Boy Scout's Green Thumb Turns Asphalt to 'Forest'

Gritty black is now lush and green at a 200-foot strip of vacant land near the 10 freeway at 22nd and Michigan streets.

A local boy, Joshua Lappen, has planted 19 California Sycamores there for his Eagle Scout service project, one that has led to larger citywide effort to plant 1,000 trees across Santa Monica.

Lappen said he lead the charge to aerate the damaged and compressed soil, mix in nutrients and additives and plant the trees on the formerly weedy strip of land. 

The project was completed with help from the U.S. Forestry, city of Santa Monica and the Boy Scout troop, and served as the city's official 2012 Arbor Day project.

"This will be a pioneer site for a national municipal carbon trading program, establishing a large number of carbon-sink trees across the nation," Lappen said.

Santa Monica is a test city for the "urban forest" program, and has agreed to plant 1,000 trees. For the next century, city staffers will monitor the growth, health, and carbon intake of the trees and report to the Forestry service, building a database of valuable information, Lappen said.  

Stay up to date on Santa Monica news and events by following @StaMonicaPatch and “liking” us on Facebook.