Thursday, February 27, 1997
UCLA’s Tree Project meets quarterly to plant trees in urban Los
Angeles and inform young students about protecting the
environment By Teresa Barone
Daily Bruin Contributor
Heavy rains pelted their backs and drops of water splashed in
their eyes as they shoveled a 4-foot hole in the ground. Although
nature should have been on their side, 10 members of Tree Project
braved the elements in Santa Monica last month  all to plant
a tree.
"I was uncomfortable, wet and cold," said Jason Fang, an
assistant director of Tree Project. "The cool thing was nobody
left. Everyone was concentrating on getting the tree planted."
Tree Project, a UCLA community service club, rides out the
storms to complete its mission of protecting the environment. To
spread the word of environmental importance, the members plant
trees and teach younger students about pollution and recycling.
"Our club is about (environmental) exposure and hopefully when
students graduate they will take something with them and get more
involved," said Joanna Cheng, one of three student directors of
Tree Project.
Any adventurous UCLA student can join the Tree Project, since
there are no special requirements except for the ability to use a
shovel.
Tree Project ventures beyond the neatly manicured and landscaped
areas around UCLA to plant trees. Over the past five years, the
group has planted trees from Watts to Santa Monica.
If open soil is not available, Tree Project does not give up. In
one instance, the group demanded that city employees drive to the
site and drill a hole in the concrete.
Once Tree Project members have secured their land, like foraging
pioneers, they throw their muscle into digging the pit, careful of
the pipelines underneath the top soil. Despite the problems of
pipes, old tree roots, rocky soil and concrete, the members can
plant the tree in approximately four hours.
Angelica Ching, another director of Tree Project, advises
prospective members not to wear their prom dresses to the quarterly
tree plantings.
"It’s a dirty job. Wear comfortable shoes and get ready to get
dirty," said Ching, a fourth-year linguistics student.
Planting a tree can require heavy physical labor, directors say.
But, because the members share the shoveling, they are not
overworked. Ching said the soreness the following day proves her
effort.
Cheng understands that students with busy schedules do not live
and breathe Tree Project. The directors want it to be fun, not
formal.
"We try to be as kick-back as possible. No one has to come every
time," said Cheng, a fourth-year psychology student. Tree Project’s
no-pressure policy has worked in its favor. Although it is only
30-35 members strong, 10-15 turn out for every tree-planting
excursion.
"People go because they feel it is a fun way to help the
environment not because they feel like it is an obligation," said
Fang, a fifth-year business economics student.
Besides planting trees, Tree Project members visit the tutoring
sites of other UCLA clubs, such as Project WILD (Working for
Immigrant Literacy Development), to inform young people about the
environment. Some schools are in an area that proves Tree Project
is vital in planting seeds for the future.
"You have signs saying, ‘No weapons allowed inside.’ Then you
look up to the sky and see all the smog. It is so terrible. You
really see the need for (environmental education)," Ching said.
Tree Project members don’t stand by and watch environmental
degradation. They take action against pollution by teaching younger
students to do the same. Together they discuss environmental fun
facts and teach the children to make recycled paper in the
classroom.
Language barriers are no match for Tree Project members. At
Temple Intermediate School, one boy who knew very little English
approached Ching and asked her to translate the environmental
lesson into his native language of Cantonese.
Ching, fluent in Cantonese, translated the lesson. Some of the
children they taught only spoke Spanish, Japanese and Chinese. With
the varied knowledge of Tree Project members, they could
communicate to the children who otherwise would not have understood
the lesson.
In Spring Quarter, Tree Project plans to hold an independent
tree planting at Nickerson Gardens in Watts.
Tree People, a national environmental organization, had provided
the trees and city permits for the previous tree plantings this
year. Now the Tree Project will be responsible for every step of
the tree planting and the fate of Nickerson Gardens teeters on
their success.
The task does not shake the confidence of Tree Project, Cheng
said. They estimate planting 10 to 15 trees on Kings Boulevard.
As an independent excursion, the Nickerson Gardens tree planting
will require much more preparation for the three directors, Eddy
Nguyen, Angelica Ching and Joanna Cheng, who say it is worth
it.
Following the tree planting, Ching said they will name the trees
as a rite of passage.
Fang described the calming effect of giving life to a young
tree, which he feels can provide an escape from the stress of UCLA
by clearing the mind and increasing camaraderie.
"There is something about planting a tree that brings you
together," Ching said. "I guess it’s magic."
Tree Project
Members of the nationwide organization Tree People accompany
UCLA’s Tree Project to elementary schools, providing a
demonstration of tree-planting procedure.