Logan Students Plant Trees in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

“We’re not conserving energy today — move!” said biology teacher Michelle Galaria playfully as her students, and their parents, gathered at William Cann Civic Center Park on Jan. 17. 

The group, mostly kids from Logan with some Irvington students mixed in, were mulching, raking, planting and cleaning for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. 

The day was part of the Hands-on-Conservation program of the Alameda County Resource Conservation District, with funding provided by the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District and support from the Union City’s .

According to Galaria, native plants, such as the sycamore trees being planted that day, use less water than non-native plants and support the natural habitat and its wild inhabitants. 

The volunteers worked in a section of the park 100 by 300 square feet, located across from the Union City Police station. Nelson Kirk, grounds supervisor for the Public Works Department, gave the group access for the day.

Galdria organized the event with the help of the ACRCD’s Amy Evans. The biology teacher also heads the Sustainability Club at Logan, and its members were on hand Monday to help eradicate invasive, non-native plants and replace them with native vegetation.

The volunteers not only planted trees and spread mulch, they cleaned up the creek that runs along the edge of the park. The creek plays an important part in the Alameda County Flood Control process. 

In addition to honoring the life of Martin Luther King Jr., the event is part of a stewardship program the ACRCD operates with local teens to encourage community service while beautifying public areas and bringing nature back to its original state.  

“This area of the park was kind of creepy and overgrown,” said Evans of the space adjacent to the skate park. 

The efforts of the Logan and Irvington students benefit the teens as well as the park, but also the teens as well, Evans said. “A lot of them don’t normally do this kind of outdoor work or use tools. They’re working together for the benefit of the habitat.”

The clean-up event uncovered the giant boulders hidden in the creekside brush to serve as meditation spots or picnic benches. 

The group will meet again throughout the year to clean up and re-naturalize other spots throughout the city. 

During the event, Evans announced that a patch of wildflowers would be planted in honor of Union City Patch’s coverage of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Check back in the spring for photos of the flowers, and entire garden, in bloom.