Volunteer of the Year gives heart, soul to trees
By Daniel Wolowicz
Danielw@theacorn.com

DANIEL WOLOWICZ/Acorn Newspapers VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR-Don Schmidt, 76, stands beside one of the 350 oak saplings he tends in the Corriganville Park.

Two hundred years from now, when hikers in Corriganville Park stop to enjoy the cool shade of a mighty oak, chances are they won’t think of Don Schmidt.

Truth be told, he’s okay with that.

Schmidt, a 76-year-old Simi Valley resident, quietly continues his crusade to ensure that oak trees will be enjoyed by generations to come.

His help with the tree restoration project underway at Corriganville Park drew the attention of the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, who awarded Schmidt the 2004 Volunteer of the Year award last month.

Following the massive forest fires in 2003, which burned a large portion of the Santa Susana Mountains and areas of Simi Valley, the district began planting oak saplings to replace burnt trees.

"In April 2004, we planted 500 saplings in the back section of the Corriganville Park," said Colleen Janssen, the district’s marketing and community outreach specialist. "Then we planted 200 additional saplings in October of that year." The district planted two types of oak trees, coast live oaks and valley oaks.

Janssen was told by environmentalists to expect a 10 percent survival rate for the 700 knee-high saplings. Today, more than 50 percent of the trees remain, and Janssen attributes the program’s success to Schmidt’s tireless efforts in caring for the trees.

"The week after we planted the trees, it was 100 degrees a day for about a week," Janssen said. "Don made it his personal mission to water the saplings and make sure they survived."

The survival rate was so high Schmidt needed to replant nearly 50 trees to avoid overcrowding. He’s proud of the fact that all 50 of the relocated trees are still alive.

Schmidt said the trees need more water than people think. He said it’s best to water them once and then again a few hours later so the soil can better absorb the water. The process is tricky, Schmidt said, as oak trees are susceptible to root rot if they’re overwatered.

Schmidt works in the park six hours a day about three times a week. He weeds, fertilizes with Miracle Gro, and provides the delicate saplings with mulch. Schmidt also digs trenches around each tree so other volunteers can find the saplings to water.

"I use five gallon jugs to water the plants now," Schmidt said. "I load them into my wheelbarrel and measure out the water for the trees." He fills the jugs at a nearby spigot. And although the watering still takes quite a bit of time, it’s a far cry from how Schmidt started.

Schmidt began his work with tree restoration in 1995, after he retired from Greyhound Lines as a maintenance supervisor. To keep active, Schmidt hiked the Rocky Peek Trail near his home. The trail snakes through the Santa Susana Mountains and divides the Simi and San Fernando valleys. It was on these hikes that Schmidt recognized a need for more trees.

"I was looking for a little shade," Schmidt said. "And I thought it would be great to have some oak trees along the trail."

Schmidt shared his idea with Jim Keppler, a senior grounds maintenance supervisor, who enlisted the help of a local Boy Scout troop to plant two 10-tree groves.

A year passed and the troop stopped tending the trees. So Schmidt took it upon himself to water the saplings. Without a direct source of water, Schmidt used his wheelbarrel to cart gallons of water up the steep, rocky trail.

"When I was in my 60s, I could take up about 12 gallons each time," Schmidt said. "But my arthritis made it harder for me, and as I got older, I was only able to get up eight or 10 (gallons) each time." One gallon of water weighs more than eight pounds.

District officials have since given Schmidt a pass to drive his pickup truck into the park, and he now keeps the rust-colored wheelbarrow in the truck’s bed, along with his other gardening tools.

Schmidt bought the truck after he was in a car accident three years ago. His left hand was nearly destroyed in the crash, and for six months he was forced to stop his trips up to Rocky Peak.

His hand mended, and Schmidt returned to the peak and his trees. "My wife would drive me up there to water the trees for about three months," Schmidt said. "But after three months, she said I had to drive myself."

Of the 20 original trees along Rocky Peak Trail, three remain, said Schmidt. He replanted the trees three times over the last decade. Currently, there are 10 saplings growing near the trail.

Schmidt said the work keeps him healthy. Even though his hand still bears the scars from his accident, it doesn’t slow him down. He said his passion for gardening was born out of necessity.

"I grew up in western Alaska during the Depression," Schmidt said. "We had to keep a garden to make food and feed the family."

A veteran who served during the Korean War, Schmidt worked in the Army motor pool and was stationed primarily in Alaska. It was in Alaska where he met his wife, Lillie.

They married in 1956 and moved to Simi Valley in 1969. The couple raised three children and they have six grandchildren.

As he tends to his baby trees, Schmidt takes comfort in the fact that 200 years from now, although people might not know his name, they will for sure share in the shade of his legacy.