Bringing New Life to Golden Gate Park
Who would have thought arboriculture and disc golf would be so intertwined. While arborists are concerned about maintaining tree safety and health, Disc golf members are concerned about the impact trees will have as permanent fixtures in their courses. This intersection of interests is what has brought Arborist Now and the San Francisco Disc Golf Club (SFDGC) together for a tree planting collaboration in Golden Gate Park.
The San Francisco Disc Golf course is located in Golden Gate Park, but space was not simply handed over to them. After years of proposals and negotiations with the parks committee, the club was able to secure a space in 2007 where they designed a beautiful 18-hole disc golf course. One condition of this land acquisition was that the club had full responsibility for the maintenance of their new space, including all of the trees. Where did all those trees come from anyway?
The Golden Gate Park became rich in diverse plants and trees because of a man named John McLaren. In 1871 he had the idea to plant grasses and trees to stabilize the sand dunes that the Golden Gate Park once was. By 1879, with great success, he had planted more than 100, 000 trees in an area of more than 1,000 acres. McLaren introduced a variety of species such as Blue Gum eucalyptus, Monterrey cypress, and Monterrey pine that to this day make up the main components of the disc golf course. Looking to replace some recently removed trees, the SFDGC reached out to Arborist Now to continue the project McLaren started and plant three new trees within their course.
Arborist Now worked together with the SFDGC to ensure they chose the appropriate species of trees and favorable locations to plant them. One concern for the club was to plant a bushy species as a screen to block stray discs from going off course and interfering with pedestrians on a nearby sidewalk. In this location Arborist Now chose a species of Leptospermum.
The other two trees chosen were an Atlas Cedar and a Deodar Cedar, both of which will tolerate the sandy soil well and provide a beautiful fixture for their course. Furthermore, because discs often unintentionally hit trees as people hurl them down course toward their target, the thick bark of the Cedrus would fare well against this barrage.
Planting a tree is no simple task. The location, size of the hole, amendment of the soil, and watering of the newly planted tree are of utmost importance. Furthermore, the condition of the roots and crown must be thoroughly inspected and any imperfections that may affect the subsequent growth of the tree need to be addressed. Luckily, the professional team at Arborist Now knows how to plant a tree to ensure it will thrive.
At Arborist Now we always work very closely with our customers to ensure that the project is done properly, that the customer understands the process behind the work we are doing, and that the final product matches the customer’s vision. It is a mutual goal between Arborist Now and our customers that we ensure any tree we plant or prune provides endless beauty for its entire life. We love to help educate our customers so they can take care of their investment and make sure it thrives!
