top stories : : : :

Birds sang, a fiddler fiddled, poets read poems and a Plaza tree got planted to celebrate  both Arbor Day and the arborial life of local organic gardener and landscape architect Bob Cannard Sr., who died March 7.

March 11, was Arbor Day in Sonoma, part of California's week-long Arbor Day observance which is celebrated  nationally on the last Friday in April and locally, state-by-state, in accordance with the best dates for planting trees. That ranges from January in Florida, to late May in Alaska. The Plaza ceremony attracted a crowd of some 80 people, including a contingent of children from Crescent Montessori School who participated in the process of mapping all the Plaza trees. Their efforts contributed to production of a Plaza tree map that provides visitors with a self-guided tour of the more-than-50 species of trees occupying the eight-acre park. Maps are available at the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau.

Tom Rusert, co-founder of Sonoma Birding, presided over the ceremony which featured Sonoma Mayor Ken Brown, city historian George McKale, incoming Rotary Club president Gary Edwards, visitors bureau President Wendy Peterson and local poets Arthur Dawson and Lin Marie deVincent. McKale, declaring that, "This Plaza has an incredible history," described the early days of California's largest town square when its eight acres were primarily used as a treeless cow pasture, boxcar siding and industrial storage. It was the Sonoma Valley Woman's Club, he said, that took early and aggressive action to transform the bare, dusty landscape into an attractive park. They put on balls and other "entertainments" to raise money for trees, dirt and fertilizer, free-range cattle were eventually banished, fountains and benches were added and, year by year, the Plaza began to take on a new life and look.

Edwards recalled countless visits with Cannard who, he said, had given away at least 325,000 trees in his lifetime, 11 of which, Edwards said, "I have in my yard."

He then announced the first annual Rotary Club Arbor Day Conservation Award and presented a remnant block of hardwood from Cannard's barn to Cannard's grandsons, Oliver and Edison. The boys then carried the block to Cannard's widow, Edna, who was seated in the audience.

Crescent School student Belen Botello, 9, read a report about the Plaza tree map and explained that strawberry trees don't actually grow strawberries.

Dawson recited two tree-inspired poems and deVincent read a poem she wrote for the event, concluding with a nod at the Strawberry tree and  the line, "If you please, a tree named Bob."

Participants then took up shovels - one painted gold by Plaza Public Works Caretaker Dave Chavoya - and finished piling dirt around the tree named Bob.

Please log in to comment:

*Member ID:
*Password:
	Forgot Your Password?

Not registered yet? Sign up here! (registration is free)

Note: All fields are required

Personal Information

First Name:

Last Name:

Address:

City:

State:

ZIP code:

Phone:

Email: (this will serve as your username)

Desired password:

Re-type password: