Tree maintenance work at Stow Grove Park is scheduled to begin this month and will take approximately two weeks. Work was delayed from the end of January due to the recent heavy rains. As part of the City’s maintenance efforts, numerous dead trees in the redwood grove will be removed and reused for park amenities such as picnic tables and benches. City of Goleta Parks and Open Space Manager George Thomson takes you on a tour of the grove in this video https://youtu.be/WW0eO5POzCM.

“The Stow Grove Park redwoods are a unique and important part of Goleta’s urban forest and the upcoming maintenance work will ensure the grove will be enjoyed by future generations of park users,” said George Thomson.

To improve public safety and allow for new tree plantings, forty dead redwoods, one dead coral tree, and numerous dead pittosporum trees will be removed. Additional maintenance in the redwood grove will include updating the irrigation system and spreading mulch to improve water availability for the hundreds of mature redwoods originally planted in the 1930s. 

As part of the long-term maintenance plan for the grove, the City will also be planting approximately 75 young coastal redwoods and 25 incense cedars. In addition to the work planned for the redwood grove, approximately 40 trees along the eastern and southern perimeter of Stow Grove Park will be trimmed to remove dead branches and ivy. A consulting biologist will be performing wildlife surveys to ensure no impacts to wildlife occur during the work. 

The City’s Public Tree Advisory Commission reviewed the proposed work at their November 30, 2020, meeting. More details about the project are available in the staff report at https://tinyurl.com/y6v6p965.

Please contact George Thomson, Parks and Open Space Manager, at 805-961-7578 or gthomson@cityofgoleta.org with questions or concerns.

Pictured: Stow Grove Park