![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fullertonobserver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4075_7X5.jpeg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\nRepresentatives 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\u2019s urban forest.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u2014an effort aimed at strengthening and diversifying the park\u2019s urban forest.<\/p>\n
The project, held on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, was spearheaded by Linda Holman, Environmental Chair for Orange County California Federation of Women\u2019s Clubs (CFWC) and Woman\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Thanks to participating organizations\u2019 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\u2014Camphor, Red Oak, Netleaf Oak, and Eucalyptus\u2014were carefully selected for their resilience against pests and disease. The goal is to diversify the park\u2019s tree population and improve its long-term health.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrees in parks help cool urban areas, filter air pollutants, and improve community well-being,\u201d said Holman, whose passion for the environment is well known among local civic groups.<\/p>\n
Nine organizations contributed to the effort: the Ebell Club of Fullerton, Ebell of Irvine, La Habra Woman\u2019s Club, Rossmore Woman\u2019s Club, San Clemente Woman\u2019s Club, Spiritual Enrichment Center, Tustin Area Woman\u2019s Club, Woman\u2019s Club of Fullerton, and Yorba Linda Woman\u2019s Club.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Wilson emphasized the importance of community partnerships in maintaining healthy public spaces. \u201cOur parks thrive when community members take an active role in caring for them,\u201d he said. \u201cThese new trees will benefit visitors for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chaffee echoed that sentiment. \u201cIt is wonderful when community groups come together to purchase replacement trees and help out in this way,\u201d she said. \u201cEveryone loves OC Parks and we can all appreciate the beauty of the trees.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. \u00a0This diverse system includes 15 regional parks, five wilderness parks, seven historic sites, six beaches, and more than 250 miles of regional trails and bikeways.<\/p>\n
With the addition of these 40 trees, the park\u2019s canopy grows stronger\u2014an investment not only in the landscape, but in the health and well-being of the community it serves.<\/p>\n
Like this:<\/p>\n
Like Loading…<\/p>\n