Earth Day happenings in Crestline

Today, April 22, is Earth Day and many mountain events are occurring to celebrate the day dedicated to doing something to demonstrate mountain residents’ love of nature and the earth.

At the Heaps Peak Arboretum, Rim High Honor Society students came last weekend and performed a clean-up of the pine needles, dead branches and other natural debris from the winter.

At Encompass Antiques and Gifts in Crestline, they are celebrating Earth Day with a special tree giveaway. Louis Boehle has been concerned over the loss of forest and has acquired 60 Coastal Redwood trees and Coastal Live Oak trees that he will give to the first 60 people who spend $10 or more in his shop beginning on April 22. The trees are properly adapted for this mountain area climate and elevation. These California native trees will improve diversity in the local forest and encourage tree growth after so many pine trees have been lost to bark beetles and other hazardous trees have been removed by Southern California Edison.

“I want to encourage a rebirth of our forest after so much loss from insects and tree cutting, and to bring new life to our forest,” said Boehle, who used to be a park ranger for Riverside county. “We all need to do our part to revitalize our forest.”

The trees are ready to replant into a container for the first couple of years, or into the ground. They need to be watered twice a week for the first couple of years so they fully replant. Complete planting directions come with the live trees. They are 100 percent guaranteed to grow, with the promise of replacement if they do not grow, so they will become a part of the old growth forest in several decades. They are from the Jonsteen Company of California.

Around Lake Gregory, there will be a “Find the Gold Day” with many local businesses painting gold-colored scenes which will be placed around Lake Gregory on April 22 for people to find and return to the business for a gift. This event is sponsored by area residents and coordinated by Sara Green of Wears the Mountain. Each month Sara supports a nonprofit; she volunteered during the clean-up day at the arboretum and is donating a percentage of her sales to it.

The evening of Earth Day, April 22, is when the Lake Gregory Community Recreation Company will hold a community meeting at 6 p.m. at the pavilion on the south shore of Lake Gregory. They will describe to the community the various passes and packages, as well as the amenities they will be offering at the County Regional Park this summer. They will be soon be seeking new employees, and they have promised to answer questions about the upcoming season. They are offering free parking in the south shore parking lot that evening and will be Zooming the meeting online as well for those who cannot attend. For more information on applying for employment or to pay for fishing passes or launching fee see their website, www.LakeGregory.com.