A local group recently started planting trees on Sequoia Union High School District campuses. CityTrees, a Redwood City nonprofit, planted 15 trees at Woodside High School in Woodside on Nov. 2 as part of a $42,300 grant, group organizers said.

The nonprofit will ultimately plant 58 trees at six district campuses, the group announced in a July press release. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) Social Equity Grant Improvement Program is funding the project to help combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gases, according to the press release.

Since August, the nonprofit has also planted 11 trees at Carlmont High School and four trees at Everest High, said David Grabel, CityTrees treasurer, in an email.

CityTrees also planted trees at Menlo-Atherton High School and East Palo Alto Academy on Nov. 16, as well as Sequoia High School on Dec. 7, he said.

CityTrees and the Redwood City public works department will also plant 71 trees in Redwood City's Stambaugh-Heller neighborhood, a designated "disadvantaged community area" -- an official term for an area that suffers from a combination of economic, health and environmental burdens.

The life of these trees is estimated to be about 40 to 50 years, Grabel said. The group is planting live oaks, crepe myrtles, coast redwoods, ginkgos and other species.

"During their lives, these new trees will remove over 500 tons of greenhouse gases from the environment while transforming concrete landscapes and beautifying the city and surrounding communities," said CityTrees board President Simms Duncan in a prepared statement.

In addition to reducing greenhouse gases, the press release says, the project is expected to decrease fossil fuel-based energy use and restore wildlife habitat.

The mission of CityTrees, which was founded in 2000, is to improve the quality of life in the greater Redwood City area through a coordinated program of education, outreach and advocacy for tree planting, maintenance and support.

For more on the nonprofit, go here.

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