Cold, wind and the threat of rain couldn’t stop over 200 enthusiastic residents from coming out on Saturday, March 17, for the seventh annual SanTree Fest, held this year at Town Center Community Park. Nearly two dozen businesses and community groups manned booths with everything from health and nutrition to environmental awareness. While the weather forced the cancellation of some events and activities, there was still plenty for people to enjoy.
SanTree Fest is part Arbor Day, part Earth Day and a tribute to Santee’s continued status as a Tree City USA for the city’s commitment to having a well-planted community. In previous years the celebration has done landscaping at Cajon Park School and done planting and cleanup in Mast Park. This year’s projects included planting 40 trees in the green spaces around the Cameron Family YMCA and the creation of a “rock creek” to enhance the visual appeal of the area.
With the looming threat of heavy rain, tree planting was done immediately, with volunteers grabbing shovels and potted trees and heading out to pre-determined locations. In no time at all the trees were in the ground and volunteers were moving on to other activities. Many chose to help lay rocks for the new landscape feature, a sinuous pathway of large river rocks dotted with several small plants.
“It was super fun,” said one young participant from Pride Academy who helped with both the planting and the rock projects. “I’m in a group at school called Club Live, and this was a project we could work on.”
For those willing to get even more “down and dirty,” the Friends of Santee’s River Park and the city of Santee Community Services Department organized a cleanup of the nearby Woodglen Vista Creek which runs through a section of the park. This small tributary to the San Diego River received a much-needed clearing to prevent debris from being washed down into the river and then to the ocean. Among the hundreds of pieces of trash removed were an old tire and a shopping cart. Storm water will now flow more easily with less flooding.
Shannon Quigley-Raymond of the Friends of Santee’s River Park was on hand to share the group’s message with visitors to SanTree Fest and to encourage participation in future events. The Friends of Santee’s River Park is a chapter of the larger San Diego River Park Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the county’s namesake waterway. April will feature RiverBlitz – a survey of the San Diego River through Santee to identify problem areas – and an Earth Day clean up at Big Rock Park on the west side of the city. More information about the groups is available on their websites (see links above).
Another environmental group on hand was the San Diego Regional Urban Forest Council, an organization made up of a variety of public and private entities. The SDRUFC advocates for a variety of projects such as San Diego County’s Cool Communities Shade Tree Program and provides information about grants and public education initiatives. SDRUFC members Delia Juncal and Mike Palat were there to answer questions and provide information, including a handout on Water-Wise Tree Care for the San Diego Region.
While the turnout was not as large as previous years, Santee’s Special Events Supervisor Cherie Meek was still pleased with the results. “We probably had at least 200 people out here,” she said, “even with the weather.”
For more information about events in Santee, visit the City of Santee website.
plant trees or cutting down unwanted invasive vegetation. The main clean up work went on at the east end of the park, just north of Wal-Mart. If you have never taken a close look, there is an entrance to a walking trail at the northwest corner of the parking lot, just north of the store entrance. If you wander down the trail you will come to a small bridge over the river. Just beyond that, the Foundation had set up shop for the clean up activities. On the trail I passed several families out with their trash pickers and bags, pulling junk out of the brush along the way. Then at the river several groups were involved in cutting out and removing non-native trees and brush. The goal is to help return the river to as close to a natural state as possible – taking in to account that it runs through the middle of the city.
Meanwhile, others were taking advantage of the information and food booths. There was a great deal of good information available on everything from waste and recycling t0 water pollution and smart planting choices. Organizations as varied as the California Center for Sustainable Energy, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), and the San Diego River Conservancy. Local restaurants sharing their goodies included Rubio’s, Cafe 67, Hungry Howie’s and Souplantation. Below are some photos of the different booths, along with links to the various websites in case you want more information.
other groups and organizations. Also on hand were several companies, including event sponsor Waste Management, SDG&E, and West Coast Arborists.
the festival will be held at Mast Park and will also include a guided nature walk starting at 9:45 am at the trail entrance on the northwest side of the Wal-Mart parking lot. The walk is billed as an all-ages and abilities event, and makes a nice kick-off for the rest of the day’s activities.
![Lake Dillon and a Tree [In Explore]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53731226172_4004cbfea4_s.jpg "Lake Dillon and a Tree [In Explore]")
Scouting Santee 
