Coast Live Oaks Take Root in Hawes Park with Community and City Support

On a beautiful spring morning in Redwood City, CityTrees volunteers came together for a special Arbor Day planting event at Hawes Park, where eight new Coast Live Oak trees were planted along Hudson Street. The event brought together community members, city staff, and local leaders—including Redwood City Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos, who joined the group and helped plant several trees.

Mayor Martínez Saballos opened the day with remarks that honored CityTrees’ mission and the importance of growing the city’s tree canopy:

“CityTrees was founded with a mission to improve the quality of life in Redwood City through a coordinated program of education, outreach, and advocacy for tree planting, maintenance, and support. So thank you all for helping expand the canopy in Redwood City, bringing some of that eco-protection to a lot of our neighborhoods that aren’t in the core downtown.”
He added,
“We appreciate all the advocacy that you do… and happy Arbor Day! If the City can do anything to help support your work, we’re all in. Thank you again for your hard work.”

The new Coast Live Oaks were planted in the strip of land between Hawes Park and the adjacent homes. This area had previously hosted Ash trees that were removed by the City—not by PG&E—due to age-related decline, structural failure, and the resulting public safety risks. The Coast Live Oak was selected by Redwood City Parks as a fitting replacement species for its native resilience, aesthetic appeal, and suitability for utility-aware planting. These trees will be pruned over time to stay clear of overhead lines, and the City will maintain compliance with PG&E’s 18″ clearance requirement as the trees mature.

This planting was made possible through a partnership with Redwood City Parks—special thanks to Claudia Olalla, Senior Landscape Designer with the Redwood City Community Development Department—and generous funding from the Redwood City Library through a grant. Huge thanks to Fiona Potter from the library for her support and for joining us at the planting.

A team of 19 volunteers worked together to plant the eight 24″ box trees, secure each one with three support stakes, spread mulch, and give them a good watering to settle them in. The City will be connecting irrigation for the trees later this week.

Each of the trees planted is now logged and visible to the public on our Tree Plotter map, which shows CityTrees’ planting efforts across Redwood City over the past five years.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who lent a hand—and a shovel—to make this event such a success. With help from our dedicated volunteers, City staff, and supportive community partners, these Coast Live Oaks will provide beauty, shade, habitat, and climate resilience for decades to come.

You can view the full photo album from the event here.