Trees at Will Rogers are feeling the heat and lack of moisture
Nancy Cleveland, a Pacific Palisades landscape artist, spends time with her oils at Will Rogers State Historic Park. In early June, she noticed that “the big eucalyptus tree and the pepper trees in the picnic area were not looking good. So I decided to make an effort to save some.”
Cleveland, a member of the Palisades Rotary Club, started transporting jugs of water to the park, which received barely 4 inches of rain between July 2020 and July 2021.
Park manager Dale Skinner noticed Cleveland’s efforts and, she said, “He kindly put a garden hose there and turned on the water, so I go up as needed and water this area.”
She told CTN over Labor Day weekend, “The watering system is broken [by the picnic area] and is on back order.”
Cleveland has continued visiting the park about twice a week. On one day, she waters the picnic area, the second day she waters other park trees that are not near a water outlet. The trees around the polo field routinely get water when the field is irrigated.
“I understand that some of the trees are dying from bark beetle,” said Cleveland, but at least some of the trees that need water are getting it.
Cleveland, who was joined by Rotary Club President Hagop Tchakerian one Sunday, said “I can only water about two trees at a time, so it would be great if members of the public want to come up and help.”
Contact:nancyk9sar@gmail.com