University Place

Ten coast redwood saplings were delivered to University Place on January 9, 2017.

Gary Cooper, University Place Director of Public Works, Parks & Recreation, takes delivery of ten redwood saplings on Jan 9, 2017.  These trees will be planted in Leach Creek Park on Jan 12, 2017.

Susan Haney preparing a planting spot for a redwood sapling in the Paradise Park Pond natural area of University Place on January 12, 2017.

Unloosening the sapling from its container.

Making sure the sapling is planted at the correct depth.

Voila! There you have it. A clone of the Wiedmann #3 giant which will be a giant itself one day.

Now all it needs is a good drink of water to make sure its roots are kept moist, but not too moist as to be soggy.

And protection from deer, rabbits, rodents and other herbivores.

Almost done with a well-planted, watered and protected redwood sapling for University Place Parks and Recreation.  Absolutely great work!  Thank you University Place Parks.

On a personal note, I would like to say that I was able to visit the four redwood saplings planted in Adriana Hess Wetland Park on Jan 12 while returning to Seattle from a visit to Olympia on Jan 26.  When I found the first tree, there was a woman standing in front of it almost in a meditative pose.  When I greeted her, she explained that she lives in the neighborhood and that she and her cat visit the tree each day and that she had even named it.  I asked her what name she had given it.  The name she had given the tree was “Faith.”  The second redwood sapling nearby she had named “Hope.”  I asked her if she was aware there were a total of four redwood trees planted in the park.  She said she knew that but she hadn’t found the other two.  When she learned that I was the one who had donated the trees to the park, she was so happy to be able to learn more about the trees.  We talked some more and then I went to look for the other two newly-planted redwood saplings.

Sure enough, there they each were, tucked into the woodlands with protective screens around them to prevent damage from deer, rabbits and other herbivores.  I returned and offered to show her the remaining two trees.  She was eager to know where they were located.  Upon seeing the third tree, she said she would name it “Love.”  When we came upon the fourth redwood sapling, I asked her what name she would give it.  She wasn’t sure at first, and asked me to name it.  I deferred, saying that since she is the one that visits the trees, she should be the one who named it.  She named it “Charity.”  And so it shall be: Faith, Hope, Love and Charity, all ready to grow into giant trees and watch over the entire Adriana Hess Wetlands in the coming years.

“Faith” – the redwood sapling cloned from a giant redwood on the campus of UC Santa Cruz, planted on Jan 12, 2017.

Redwood sapling cloned from the Fieldbrook stump is planted in Adriana Hess Wetland Park in University Place on Jan 13, 2017.

The Fieldbrook tree was cut down in 1890, but if it were alive today, it would likely be over 400 feet tall and over 3500 years old. It would be the largest tree by height and volume on the planet.

Buegler/Swains was the mother tree of this redwood giant-to-be.

Another of the redwood saplings planted at Adriana Hess Wetland Park, this one a clone of a giant redwood from the campus at UC Santa Cruz.

All 10 of the redwood saplings for University Place were successfully planted in two parks, Adriana Hess Wetlands Park and Paradise Park Pond Natural Area, on Jan 12, 2017.

Ten coast redwood saplings ready for delivery to University Place in January 2017.