THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The public is invited to say goodbye to Paramount Ranch’s “Witness Tree," a beautiful Valley Oak that has been around for many decades and has “witnessed" weddings, hundreds of films, special events, family photos and other memorable occasions.
The venerable oak did not survive the destructive Woolsey Fire that swept through the Santa Monica Mountains in early November 2018.
It is expected to be cut down in mid-February and the wood from the tree will be repurposed into benches, signs, hitching posts, and other items. They will be displayed at the future Western Town, which is slated to begin construction within the next couple of years.
"The tree put up a good fight and it even put out some leaves in the spring that followed the fire," said David Szymanski, park superintendent for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. “But, ultimately, the park arborist, along with other local arborists, made the determination that it had succumbed to the fire and that it could ultimately become a hazardous tree."
Experts say the gigantic tree, which has the diameter at breast height (dbh) of 100 inches, is possibly more than a century old. Once the tree is cut down, the rings inside of it will be counted to determine its exact age. Prior to the open house and during the event, visitors are invited to guess the age of the tree. Guesses can be emailed to e-mail us. Please include your name, address and your best guess for the age of the tree. The winner will receive a small gift from the Santa Monica Mountains Fund.
Park staff and volunteer historians will be on-site during the open house to answer questions from visitors.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park System, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
