Carmel-by-the-Sea, California -- Friends of the Carmel Forest announced today that two Carmel Tree Walks will be held Saturday, June 22, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Starting on Scenic Road, the tours will be led by John Leffingwell, a Master Arborist based in Oakland, CA. Admission is free for members, $20 for non-members, with each tour limited to 30 people. To reserve a space, RSVP to [email protected].

The goal of the Carmel Tree Tour is to provide insight into Carmel’s urban forest and the historic Monterey cypress along Scenic Road. “We will be celebrating the iconic 125-year old cypress trees that frame Carmel Beach and were originally planted by Carmel’s founder, James Franklin Devendorf,” said Ramie Allard, president of Friends of Carmel Forest. “We will explore their history, their structure, soil requirements, and pruning needs. We’ll also discuss strategies for succession planting to ensure the future of these beautiful trees.”

With a background in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry, John Leffingwell holds a BS in biology/botany from Humboldt State and a masters in Forestry from UC Berkeley. His thesis work was at the Presidio of San Francisco, where he focused on the reforestation effort, including managing the Monterey pine, Monterey cypress and blue gum eucalyptus stands. His thesis work lead to a job at HortScience, Inc. a Bay Area consulting arboriculture, urban forestry and horticulture company. After almost 20 wonderful years working for HortScience, he started his own firm, Woodreeve Consulting, in 2022 where he provides consulting arboriculture and urban forestry throughout the Bay Area, California and beyond.

Founded in 1989, Friends of Carmel Forest is committed to protect, sustain and enhance Carmel's forest. The organization encourages public awareness and care for the trees through educational programs, publications, tree planting, surveys, and other activities. A 501(c)(3) non- profit organization, Friends of Carmel Forest is an official support group of the City of Carmel- by-the-Sea.

For more information, visit Friends of Carmel Forest at www.carmelforest.org