Heavy rains early in 2024 have had a definite impact on Rossmoor’s prized urban forest, but despite the deluge, not a single tree has been lost Arborist Mary Kingman reported to the Rossmoor Community Services District Board at its April meeting.
Kingman, who has been the community’s arborist for 11 years, provides an urban forest report to the board every quarter which is highly anticipated.
“We did have a lot of severe weather in the first three months of the year,” Kingman told the board, including data in her report that demonstrated the community experienced more than 12 inches of rain in February alone.
“Despite that, we only had five limb failures,” said Kingman, “and only three of those were weather-related.”
“We had zero complete tree failures,” she added, attributing the district’s proactive nurturing plan for preventing what could have easily been a greater impact, she said.
“We could attribute that record to more supplemental trimming that we’ve been doing for trims,” she said, “and I’ve been backing the trees both by driving and walking and it really makes a difference to have that extra attention paid.”
Answering a question from Director Tony Demarco, the board’s 1st Vice President, Kingman said that while the urban forest “loved the rain,” the extra growth was going to prompt some extra pruning and trimming this summer.
“I’m sure certain trees more than others are going to expand and grow much more,” said Demarco.
“That’s correct,” said Kingman, “so we will probably during the summer be doing a lot of clearance trims so raising the crowns on the street and sidewalk side for that reason.
“They’re gonna experience a lot of growth,” said Kingman, thus the need for extra trimming.
Nevertheless, “the trees are just way happier and healthier with all the water,” she said.
“Aren’t we all,” echoed board President Michael Maynard.
Kingman reported other data to the board, saying that in the first three months of 2024, they trimmed 183 trees within Rossmoor’s urban forest, 14 trees were removed while 48 new ones were planted.
In addition, she said 62 residents filed requests for various tree services.
Kingman said the district held its Arbor Day Celebration April 5, with the local Boy Scouts providing the flag salute and the Girl Scouts participating in planting the new tree. The arborist thanked the Rossmoor Woman’s Club for donating the funds necessary to purchase and plant the tree.
In addition, Kingman said they did an “animal hunt” for the kids, hiding stuffed animals in trees for the kids to find. Instead of toy prizes, she said kids got plants.
“The kids were excited about the plants and that’s refreshing that they were really more excited about getting plants rather than plastic toys.”