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Welcome to this seasonal issue of “Branching Out” —
The place for storytelling about the many trees of Cypress Lawn Arboretum!
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Dearest friends, neighbors, and tree-lovers near and far —
Nature’s way is not always a calm and gentle path. In this winter season, as the year began, a storm of immense turbulence brought great damage to the living collection of our cherished Arboretum. The weeks of ceaseless rain and moments of extreme wind caused at least small branches to fail on hundreds of trees, and we did lose a few old veterans entirely. Thankfully, proactive tree service in recent years did undoubtedly save countless specimens from major wounds, and the character of the landscape at our timeless Memorial Park has been protected. May this serve as a demonstration of how important it is to practice stewardship of the trees we love, both before and after
the inevitable storms come.
These moments of failure and passing that we have collectively experienced in recent weeks are painful, indeed — but they are also a great truth of this life and this world that we share. In the grief landscape that is Cypress Lawn cemetery, death and loss are an elemental part of the process of caring for this special place. In the spirit of the virtuous cycle, several of the trees we lost will be given a second life, memorialized as benches for us to share a peaceful moment with, long into the future. Furthermore, smaller branches are also being repurposed as wood chips, scattered throughout our grounds in mulch beds and in healthy mulch rings around dozens of those trees still standing. Many of the storm’s survivors will be resilient in life, sealing their wounds and growing on in the sunny days of the spring to follow. Lastly, cones and seeds collected directly from our fallen kin will now be grown into the next generation of Arboretum trees — a program of nursery cultivation that will conserve the essence of our forested park for decades into the future.
In these humble and intentional ways, the suffering we experience in any one stormy moment might actually serve to inform a hopeful joy on our shared horizon. We may not know when the next storm will come, or what hardship it may bring, but we can learn from each failure, find meaningful ways to keep growing in kinship together, and strive on in stewardship to honor the heritage of the past. When we live in this way, the storm may really be just the start of something beautiful.
Your ever-humble Arboretum Director,
Josh Gevertz
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STILL HAPPENING (THROUGH THE END OF FEBRUARY):
“Living Color” botanical art gallery exhibition, featuring the artwork of renowned local botanical illustrator and watercolor painter Pria Graves. Our first indoor Arboretum exhibit (more to come!) is currently located in the entrance lobby and adjacent rooms of the main offices at Cypress Lawn at 1370 El Camino Real.
HAPPENING ALL WINTER:
Post-storm restoration, preservation, and risk mitigation of old-growth veteran Monterey pine and cypress specimens throughout our grounds, including original 19th-century plantings at Olivet Gardens and our foundational East Campus, in collaboration with Christopher Campbell Tree Design and Davey Tree Expert Company.
HAPPENING NEXT MONTH:
The first-ever grade school field trip hosted at the Arboretum! In collaboration with the fifth-grade classes of Commodore Sloat Elementary School, this immersive outdoor learning experience will include a book reading at “Strybing Grove” in Section L of East Campus, a scavenger hunt for “Woodmen of the World” graves and tree-themed monuments scattered throughout the Memorial Park, a ride aboard the famed Cypress Lawn Trolley, and an educational demonstration on
tree planting and young tree care.
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COMING UP THIS SPRING:
Comprehensive five-year interval tree risk assessment survey for over one thousand mature and post-mature specimens throughout the Arboretum, in collaboration with consulting arborist firm Tree Management Experts. This report will inform priorities for tree service and risk mitigation for our living collection throughout Cypress Lawn in the seasons to come.
COMING UP ON APRIL 22, 2023:
In celebration of National Arbor Day, the first-ever ticketed Arboretum trolley tour, “Dancing on the Brink of the World," a special event hosted in-person by Arboretum Director Josh Gevertz and featuring our namesake tree and its global cultural story. This Monterey cypress showcase tour will include a lecture at the historic 19th-century Abbey Chapel at Olivet Gardens, visits to Hesperocyparis macrocarpa specimens at Olivet, West and East campuses, a poetry recital in the shade of a champion tree, and catered lunch
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ESTABLISHING THE
FOREST OF THE FUTURE
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Every November, in the annual celebration of life that is Arboretum Day, we plant trees here at Cypress Lawn. Just a couple of months ago, we planted a companion tree for one of our oldest veteran Monterey cypress specimens, photographed above. This young tree is one of many companions we introduced into
our living collection of trees this past autumn.
Planting the next generation of seedlings and saplings throughout our original East Campus grows upon the legacy founded by Hamden Holmes Noble 130 years ago and helps to ensure that the landscape character of decades gone by is conserved and passed forward in stewardship for future visitors of our Memorial Park to enjoy.
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"DANCING ON THE BRINK OF THE WORLD" –
VOLUME X: FATHERS
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The land is process
Our imprint too!
We live in the lee
Of what our forefathers do
Many of us owe a professional debt of gratitude to those who walked before us, people who blazed a trail as innovative giants in an age before our own. In the heritage landscape that is Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, the giants stand on their own, the wooden behemoths of our living collection grown over the course of many decades to define the singular place we now call the Arboretum.
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“LIVING COLOR” BY BOTANICAL ARTIST PRIA GRAVES — FEATURE EXHIBITION AT CYPRESS LAWN ARBORETUM
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Cypress Lawn Arboretum is hosting our inaugural indoor museum exhibit, featuring several works by renowned local artist Pria Graves. This exhibit will remain on display in the lobby of the main offices at Cypress Lawn (1370 El Camino Real) through Feb. 24. We hope you will visit the Arboretum to experience our living collection of trees and plants and spend a moment to witness the remarkable
art of Ms. Graves, in living color!
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| 650-550-8808 · cypresslawn.com1370 El Camino Real, Colma, CA 94014
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