> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # City’s tree stock a breath of fresh air - URL: https://www.smdp.com/citys-tree-stock-a-breath-of-fresh-air/ - Published: 2007-04-27T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T00:39:09.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Environment, Santa Monica, #archive-import CLOVER PARK They protect us from the harsh rays of the sun, help us save money on electricity during the hot summer months, protect the ocean from dirty urban runoff and serve as a natural jungle gym for the child in all of us. That said, when was the last time you stopped to admire one of Santa Monica’s 32,700 trees? In a city where there are three trees per person, including a trio of trees that are landmarked, it can be fairly easy to take them for granted, but not today. Arbor Day — the brainstorm of Nebraska journalist and politician Julius Sterling Morton in 1872 — is a national holiday during which people are reminded about the wide array of benefits the perennials provide. It’s a day to celebrate the windmill palm, the Douglas fir and the jacaranda; a day for students to plant seedlings at school; and a day for homeowners who’ve taken root in their community to take stock of their trees by removing damaged limbs and looking for evidence of disease or insect infestation. Few respect the day more than Santa Monica’s community forester, Walt Warriner, a certified arborist whose job it is to make sure our trees are protected and appreciated for generations to come. In his office at Clover Park, Warriner is surrounded by trees. There are post cards of giant redwoods and artistic renderings hanging on the walls next to pictures of his children and his hometown of Kailua, Hawaii, where he lived before moving to California in the mid ’80s to follow his dream of becoming a golf course superintendent on the PGA Tour. He never was able to maintain the greens for Tiger Woods, but Warriner believes the pursuit was well worth it because he now has one of the greatest jobs any arborist could hope for. Working in Santa Monica has been both a privilege and an honor for Warriner. “The general public has a great appreciation for trees and really understands the benefits they provide, which makes my job that much easier,” said Warriner, a tall, thin middle-aged man with a thick mustache who spends most of his days driving in his truck around town keeping an eye on the roughly 200 species of trees planted here. “I don’t have to spend as much time explaining to residents why we need (trees) and we find many people who are willing to participate in our tree selection committees,” Warriner added. “In other communities, people are apathetic and really don’t care. To them, trees are a nuisance, blocking views or cracking sidewalks.” Warriner gives a lot of credit to the council and city manager for incorporating the urban forest in most policy decisions. Instead of finding out after the fact, Warriner is at the forefront of any new development to make sure trees on site are protected, and any new ones planted are done so in the appropriate manner so that there aren’t dips in sidewalks or trees that do not fit in with other species nearby. Warriner often heads to City Hall, where he personally reviews development plans and places his stamp of approval. “This council loves trees and the community is very lucky to have this much support for urban forestry,”said Warriner, a big fan of the purple leaf plum tree. “The Planning Department really understands the concept that trees are part of the infrastructure. That makes everyone’s job easier.” DIGGING ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY Evidence of local residents’ love of trees can be found on Georgina Avenue near Ocean Avenue, where a homeowner recently spent thousands of dollars to relocate an endangered palm tree to their front yard. In other areas, residents have planted other interesting species such as a Macadamian nut tree. “We have such a diversity of trees here and I attribute that to the creativity of the residents,” Warriner said. “It’s never good to have one species of tree planted along one block because of disease … You always have to be thinking about how that tree will perform 20, 30 years from the day it’s planted. You can’t put your city in a position where you have hundreds of trees that are aging or diseased and need to be replaced. You’re talking about a significant amount of money. “While most people think in years or quarters, urban foresters think in decades.” The most common tree in the city is the fan palm, with more than 4,300 throughout the Santa Monica. The second most common — the locust bean tree — contributes most significantly to the tree canopy. There are 3,200 ficus trees, which account for 26 percent of the total asset value of all trees and 11 percent of all annual benefits. Not only are they nice to look at, trees provide many economic and health benefits as well. Warriner estimates that municipal trees provide residents benefits at an estimated value of $1.9 million, or roughly $65 per tree. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 27, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/042707.pdf?ref=smdp.com)