'It's Irreplaceable': Giant Oak Tree Saved in Relocation

By Brian Hiro

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A giant oak tree as old as Cal State San Marcos itself was saved this month as part of a large-scale relocation project.

The tree, which was planted around the time of CSUSM's founding in 1989 and weighs 27 tons, was moved in early September from a plot outside the Arts Building to the area between Kellogg Library and Campus View Drive, near the main circle.

"It's not every day that you move a tree that size," said Michelle Alves, a campus planner in Planning, Design and Construction (PDC) who helped supervise the project.

The fate of the tree was thrown into question over the summer when Facilities Development and Management (FDM) began the construction of a new glass elevator on the perimeter of the Arts Building. Because the tree sat right next to the construction zone, the determination was that it would need to be uprooted to give it the best chance of survival.

"That kind of oak tree, you could never buy one. It's irreplaceable," Alves said.

The relocation occurred on Sept. 6 - a Saturday, to take advantage of minimal car and foot traffic on campus. Alves arrived at 5 a.m., planning to be on site for six hours; it turned out to be more than nine. In all, the project involved about 20 workers, including several from FDM and several more from an Escondido company called Big Trees Nursery.

After landscapers boxed and harnessed the tree, a crane lifted it out of the ground and laid it on its side on a flatbed truck (a smaller truck after the first one proved too big to navigate the service road, causing an hour delay). On the drive northeast out of campus, the oak's branches were so wide that they were brushing the overhang of the Arts Building and the trees outside Science Hall 2.

"It looked like it was high-fiving other trees all the way down, like it was saying, 'See you later,' " Alves joked.

At a very deliberate, almost walking pace, the truck descended the service road to La Moree Road, re-entered campus near the Sprinter station and drove southwest on Campus View Drive to the tree's new resting spot behind the library. Along the way, the precious cargo had a front and back escort from University Police Department vehicles.

Now situated on the ground next to the main circle, the crane lifted the tree from the truck and deposited it in a pre-dug hole. Workers attached three braces to the trunk to provide support in case of wind or rain. The tree, which is about 40 feet tall and 30 feet wide, will be given vitamins and extra water in the coming weeks.

"We're setting it up for success and a long, happy life," said Alves, adding that oak trees can live up to 300 years, making this one a relative baby.

Alves said the project reflects CSUSM's dedication to sustainability and its achievement last yearof Level 1 arboretum accreditation and Tree Campus USA recognition. She also spotlighted the efforts of the university's landscaping team, namely Raul Vaca and Ricardo Jacobo, with after-care by Isidro (Sid) Alvarez.

"It was a team effort, and it took a team to pull it off," she said. "Often, FDM is behind the scenes, like we're the engine running the campus. But I want people to know that we do some really cool stuff."

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Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

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