Arbor Day - Planting Toyons at San Benito Elementary

March 24, 2026

ALPS Native Tree Committee members celebrated Arbor Day this year by planting three - 5 gallon Toyons at San Benito Road Elementary School demonstration garden. This year the school requested native bushes that could be planted around the school garden.  Toyons are also known as the California Holly and are typically seen as large bushes, but can be trained/pruned to become 15 to 25 foot high trees.

60 students from the two 3rd grade classes learned about the history behind Arbor Day and the benefits of planting trees and shrubs such as: providing shade to cool the surrounding area, purifying the air by absorbing pollutants, exchanging CO2 from the atmosphere and returning Oxygen for us to breath, providing habitat for wildlife, reducing soil erosion, etc.