Weekend
  • Sat. May 30 , 9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.
  • Sat. May 30, 1 to 4 pm- Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.
  • -Devereux Greenhouse/Growing Grounds tree nursery care - Every Friday, 9 to noon and by appointment - Call 685-7910
  • -Litter pickup 2nd and 4th Sat. - Call Don and Judy Nason 964-4895
  • Graffiti removal and reporting - Call Ed Graper 964-7117, edgraper@yahoo.com
  • -Monthly Goleta Valley Beautiful award nominations - Call Lisa James 685-2277
  • -Additional GVB ongoing indoor/outdoor volunteer community service activities, call 685-7910
  • UPCOMING GVB EVENTS
  • June 21st - 8th Annual Heritage Tree Tour - 12-5 pm. Tickets available from any GVB Board member or call 685-7910


Community BBQ & Awards at May 3rd Event



GVB is going outdoors to the Stow Gardens for the 35th annual event on Sunday afternoon, May 3, from 12:30 to 3:30 pm. Come and relax in the historic surroundings of La Patera Ranch, with music by DJ Mel Hueston, dancing and a Woody's barbeque.

Tickets are $25 for GVB members, $30 for non-members and only $10 for all students. Children under 5 are free, so bring the family. Please make your reservations by Thursday, April 30th, as we can't guarantee you'll get a lunch if you reserve after that date. Reservations are available by downloading this reservation form and sending it to GVB, PO Box 6756, Goleta, CA 93160. For questions, call 685-7910.

Tours of the garden will be available, along with dance performances by Reina del mar. Along with the great food and entertainment by Berzerkus , local businesses have once again supported GVB for a wide ranging Silent Auction. Following the Awards we also have a special announcement concerning the future of GVB.

    Here are the annual Award winners for 2009:
  • Single Family Residential - 6570 Covington Way
  • Multiple Family Residential - 6671 & 6661 Berkshire Terrace
  • Public - Small - 4973 Hollister Avenue, Girls, Inc.
  • Public - Large - Henley Gate - UCSB
  • Public Space - Armitos Park, City of Goleta
  • Commercial/Office - 420 S. Fairview Avenue
  • Orchard - Schulte Orchards
  • Sustainable Design - 6282 Covington Way
  • Preservation of Goleta Valley Heritage - 1122 N. Patterson Avenue
  • Open category - Al Turnbull Grove, Lake Los Carneros Preserve
  • Golden Shovel GVB Volunteer of the Year - Phebe Mansur

    • Al Turnbull Grove To Be Dedicated April 8th



    On April 8th, a 90 tree oak grove in the Lake Los Carneros Preserve will be dedicated in honor of Goleta Valley activist Al Turnbull. A short ceremony to unveil a monument sign is scheduled for Wednesday at 12:30 pm. Mayor Roger Aceves, Goleta Valley Beautiful and Optimist Clubs representatives and community well-wishers will be in attendance. Attendees are asked to park at the parking lot adjacent to the Fire Station 14, 307 N. Los Carneros Rd, and walk past the Goleta Depot to the grove. the monument sign was financed through a community projects grant to Goleta Valley Beautiful from the City of Goleta and contributions from Optimist Clubs members.

    Mr.. Turnbull, who turns 91 this year, played a major role in the initial establishment and ongoing maintenance of the grove. It was Mr.. Turnbull who in 1989 negotiated the original agreement with Santa Barbara County Parks and Recreation for the County to designate one acre of lake Los Carneros Open Space for the Optimist Grove. The Optimists and Goleta Valley Beautiful recognized 90 individuals and local institutions with oak trees planted in their honor. Over the years, Al has been a driving force in organizing Honor Tree plantings and ceremonies. Mr.. Turnbull has been a Board Member of Goleta Valley Beautiful for 20 years, and an Optimist for many more.

    Mr.. Turnbull, a Goleta Chamber Man of the Year in 2000 has long been active in Goleta Valley Beautiful youth and community programs.

    CITRIX Online Volunteers Team Up For Hollister Avenue Beautification/anti Graffiti Project



    A short stretch of Hollister Avenue in the Santa Barbara Shores area is greener and less prone to graffiti thanks to a project sponsored by Citrix Online. With the assistance of Goleta Valley Beautiful and UCSB volunteers, Citrix Online spearheaded a clean-up and planting of an 8 foot by 300 foot parkway on the south side of Hollister Avenue between Santa Barbara Shores and Palo Alto Avenue. Over a period of four days, fifty three volunteers led by Citrix Online staff transformed a vacant stretch of parkway by a bus stop into landscaped low maintenance entryway into the western edge of Goleta.

    Volunteers planted eleven small trees that won't interfere with the power line above including Evergreen Pear, Eastern Redbud and Catalina Cherry. Volunteers also planted thirty one Aloe ciliaris along the privacy walls that will eventually grow just large enough to discourage graffiti. Another 74 Cotoneaster dammeri were planted as groundcover over areas covered by weedblock and construction mulch. The drip irrigation to the landscaping is temporary until the plants get established after a few years.

    Citrix Online provided the funding to complete the project and allowed its employees time off with pay to assist. Additional project sponsors included the City of Goleta Community Services Department, UCSB Coastal Fund, West Covina Nursery, San Marcos Growers, Crop Production Services (formerly Western Farm Service), Santa Barbara County Resource Recovery Division, The Santa Barbara Foundation, the Green Park Foundation, the Alliance for Community Trees/Home Depot Foundation, and the generous support of Goleta Valley Beautiful donor members.

    California Arbor Week (March 7-14) Celebration Kicks off with a March 6th Girsh Park Planting


    Goleta Mayor Roger Aceves helps plant the traditional Arbor Day tree at Girsh Park with the help of County, City and community officials. As part of the California Arbor Week March 7-14, 2009 celebrations, local officials planted a Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) at Girsh Park. Although common in Santa Ynez Valley, this is the first of its species planted at Girsh Park, in keeping with this years theme of celebrating diversity in the urban forest.

    Pictured in the accompanying photo are from left to right are Phebe Mansur and Al Turnbull from the Goleta Valley Beautiful Board of Directors, Ryan Harrington-Executive Director of Girsh Park, Third District Supervisor Doreen Farr, Goleta Mayor Roger Aceves, and Goleta City Arborist Bill Millar.


    Science Night at Hollister Elementary School, March 12th



    Thanks to GVB Board members Merlyn Cummings and Oscar Briones for making the 3/12/09 Hollister Elementary School Science Night a success. About 200 students and their parents visited our displays and participated with our tree-related math and science presentations. Students were able to tell time through tree rings, identify all of the 27 species of trees on the Hollister campus, make leaf printings and identify a good acorn for planting. About 100 students received Tree Fun for Kids cards and Treechie coloring books.

    Sponsors for the event included the Alliance for Community Trees/Home Depot Foundation, the City of Lompoc Urban Forestry Division, the California Urban Forest Council, the Goleta Union School District, GreenWorks! and hundreds of GVB donor members.

    Watershed Teachers Receive Project Learning Tree Training

    18 teachers from the UCSB TEAWET ( Teacher Enrichment Adventure in Watershed Education and Training) project received a day long training on Saturday, March 21st, on wildfires and watershed recovery from GVB executive director Ken Knight. ken is a certified Project Learning Tree instructor and developed a special program on the impact of the Gap fire on local watersheds. In addition to a morning of reviewing lesson plans from the latest Project Learning Tree manual, the teachers spent the afternoon with Don Hartley and Karen Flagg of Growing Solutions at the Puma Canyon Ranch. The ranch and its avocado orchards are slowly recovering from fires which burned 90% of the property.

    Thanks to the TEAWET Program for hosting the event, and thanks to Don and Karen for the tour of the ranch, and to Greenworks and Kay at Project Learning for their ongoing support. Project Learning Tree training is available to local educators upon request. Call 685-7910 for additional information.

    March Events Summary Thanks to all the volunteer groups involved


    -The GVB/Cambridge Community Church litter collection crews provided 8 service hours collecting 3.5 thirty-three gallon garbage bags of roadside trash in March , for a 2009 cumulative total of 71 .5 hours and 29.5 bags of trash. Thanks to Bob Morgenstern and the City of Goleta Community Services Department for keeping the trash crews outfitted with grip and grab tools.

    -Volunteer groups participating included: Citrix Online, Dos Pueblos parents and staff, Leadership Dos Pueblos, Beautify Dos Pueblos, Alpha Phi, Pilipino Culture Night, Chi Delta Theta, sigma Phi Epsilon, Pi Beta Phi, Delta Delta Delta and several unidentified groups.

    -Sponsors for these February events included: UCSB Coastal Fund, Goleta Union School District, City of Goleta, Green Park Foundation, GreenWorks!, the Alliance for Community Trees /Home Depot foundation , the California Urban Forest Council , West Covina Nursery, San Marcos Growers, Western Farm Service (now known as Crop Production Services), Santa Barbara County Resource Recovery Division, Devereux of Santa Barbara, Beautify DP , Citrix Online, Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Barbara School District, City of Lompoc Urban Forestry Division, City of Goleta Community Services Department, and hundreds of GVB donor members.

    Kellogg Tree Falls



    One of Goleta's oldest trees fell at 10:30 on the morning of March 22nd during gusty wind. The tree measured 64' tall with a DBH of 58" and an estimated age of over 200 years. The tree at Kellogg Ranch was the source of many of the acorns that are used to grow the next generation of oaks. Hundreds of descendents of what we affectionately called the Kellogg Big tree are now growing at schools and parks throughout the Goleta Valley.

    GVB is working with Councilman Ed Easton, who lives in Kellogg Ranch, and Rob Bjorklund, who makes lumber out of urban trees , to reuse the wood, and to develop a slice of the trunk to publicly display.

    New GVB Board Members

    Jeff BoyleEira Whitty

    Mallorie Hodge Leah Schulman

    Join a Local Neighborhood Garden Exchange!


    Please come and share your enthusiasm about gardens, growing food and community . Here's how it works Everyone brings whatever they have to exchange - homegrown veggies, fruits, herbs, seeds, succulent cuttings, compost worms, eggs, chicken or horse manure, baked goods, recipes, used coffee grounds, garden magazines, garden wisdom, garden questions, or simply friendship. Don't forget to bring a basket or bag to take home your goodies, there is always plenty to share!

    Which one do I go to? Normally people choose the one closest to where they live, but you are welcome to go to any or all of them! To find the location of the exchanges, go to Santa Barbara Food Not Lawns website, www.sbfoodnotlawns.org, and click on "Schedule of Exchanges". And if your neighborhood isn't on the list, come to any of them or start your own! Instructions can be found the website under "Start Your Own Exchange".

      Here is a list of the current Neighborhood Garden Exchanges in the area:
    • Vieja Valley 1st Sunday, 11:30AM - 1:30 PM. Contact Shelly: cobb.shelly@gmail.com
    • Fairview 1st Sunday, 3 PM - dark. Contact Heather: amberdustw@hotmail.com Between Mesa Park & Wilcox 1st Sunday,11:30AM -1:30 PM. Contact Lynn: sbfam@aol.com
    • Downtown Usually 1st week of the month, day and time varies. Contact Heather: heather@sbfoodnotlawns.org
    • Westside 2nd Sunday, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM. Contact Nicola: nicola@sbceo.org
    • Winchester Canyon 2nd Sunday, time varies. Contact Kendy: kendyrad@verizon.net
    • Turnpike 3rd Sunday, 2:00 - 3:30 PM. Contact: Leah: kidshealthycooking@yahoo.com
    • East Alta Mesa Area 4th Sunday, usually 11:30 AM- 1:30 PM. Contact Mary: mtathome@cox.net
    • Carpinteria 4th Sunday, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM. Contact Jessica: jess.a.gray@gmail.com

    Date Event Volunteers Service Hours Trees Planted Trees Maintained
    3/6 /09 Arbor Day - Girsh 7 6 1
    3/7/09 am Dos Pueblos High School 37 124 3 (R) 50
    3/7 /09 pm Devereux Greenhouse & Hollister#2 60 183 6
    3/12/09 Hollister Science Night 3 7 (200 students, 100 cards)
    3/13/09 Hollister #2 - Finish 11 73
    3/14/09 am Girsh Park 10 33 40
    3/14/09 pm Hollister #1 6 24 60
    3/21/09 TEAWET Training
    3/28/09 am IV/Hollister #2/Los Carneros 2 7 12
    3/28/09 pm St. Vincent's 2 7 40

GoletaValley Beautiful News-May2009

GVB Volunteer Opportunities-RSVP: 685-7910 or day of event: 252-1952.

Sat.May 2nd,9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouseand Growing Grounds. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.

Sat.May 2nd,1 to 4 pm- Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.

Sun. May 3rd, 12:30 to 3:30 pm - Annual GVB BBQ - Stow House Garden

Sat.May 9th,9 am to Noon- Young tree care at Dos Pueblos High School, 7266 Alameda Dr. Meet by the Distinguished School Sign in the Faculty Parking Lot. All work from ground level. Tools, refreshments and expert trainingprovided.

Sat. May 9th, 1 to 4 pm - Isla Vista Youth ProjectsTree planting and landscaping. Meet at 6842 Phelps Rd, Goleta. All work from ground level. Tools, refreshments and expert trainingprovided. RSVP 685-7910

Sat. May 16th, 9 am to Noon -PROJECT LOCATION CHANGE Young tree care. Meet at UCSB Central Stores Parking Lot 37 on Mesa Road. Alltools, refreshments and expert trainingprovided.

Sat. May 23rd - No Projects - Memorial Day Weekend

Sat.May30,9 am to Noon -PROJECT LOCATION CHANGE3965 Via Lucero, Santa Barbara (off La Cumbre Road north of State St.) Tree Planting and landscaping at Habitat for Humanity site. Tools, refreshments and expert training provided. RSVP 685-7910

Sat.May30,1 to 4 pm-PROJECT LOCATION CHANGE - Meet at corner of Los Carneros Rd and Covington Way.Tree care for Goleta street trees. RSVP685-7910.

Sat.June 6th,9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.

Sat.June 13th,9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.

Sat.June 20,9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.

Sat. June 27th-no project

-Devereux Greenhouse/Growing Groundstree nursery care - EveryFriday, 9 to noonand by appointment- Call 685-7910

-Litter pickup2nd and 4thSat.-Call Don and Judy Nason 964-4895

-Graffiti removal and reporting - Call Ed Graper 964-7117,edgraper@yahoo.com

-Monthly Goleta ValleyBeautiful award nominations - Call685-7910

-Additional GVB ongoing indoor/outdoor volunteer community service activities, call 685-7910

UPCOMING GVB EVENTS

May 27th - DATE CHANGE - Annual Advisory Council meeting changed from May 20 to Wednesday, May 27th at 11:45 am to 1:15 pm. Meeting location to be announced.

June 21st- 8th Annual Heritage Tree Tour -12-5 pm.Ticketsavailable from anyGVB Board member or call 685-7910

Community BBQ & Awards at May 3rd Event

GVB is going outdoors to the Stow Gardens for the 35th annual event on Sunday afternoon, May 3, from 12;30 to 3:30 pm. Come and relax in the historic surroundings of La Patera Ranch, with music by DJMel Hueston, dancing and a Woody's barbeque.

Tickets are $25 for GVB members, $30 for non-members and only $10 for all students. Children under 5 are free, so bring the family. Please make your reservations by Thursday, April 30th, as we can't guarantee you'll get a lunch if you reserve after that date. Reservations are available by downloading the flier/reservation form from our websitewww.goletavalleybeautiful.organd send it to GVB, PO Box 6756, Goleta, CA 93160. For questions, call 685-7910.

Tours of the garden will be available, along with dance performances by Reina del mar. Along with the great food and entertainment by Berzerkus, local businesses have once again supported GVB for a wide ranging Silent Auction.Here are the annual Award winners for 2009:

Single Family Residential - 6570 Covington Way

Multiple Family Residential - 6671& 6661 Berkshire Terrace

Public - Small - 4973 Hollister Avenue, Girls, Inc.

Public - Large - Henley Gate - UCSB

Public Space - Armitos Park, City of Goleta

Commercial/Office - 420 S. Fairview Avenue

Orchard - Schulte Orchards

Sustainable Design - 6282 Covington Way

Preservation of Goleta Valley Heritage - 1122 N. Patterson Avenue

Open category - Al Turnbull Grove, Lake Los Carneros Preserve

Golden Shovel GVB Volunteer of the Year - Phebe Mansur

May Residential Award - 4640 Mint Lane, 93110, Paige and John Shields,owners

Homeowners Paige & John Shields wanted more than a rose garden for their front yard at 4640 Mint Lane, so they transformed a nice yard into anoutdoor living room. They teamed with Carol Ordney of Harmony Landscapes to create a garden park that incorporatedareasforplay,entertaining and visual enjoyment. With over 45 varieties of succulent & desert plants, the Shields' front yard is low maintenance, as well as child friendly, providing hideouts in tall grass and boulders for climbing. The many varieties of Aloe, including Aloe Johnson Hybrids, provide texture and color, along with plantings of Aeonium, featuring the locally named "Alice Keck Park". Bunches of Muhlenbergia lind heimeri grass and groupings of Crassula capitella "campfire" add height. The bright blue wall that encompasses the garden has a curve and slope that matches the modern lines of the home and is a fun place for their son and his friends to roll their toy cars. Another feature, unique to this living space, is the sparkling concrete aggregate pathway seeded with multicolored recycled glass that leads from the driveway to their front door and into the garden. While the majority of the planting was completed by Cicelio Landscaping in 2007, the Shields family continues to add new features to their garden,including small statues of lizards & rabbits, a cast iron ant, and even a few new carefully selected plants to add to the creative and frivolous nature of their neighborly garden. Goleta valley Beautiful is proud to recognize the Shields' home as the May Residential Award recipient.

City Celebrates Tree City Award with Arbor Day FlagRaising

Goleta City Arborist Bill Millar and Maintenance Worker John shieldsraise the Tree City USA flag at the Stow Park flag pole. The ceremony took place on the last Friday of April, the traditionalnational Arbor Day celebration date. This event marks the second of what we hope will many years of qualifying for the Tree City USA award.

See website for additional photoswww.goletavalleybeautiful.org

AprilEventsSummary-Thanks to all the volunteergroupsinvolved

DateEvent Volunteers Service Hours Trees Planted Trees Maintained

4/2/09UCSB Recycle Center5 15 20 0

4/4/09 AMIV Schools & City Trees 4 14 0 25

4/4/09 PMMesa Rd (E. Storke) 6 17 0 50

4/11/09 AMDos Pueblos High 38 113 0 20

4/11/09 PMCalle Real/Winchester Cyn 6 16 0 75

4/17/09 PMUCSB Fruit Trees 4 4 0 4

4/18/09 AMHollister Ave #1 7 21 0 11

4/18/09 PM Los Carneros Interchange 3 9 0 14 0

4/25/09 AMDevereux Greenhouse 13 39 0 0

4/25/09 PMSan Marcos High 22 66 0 40

Totals 74 300 20 340

-The GVB/Cambridge Community Church litter collection crews provided39.5service hours collecting15.5 thirty-three gallon garbage bags of roadside trash inApril, for a 2009 cumulative total of108.5 hours and45bags of trash. Welcome to new trash crews from Villa Esperanza.

-Volunteer groups participating included:Dos Pueblos high parents and staff, Leadership Dos Pueblos, Beautify Dos Pueblos,Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Delta Chi, Delta theta, PathPoint, UCSB Eucalyptus Grove Recycling & Reuse Center, UCSB Career Services, UCSB Honors Program, Alpha Phi Alpha, IV Recreation & Park District, Winchester Canyon Homeowners, UCSB Garden Club, Black Student Union and EAB.

-Sponsors for these February events included: UCSB Coastal Fund, Goleta Union School District, City of Goleta, Green Park Foundation, GreenWorks!, the Alliance for Community Trees/Home Depot foundation, the California UrbanForest Council, West Covina Nursery, San Marcos Growers, Western Farm Service (now known as Crop Production Services), Santa Barbara County Resource Recovery Division, Devereux of Santa Barbara, Beautify DP, Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Barbara School District,2nd District Supervisors Office, Neighborhood Defense League of California, City of Goleta Community Services Department, and hundreds of GVB donor members.

Dealing with Trees in a Challenging Economy

Check our websitewww.goletavalleybeautiful.orgin the Education section for a complete version of thearticle by consulting Arborist Bill Spiewak written specially for homeowners in the Goleta Valley. Bill provides information about how to make informed tree care decisions that are fiscally prudent.

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Goleta Valley Beautiful News-June2009

Reserve your ticket today for the 8th Annual Heritage Tree Tour Sunday Afternoon June21st- A great Father's Day gift
Click here to see the file

GVB Volunteer Opportunities (Community Service Credits available)

RSVP: 685-7910 or day of event: 252-1952.

Also visit our Volunteer Calendar at www.goletavalleybeautiful.org

Wednesday May 27 - Noon to 1 pm (Buffet lunch provided beginning at 11:30 pm)- GVB Advisory Council meeting in the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce Conference Room, 271 North Fairview, Suite 104. Invited guests will discuss topics dealing with the future of GVB.

Sat.May30,9 am to Noon -PROJECT LOCATION CHANGE3965 Via Lucero, Santa Barbara (off La Cumbre Road north of State St.)NeighborWoods Tree Planting and landscaping at Habitat for Humanity site. Tools, refreshments and expert training provided. RSVP 685-7910

Sat.May30,1 to 4 pm-PROJECT LOCATION CHANGE - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.

Sat.June 6th,9 am to12 pm -RESCHEDULED FROM MAY 9TH Isla Vista Youth Projects NeighborWoodsTree planting and landscaping. Meet at 6842 Phelps Rd, Goleta.Planting 8 trees and 7 trumpet vines. Tools, refreshments and expert trainingprovided. RSVP 685-7910

Sat.June 6th,1 to 4 pm - PROJECT LOCATION CHANGE Meet at corner of Los Carneros Rd and Covington Way.Tree care for Goleta street trees. RSVP685-7910.

Sat.June 13th,9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus.RSVP andCall for directions 685-7910.

Sat.June 20,9 am to Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus.RSVP andCall for directions 685-7910.

Sat. June 27th-9 am to Noon -Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds. Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus.RSVP andCall for directions 685-7910.

Part time summer internships (4 hours or more per week) for high school and college students. Gain valuable experience and receive community service hours. Positions available now! Also 4 part time paid Greenhouse internships (4 hours/week) available to UCSB students only. Call 685-7910 for details

Additional volunteer community service opportunities

- Devereux Greenhouse/Growing Groundstree nursery care - EveryFriday, 9 to noon and by appointment- Call 685-7910

- Litter pickup1st and3rdSat.in June (NOTEDATE CHANGES)-Call Don and Judy Nason 964-4895

- Graffiti removal and reporting - Call Ed Graper 964-7117, edgraper@yahoo.com

-Goleta Valley Beautiful award nominations - Call685-7910. Judges needed.

- Additional GVB ongoing volunteer community service activities not mentioned here, call 685-7910

Old and New Featured at 8th Annual GV Heritage Tree Tour - sponsored by Santa Barbara Airbus

Once again Santa Barbara Airbus has generously donated a large capacity bus and driver for our 8th Annual Goleta Valley Heritage Tree tour. We find new sites to visit every year. This year we'll be visiting the historic Lillard House with its towering araucarias and at UCSB we'll be beta-testing the new Palm Walking tour. Even though Palms aren't really trees, there are some good examples of the species on campus. Bill Millar will also give us a brief intro to the Santa Barbara Shores Eucalyptus Forest.

We'll Also be visiting some old favorites that haven't been on the tour for a while, including Bishop Ranch, and a private tour of Randy Baldwin's secret gardens at San Marcos.

We'll top off the day at the newly renovated Moreton Bay Fig Trees at Dos Pueblos Ranch. The invasive Algerian Ivy has been pulled back to reveal the true beauty of the mature trees there.

Also returning to the tour is Jerry Sortommee, Professor Emeritus at the SBCC Horticultural Department and an entertaining host. We'll be meeting for lunch at noon to one around the Witness Tree at the Sizzler Restaurant, so come join is. Limited Reserved tickets are $25 before June 14th and $35 after June 14th. for information and to order tickets over the phone, call 685-7910. It's Father's Day, so treat Dad and the family to a relaxing day with the trees.

Community Responds to Stewards of the Goleta ValleyCampaign

Individuals and Business Communitysupporters nave responded to GVB's "Stewards of the Goleta Valley" fundraising campaign. The first contributions towards a two year donation totaling $20,000 weregenerated by the Bacara Resort and Spa ($10,000), Marborg Industries ($3,000), Rabobank ($1,500), Sares-Regis ($1,500)as well as individual contributions led by GVB president David Fainer, GVB Vice President Phebe Mansur, Executive Director Ken Knight and GVB memberKathy Lucien.

The Stewards campaign is made possible with the support of a grant from the Santa Barbara Foundation. Stewards are recognized in media,newsletters and the GVB website for lasting contributions over and above normal membership contributions. Our goal of raising $95,000 over the next two years will allow GVB to:

Annually plant 500 new trees and maintain 1000 young Goleta Valley trees. Provide a full slate of educational programs for children and adult and Carry out public beautification and other projects.

For information on how to be a Steward and how to include GVB in your estate planning efforts, please call 685-7910 or visit the Stewards of Goleta Valley page on our website.

Goleta Valley Beautiful Receives $10,000 NeighborWoods grant for Affordable Housing Tree Program

May 4, 2009 - Goleta Valley Beautiful today announced that it will receive a $10,000 grant from the Alliance for Community Trees (ACT) and The home Depot Foundation. This challenge grant is part of the National NeighborWoods Program, made possible through generous support of The Home Depot Foundation. NeighborWoods is a nationwide initiative that engages the public in meaningful hands-on action to produce tangible improvements to community health through tree planting and stewardship. Goleta Valley Beautiful is one of eleven organizations nationwide who will receive a NeighborWoods award in support of partnerships between urban forestry non-profits and affordable housing providers.

Goleta Valley Beautiful organizes beautification efforts, environmental education, and public policy advocacy to support a healthy urban forest and encourage community environmental involvement in Goleta Valley, CA. In a project that will affect over 700 residents living in 221 low-income housing units, Goleta Valley Beautiful will use this grant to plant 70 native shade trees on for affordable housing properties in the Goleta Valley area of Santa Barbara County. Through partnerships with The home Depot, habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County, People's Self help Housing, and the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara, Goleta Valley Beautiful will implement four or more volunteer support projects and develop matching contributions to complete this tree planting program. The seventy shade trees will beautify the impacted communities and will provide passive energy conservation by reducing summer temperatures on South- and West-facing building walls, thereby cutting energy costs for residents. Goleta Valley Beautiful anticipates over 180 volunteers - two thirds of them residents of the affordable housing communities - will participate in the planting and ongoing maintenance of the trees.

About Alliance for Community Trees

Alliance for community Trees (ACT) is dedicated to improving the health and livability of cities by planting and caring for trees. With 160 grassroots affiliates in 40 states and Canada, ACT engages volunteers to take action to improve the environment where 80% of people live - in urban areas. ACT member organizations have planted and cared for 14.9 million trees in cities with help from 4.3 million volunteers. For more information, visit www.actrees.org.

About The Home Depot Foundation

The Home Depot Foundation was created in 2002 to further the community building goals of The Home Depot. The Home Depot Foundation is dedicated to building homes for working families that are healthy to live in and affordable to own. To make homes healthy and affordable, the Foundation encourages developers to incorporate responsible design and use durable and quality materials to encourages developers to incorporate responsible design and use durable and quality materials to ensure that homes are more energy and water efficient, have good indoor air quality, and provide a sage and healthy space to live in. Since its formation, The Home Depot foundation has granted $70 million to nonprofit organizations and supported the development of more that 50,000 affordable, healthy homes. In 2008 alone, it planted or restored more than 200,000 community trees through grants totaling more than $2,6000,000. For more information, visitwww.homedepotfoundation.org.

MayEvents Summary - Thanks to all the volunteer groups involved

See website for additional photos www.goletavalleybeautiful.org

Date EventVolunteersService HoursTrees Planted Trees Maintained

5/3/0935th Annual Awards BBQ-25-100-0-0

5/2/09 AM-Devereux greenhouse-2-6-0-12

5/2/09 PM-Los Carneros & Covington-4-12- 0-12

5/9/09-Projects postponed due to Jesusita fire

5/16/09AM-Ortega/Santa Ynez Aparts-24-71-4-30

5/16/09 PM-Devereux Greenhouse-10-21-0-0

5/1609 AM-Home Depot Days-4-12-0–0

5/21/09- IV Science Night-2-6-0-0

Totals-71-228-4-54

-The GVB/Cambridge Community Church litter collection crews provided 24.5service hours collecting 20 thirty-three gallon garbage bags of roadside trash in May,for a 2009 cumulative total of 149.5 hours and 61.5bags of trash. Noteday changes in June

-Volunteer groups participating included:Dos Pueblos high parents and staff,Beautify Dos Pueblos,UCSB Honors Program,EPIC, Escuelitaand EAB.

-Sponsors for these February events included: UCSB Coastal Fund, Goleta Union School District, City of Goleta, Green Park Foundation, GreenWorks!, the Alliance for Community Trees/Home Depot foundation, the California UrbanForest Council, Devereux of Santa Barbara, Beautify DP, Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Barbara School District,2nd District Supervisors Office, City of Goleta Community Services Department, Isla Vista School parents and teachers, Goleta Home Depotand hundreds of GVB donor members.

NEWS Briefs

- You promised me astreet tree! And we will try to keep our promise as soon as we can. GVB's main funding source for street trees is State grants, and the grants that we were working on have been frozen for the last 5 months (see below). Adding to the problem is that our prime planting season when weather and volunteers are plentiful is coming to an end. Unfortunately it looks like most of our tree planting efforts will be delayed three or four monthsuntil the fall, or if we can find a more stable source of funds to assist in our planting efforts.

- Where's the monthly award article? We are currently looking forsomeone in an interest in community beautification to step forward as a judge for our monthly award program for best looking residences and businesses. Until we can get some more volunteers, we'll be concentrating on our annual award program.

- GVB Storage Area on Ice? Ice Skating Rink Supportersare nearing their fundraising goal, Once projected development begins inthe next year or so, GVB storage areas graciously provided by Camino Real Marketplace for the last 8 yearsmay no longer be available. We're looking at alternatives.

-Hardworking Volunteer -Evergreen volunteer Tyrel Graves joined us at the Greenhouse this month and he's already put in over 50 community service hours. We're looking for more part time summer interns. Call us at 685-7910

-GVB Board positions open - Graduating seniors are leaving several positions open on the GVB Board. UCSB Seniors Eira Whitty and Mallorie Hodge are graduating in June, leaving two UCSB student positions available. SAn Marcos High Senior Emily Mason is heading to college, leaving the San Marcos High position open. We also have one general Board position open, preferably someone with a financial/accounting background. We're looking to diversify our Board, so unique individuals are encouraged to apply.

- Graffiti removal an ongoing process -Call Ed 964-7117 to participate in graffiti removaland toreport incidents in your area.

- Coastal Fund celebrates 10th Anniversary - GVB provided a table of information at the Coastal Funds 5/15 celebration of their good work. The Coastal Fund is a major contributor to our Greenhouse efforts, and they stimulate a lot of student volunteers coming our way.

-State funding unfrozen--but we haven't seen any - GVB has about $40,000 in outstanding billings that we are still waiting on reimbursement. That includes $6750 due to GVB from the City of Goleta. We've asked that the City reallocate this year's matching funds for the Urban Forest Management Plan contract to next year in order to allow us adequate timeto complete the projectonce the State kicks the grant funding into gear again.

-Tree Campus USA

GVB is opening a dialog with UCSB toassist them in qualifying for a new award from the National Arbor Day Foundation similar to the Tree City award. More to follow in the fall.

Whatcan I do if I see a public tree getting cut down?Any private tree care firmsworking on public street and park trees must have a permit to do so.Crews from public agencies are under the direction of their supervisors to protect public health and safety while preserving public trees.Unless it is a blatant illegal act, most work done on public trees has been sanctioned by a public official. The key to effective preservation of desirable public trees is finding out what is being planed before it happens so that you are not put into a position of trying to question a work crew in the filed. Pay attention to public notice signs, and get involved in localpublic meetings that discuss landscape changes and future landscape planning specifications. For more information on how to get involved, call 685-7910

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GOLETA VALLEY BEAUTIFUL - PO Box 6756 Goleta,CA 93160-6756 | (805) 685-7910 |E-mail Goleta Valley Beautiful

Goleta Valley Beautiful News - July 2009



Free trees and Treegators irrigation bags available to all GVB donor members. See below


GVB Volunteer Opportunities-
GVB Volunteer Opportunities- RSVP 685-7910 or 252-1952 day of event. Also visit our Volunteer Calendar


Tree planting and planning events in Goleta to resume, assuming state finances come through



Goleta Valley Beautiful has been authorized to restart the 5-month delayed Goleta street tree planting program and the Goleta Urban Forest Management Plan contract. For those of you who have submitted a request to GVB for new street tree, we're working on the paperwork and should be back in contact with you sometime this month. GVB is also working with City staff to complete the initial portion of the Urban Forest Management Plan, which will include a State of the Goleta Urban Forest Report. 
These projects are funded by previously approved State Bonds and do not come from State General Fund financing. However if the State starts to issue IOU's, the projects may again be put back on the shelf. Stay tuned. 

Volunteer Opportunities for July



    Since we are on summer schedule, times and locations may be subject to change. Please RSVP at 685-7910 to confirm. Community service credits available for all activities, bring your forms to the volunteer event.
  • Tree Care

  • Friday, July 3, 9 am - Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds . Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. Call for directions 685-7910.
  • Sat. July 4 - NO PROJECT -Celebrate the Fourth at the Stow House 11 AM to 4 PM, and at Girsh Park 4 PM to 10 PM
  • Monday, July 6, 13, 20, 27 1:30 - 3:30 pm - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds . Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. RSVP and Call for directions 685-7910.
  • Wednesday July 8, 15, 22, 29 1:30 - 3:30 pm - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds . Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. RSVP and Call for directions 685-7910.
  • Sat. July 11, 9 am - Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds . Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. RSVP and Call for directions 685-7910.
  • Sat. July 18, 8 am - Noon - Mulch Los Carneros Interchange. Meet at the corner of Los Carneros and Calle Koral. Call for directions 685-7910.
  • Sat. July 25- NO PROJECT (We're all on vacation)
  • Sat. Aug 1, 9 am - Noon - Young tree care at Devereux Greenhouse and Growing Grounds . Meet at 6980 Falberg Dr on the Devereux Campus. RSVP and Call for directions 685-7910.
  • Part time summer internships (4 hours or more per week) for high school and college students. Gain valuable experience and receive community service hours. Positions available now! Also part time paid Greenhouse internships (4 hours/week) available to UCSB students only for the summer and fall. Call 685-7910 for details
  • Litter Pickup

    • Roadside trash collection in the Goleta area, 2nd and 4th Saturdays. Grabbers and bags provided. Call Don and Judy Nason 964-4895 to RSVP
  • Graffiti Removal - Call Ed 964-7117 to participate in graffiti removal and to report incidents in your area.
  • Award Nominations - Goleta Valley Beautiful award nominations - Call 685-7910 . We'll accumulate the nominations for the annual awards since we need additional volunteers to serve as judges. Call us if you are interested in contacting owners and writing descriptions of properties.


How do we prevent this tree topping from happening again?




The Goleta Community Services Department issued a stop work order to Progressive Tree Care after topping a public tree in front of 336 Coronado. Progressive Tree Care owner Arturo Gonzalez claimed he was unaware of City requirements to get a permit before performing any work on public trees. He also stated his crews mistakenly topped the tree at the request of the property owner while he wasn't there to supervise. Mr.. Gonzalez has pledged to work with the City of Goleta to help in the long process of restoring the crown of the tree.

How can we prevent this from happening again? 
1) Get a permit before working on public trees. Public trees are normally any tree within a public street which includes the median and parkways, i.e. the area between the curb and the sidewalk. In some cases, the right of way extends beyond the sidewalk. Public trees are also located in parks, and public areas like the Library and Community Center. When in doubt, contact the City or County Public Works or Parks Department offices.
2) Don't top shade trees Neither public nor private shade trees should be topped, and clients should not ask their tree care companies to do so. If any tree care company or individual offers to top your tree, find another tree care company. For more information on the problems associated with tree topping, visit www.treesaregood.com, specifically http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/topping.aspx.
3) Plant the right tree in the right place Understand the mature characteristics of a tree before you plant it. Trying to change a tree's natural growth habits are a lot more difficult once it gets started. 

What can I do if I see a public tree getting cut down? 
Any private tree care firms working on public street and park trees must have a permit to do so. Crews from public agencies are under the direction of their supervisors to protect public health and safety while preserving public trees. Unless it is a blatant illegal act, most work done on public trees is being performed by crews sanctioned by a public official. The key to effective preservation of desirable public trees is finding out what is being planned before it happens so that you are not put into a position of trying to question a work crew in the filed. Pay attention to public notice signs, and get involved in local public meetings that discuss landscape changes and future landscape planning specifications. For more information on how to get involved, call 685-7910 

NEWS Briefs



  1. - GVB Board positions open -We have two UCSB student positions open, one San Marcos High position and one one general Board position open, preferably someone with a financial /accounting background. We're looking to diversify our Board, so unique individuals are encouraged to apply.
  2. - Stage coach signs to be maintained - Wells Fargo has informed us they will be supporting the cost of doing maintenance work to the 56 signs and posts that GVB erected in 2001. Volunteers are needed to assist in the preservation effort.
  3. - Website updates- Check www.goletavalleybeautiful.org to see archived copies of photos from past projects dating back to 2000. A new website oriented to urban forests in the greater Santa Barbara County region is being developed at www.caufc.org, and specifically http://www.caufc.org/Regional%20Councils to learn more about the Central Coast Region Urban Forest Council.
  4. - Tree Campus USA GVB is opening a dialog with UCSB to assist them in qualifying for a new award from the National Arbor Day Foundation similar to the Tree City award. More to follow in the fall.
  5. - Free trees and treegators - Goleta Valley Beautiful offers a free treegator (portable tree irrigator) upon request from any GVB donor member for the care of their trees. We also offer a variety of native trees including coast valley and live oaks, alders, cottonwoods, sycamores and other assorted trees. Call us for further information at 685-7910.


NeighborWoods Begins Isla Vista Youth Projects





Thanks to the 16 volunteers who contributed 32 community service hours Saturday morning June 6th for a tree planting and landscaping project. This was the second Goleta Valley Beautiful NeighborWoods Project this year emphasizing local affordable housing. The featured partners for this event were the Isla Vista Youth Projects Children's Center at 6842 Phelps Rd adjacent to the Peoples Self Help Storke Ranch Affordable Family Rental Apartments . The Day care facility serves 190 children (infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and after school kindergarteners) with 87% low income. Volunteers included families attending the Isla Vista Youth Projects Children's Center, Team Depot from the Goleta Home Depot Store, Dos Pueblos High School and the UCSB Honors Program. 
The volunteers planted 6 redbud trees(Cercis occidentalis), and seven 5 gallon trumpet vines (Campsis tagliabuana Madame Galen) to add privacy and shade to the children's play area, and two Australian Willows (Geijera parvifolia) to shade the eastern wall of the main building.
This project was sponsored through the support of the Alliance for Community Trees, the Home Depot Foundation, the Goleta Home Depot Store, West Covina Nurseries, the UCSB Coastal Fund, the Santa Barbara Foundation and the generous donations of hundreds of Goleta Valley Beautiful Donor Members. 

3965 Via Lucero - Habitat for Humanity





Thanks to the 17 volunteers who contributed 66 community service hours Saturday morning may 30th for a tree planting and landscaping project. This was the first Goleta Valley Beautiful NeighborWoods Project emphasizing local affordable housing. The featured partners for this event were Santa Barbara Beautiful, the Southern Santa Barbara County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity and the residents of the 3 homes at 3965 Via Lucero. Additional volunteers participated representing Santa Barbara High School and UCSB Honors Program. 
The volunteers planted one redbud tree, restaked an avocado tree and pruned 4 Citrus trees, as well as clearing drainage ways of weeds, and planting twelve 5 gallon violet trumpet vine (Distictis Rivers) to add a lush visual attraction to the entryway for the homes. 
This project was sponsored through the support of the Alliance for Community Trees, the Home Depot Foundation, the Goleta Home Depot Store, San Marcos Growers, Santa Barbara Beautiful, Southern Santa Barbara County Habitat for Humanity, the UCSB Coastal Fund, the Santa Barbara Foundation and the generous donations of hundreds of Goleta Valley Beautiful Donor Members.

June Volunteer Projects



See website for additional photos www.goletavalleybeautiful.org
Date - Event - Volunteers - Service Hours - Trees Planted - Trees Maintained
5/30/09 AM - 3965 Via Lucero - 17 - 66 - 1 – 5
5/30/09 PM - Greenhouse = 14 - 40 - 0 – 0 
6/6/09 AM - Isla Vista youth Projects - 16 - 32 - 8 - 6 
6/6/09 PM - Hollister #2 - 6 - 20 - 0 - 12
6/13/09 AM - Greenhouse - 4 - 8 - 0 - 0
6/20/09 AM - Greenhouse - 4 - 19 - 0 - 0
6/27/09 AM - Greenhouse - 1 - 3 - 0 - 0
Totals - - - - - - - - - - 62 - 188 - 9 - 23 

-The GVB/Cambridge Community Church litter collection crews provided 18 service hours collecting 10 thirty-three gallon garbage bags of roadside trash in June , for a 2009 cumulative total of 169.5 hours and 72.5 bags of trash. Note day changes in June
-Volunteer groups participating included: UCSB Honors Program, Santa Barbara County Resource Recovery and Waste Division, UCSB Wellness Program, Beta Theta Pi, Isla Vista Youth Projects families and staff, Dos Pueblos High School.
-Sponsors for these events included: UCSB Coastal Fund, City of Goleta, Green Park Foundation, GreenWorks!, the Alliance for Community Trees /Home Depot foundation, Devereux of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Foundation, Goleta Home Depot , West Covina Nurseries, San Marcos Growers, Santa Barbara County Hhabitat for Humanity and Santa Barbara Beautiful. and hundreds of GVB donor members.

8th Annual Heritage Tree Tour





Thanks to all who attended our 8th Annual Heritage Tree Tour on Sunday, June 21st, 2009. Photos from the event are attached. If anyone would like full resolution copies of the attached photos, please send an e-mail request to Kennethknight@cox.net.

This event was made possible by Santa Barbara Airbus. Our courteous and skillful driver Norman navigated the tour bus in a timely and comfortable fashion. Check our the regular airbus schedule at www.sbairbus.com.

Also returning for his 7th year as a tour guide was Jerry Sortomme, SBCC Professor Emeritus. Jerry dazzled the crowd with his wit and vast knowledge of arboriculture that he gathered in his decades of teaching at SBCC. You can learn more abut Jerry's work in the Huerta Project to restore the Santa Barbara Mission to past glory by contacting him at jerrysortomme@hotmail.com.

We were also treated to Randy Baldwin's private gardens and a sample of Randy's latest introductions to the plant world. You can learn more about San Marcos Growers Wholesale offerings at www.smgrowers.com.

Eugene Mangini graciously allowed the tour to stop at the pioneer home of the Lillards to view some magnificent araucarias, and to see where the stagecoach used to stop.

We're also grateful to the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration for providing us the beta version of the UCSB Palm Tour. A brochure of the tour will be available at ccber.lifesci.ucsb.edu/education, where you can also find a brochure for the exotic tree tour (ccber.lifesci.ucsb.edu/collections/flora/exotic-flora-walking-tour.pdf) .

Although Mike Keston is recuperating from an illness and could not make the tour, Felix Gomez from the firm managing Bishop Ranch provided the tour access to the horticultural treasures surrounding the now vacant farmhouse. Although most of the trees are showing signs of distress from drought conditions, the area is still a pristine example of ranchero conditions from over a century ago.

Goleta Parks and Open Space Manager/City Arborist Bill Millar introduced us to the historical Eucalyptus groves at the Ellwood Preserve. You can learn more about City of Goleta trees at their website www.cityofgoleta.org/index.aspx?page=228.

Our final stop of the day was at the magnificent Moreton Bay Fig Tree Forest at Dos Pueblos Ranch. Henry Schulte has done a superb job of rescuing these historic treasures from an invasion of Algerian ivy. Since our visit last year, the perimeter of the trees was cleared of ivy, and much of it pulled from the trees. Within a few more years, the canopy of all the trees should be restored to their full glory. Kudos to Henry.

Goleta Valley Beautiful is in the process of updating its 2002 version of the self guided Heritage Tree Tour at www.goletavalleybeautiful.org/TTarchive.asp.

Support our Supporters

Please mention to our supporters how much you appreciate their support of Goleta Valley beautiful. You can find the list of our donor members at http://www.goletavalleybeautiful.org/Membership.asp and those who have supported our Stewards of Goleta Valley fundraising campaign.

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