Community Leaders Unite to Enhance Urban Forest at Ralph B. Clark Regional Park

Representatives from nine Orange County community organizations join OC Parks officials on a sunny February morning at Ralph B. Clark Regional Park, ceremonially breaking ground to plant one of 40 new trees donated to strengthen and diversify the park’s urban forest.

On a warm, blue-skied Southern California morning, community leaders and environmental advocates gathered at Ralph B. Clark Regional Park in Buena Park to celebrate the planting of 40 new trees—an effort aimed at strengthening and diversifying the park’s urban forest.

The project, held on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, was spearheaded by Linda Holman, Environmental Chair for Orange County California Federation of Women’s Clubs (CFWC) and Woman’s Club of Fullerton (WCOF) Environmental Co-chair. Since 2015, Holman has helped facilitate the planting of 80 trees in public parks throughout Orange County, underscoring her ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship.

Thanks to participating organizations’ donation of 10 trees, OC Parks was able to supplement efforts to plant 30 additional trees, bringing the total to 40. The newly planted varieties—Camphor, Red Oak, Netleaf Oak, and Eucalyptus—were carefully selected for their resilience against pests and disease. The goal is to diversify the park’s tree population and improve its long-term health.

“Trees in parks help cool urban areas, filter air pollutants, and improve community well-being,” said Holman, whose passion for the environment is well known among local civic groups.

Nine organizations contributed to the effort: the Ebell Club of Fullerton, Ebell of Irvine, La Habra Woman’s Club, Rossmore Woman’s Club, San Clemente Woman’s Club, Spiritual Enrichment Center, Tustin Area Woman’s Club, Woman’s Club of Fullerton, and Yorba Linda Woman’s Club.

Representatives from several of the participating groups attended the ceremonial groundbreaking, along with Mike Wilson, Deputy Director of OC Parks, and Paulette Chaffee, Fourth District Ambassador.

Wilson emphasized the importance of community partnerships in maintaining healthy public spaces. “Our parks thrive when community members take an active role in caring for them,” he said. “These new trees will benefit visitors for generations to come.”

Chaffee echoed that sentiment. “It is wonderful when community groups come together to purchase replacement trees and help out in this way,” she said. “Everyone loves OC Parks and we can all appreciate the beauty of the trees.”

Ralph B. Clark Regional Park spans 105 acres and is home to 1,765 trees. The park is part of the OC Parks system, which includes nearly 60,000 acres of land and a tree inventory of more than 49,000 trees.  This diverse system includes 15 regional parks, five wilderness parks, seven historic sites, six beaches, and more than 250 miles of regional trails and bikeways.

With the addition of these 40 trees, the park’s canopy grows stronger—an investment not only in the landscape, but in the health and well-being of the community it serves.

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