A future in trees for Oceanside’s Bear Cub Den 7

Fall is planting season, and care for the environment has long been a core tenant of the Cub Scout philosophy. That was why on Oct. 10 boys from Oceanside’s Bear Den No. 7 visited Oceanside sanitation’s Mott Street headquarters to sow three small saplings and add an extra bit of green to the neighborhood.

“We like to view things that help the environment as part of our community service,” den leader Lauren McNichol said. “I think this group of boys definitely cares about that.”

The project started when, about two years ago, she and her son Kilian, now 8, planted a Japanese maple and two pine tree saplings in their backyard. When it came time to relocate the trees, McNichol searched around for a local property that would welcome the new greenery.

Oceanside Sanitation District No. 7 Supervisor Daniel Faust expressed interest in having the den come and plant the small trees outside of its headquarters building. Faust had previously worked with the boys when he enlisted their help in gluing medallions to storm drains warning residents of the environmental dangers of dumping garbage into them.

When the boys arrived with the trees, some flowers and compost, three small patches of grass had been cleared for them. Going forward the plan is for the den to care for the plants and measure them annually until its members become Boy Scouts.

The hope McNichol said, is for the children to know what goes into working with some soil “I want to make sure these boys know how to plant something and get their hands dirty.”