In celebration of Arbor Day, the City of San Diego hosted a milestone tree planting event today at Gompers Neighborhood Park in Chollas View. Sixty-eight trees were planted in the park and in the surrounding neighborhood by the City’s Urban Forestry team, along with City leaders, staff from the Parks and Recreation Department and community volunteers, including students from Millennial Tech Middle School.  

Today’s event marks the completion of all tree plantings under the City’s Ready, Set, Grow San Diego initiative, a five-year tree planting program funded through a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.  

“Planting trees in our neighborhoods, including at Gompers Park, means cooler streets, cleaner air and better spaces for families to enjoy,” said Councilmember Henry L. Foster III. “Through Ready, Set, Grow San Diego and Trees for Communities, we have planted more than 2,200 trees in District 4. That is a real investment in our community and in the well-being of every resident in District 4. It reflects our commitment to expanding green space and continuing to build a stronger District 4, together.” 

The City kicked off Ready, Set, Grow San Diego in November 2024 with a tree planting event recognizing Kate Sessions Day. Since then, 5,000 new trees have been successfully planted in communities such as Bay Terraces, City Heights, Linda Vista, Oak Park, Otay Mesa-Nestor, Paradise Hills and Encanto. These planting efforts focus on increasing shade, improving air quality and expanding green space in neighborhoods that have historically lacked tree canopy coverage.  

With the planting phase now complete, the initiative will move into its next phase of protecting trees by implementing sidewalk redesigns to promote tree health and longevity. The City’s Urban Forestry program will continue hosting workshops to inform residents of the benefits of trees and empower them to help improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. 

“Trees give so much back to our city,” said City Forester Brian Widener. “Every tree we plant and protect today strengthens our community for generations to come. I’m incredibly proud of how events like Arbor Day bring our community together to help grow a green San Diego.” 

A healthy, expanding  urban forest provides long-term environmental, social and economic benefits and supports the City’s climate action goals. The addition of trees in a community improves the aesthetic environment, provides positive mental health impacts and cools the air. Trees also reduce the “heat island” effect in areas with dense development and pavement. Neighborhoods with mature trees can be up to 11 degrees cooler in the summer than those without them. 

Arbor Day was first celebrated in 1872 in Nebraska to promote environmental stewardship. It is estimated that millions of trees are planted on Arbor Day every year.