Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does living near the highway increase your chances of getting cancer?
A: Cluster studies in Alameda County do show higher cancer rates for people living near highways.
Q: What is the Chabot PTA doing to assist this effort?
A: A request for additional funds for the project is going to all parents via email on December 19. There have conversations within the PTA throughout the year and there are additional planned conversations. (The Chabot PTA President was present at the community meeting, made a donation, and is a member of the Lorax Committee helping to spread the word about the project.)
Q: Where exactly will the redwoods be planted?
A: In the park and school, they will be placed in parallel to the existing three redwood trees at the southwest corner of the park. This is about 7' from the edge of the property.
Q: How will they be spaced?
A: Approximately 10' (oc) apart. This is a bit close for redwood trees, which may result in fewer branches close to the ground, but a denser "tree wall" higher up the tree. Fewer branches close to the ground could be an advantage in terms of use of the space at the park and school.
Q: Why did you pick redwood trees?
A: They are in keeping with the existing vegetation, grow quickly, grow to large heights, and have complex leaf structures which are good for capturing air pollution.
Q: What kind of redwood trees?
A: Sequoia sempervirens also known as coast redwood, California redwood, or giant redwood. This is a different species than the Giant Sequoia.
Q: How much does the tree itself cost?
A: A 5 gallon redwood tree costs about $28 retail. Urban ReLeaf, an experienced non-profit dedicated to planting trees in Oakland, states on their website that from their experience the cost of a tree is about 20% of the overall cost once other factors are considered (site preparation, planting, irrigation, maintenance for two years). Several people are currently investigating if we might be able to purchase these trees wholesale at a lower cost. If we find our overall costs per tree are lower than expected, we will be able to plant more trees. Alternatively, experts have also recommended planting 15 gallon trees, so we could plant more mature trees.
Q: What about redwood drop?
A: The leaves that fall from redwoods are acidic, which is great for the redwoods, but not for other plants underneath the trees. There are some species that thrive underneath redwood trees, such as sword ferns and redwood sorrel.
Q: I would like to see this movement spread all along Highway 24.
A: We have been in contact with a few people at other locations adjacent to Highway 24, but outside of The Lorax Project area, and offered them trees if we end up having extra trees.
Q. How long does it take to plant a tree?
A. According to the Sierra Club it takes 3 people 4 hours to plant 5 trees.
Q: Does living near the highway increase your chances of getting cancer?
A: Cluster studies in Alameda County do show higher cancer rates for people living near highways.
Q: What is the Chabot PTA doing to assist this effort?
A: A request for additional funds for the project is going to all parents via email on December 19. There have conversations within the PTA throughout the year and there are additional planned conversations. (The Chabot PTA President was present at the community meeting, made a donation, and is a member of the Lorax Committee helping to spread the word about the project.)
Q: Where exactly will the redwoods be planted?
A: In the park and school, they will be placed in parallel to the existing three redwood trees at the southwest corner of the park. This is about 7' from the edge of the property.
Q: How will they be spaced?
A: Approximately 10' (oc) apart. This is a bit close for redwood trees, which may result in fewer branches close to the ground, but a denser "tree wall" higher up the tree. Fewer branches close to the ground could be an advantage in terms of use of the space at the park and school.
Q: Why did you pick redwood trees?
A: They are in keeping with the existing vegetation, grow quickly, grow to large heights, and have complex leaf structures which are good for capturing air pollution.
Q: What kind of redwood trees?
A: Sequoia sempervirens also known as coast redwood, California redwood, or giant redwood. This is a different species than the Giant Sequoia.
Q: How much does the tree itself cost?
A: A 5 gallon redwood tree costs about $28 retail. Urban ReLeaf, an experienced non-profit dedicated to planting trees in Oakland, states on their website that from their experience the cost of a tree is about 20% of the overall cost once other factors are considered (site preparation, planting, irrigation, maintenance for two years). Several people are currently investigating if we might be able to purchase these trees wholesale at a lower cost. If we find our overall costs per tree are lower than expected, we will be able to plant more trees. Alternatively, experts have also recommended planting 15 gallon trees, so we could plant more mature trees.
Q: What about redwood drop?
A: The leaves that fall from redwoods are acidic, which is great for the redwoods, but not for other plants underneath the trees. There are some species that thrive underneath redwood trees, such as sword ferns and redwood sorrel.
Q: I would like to see this movement spread all along Highway 24.
A: We have been in contact with a few people at other locations adjacent to Highway 24, but outside of The Lorax Project area, and offered them trees if we end up having extra trees.
Q. How long does it take to plant a tree?
A. According to the Sierra Club it takes 3 people 4 hours to plant 5 trees.
