Expert Arborists Volunteer To Attempt Salvaging SLO Repertory Theatre’s Old Oak Tree

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) - Expert arborists have partnered with the city of San Luis Obispo and SLO Repertory Theatre to attempt salvaging their historic oak tree.

Last month, the SLO City Council voted to allow San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre to remove a 100-year-old oak tree and proceed with construction of their new theater building in the Cultural Arts District.

In the wake of that decision, professor and director of Cal Poly’s Plant Conservatory Matt Ritter formed a team of expert volunteers to begin work on transplanting the tree.

Ritter says other trees of comparable size and age have been successfully transplanted before.

The team began their work this week, starting with giving the tree hundreds of gallons of water to help fortify it.

This morning, they began digging a trench and pruning the tree’s root system.

While there’s no full guarantee the tree will survive the transplant, the expert arborists volunteering their time say there are several favorable signs and conditions at this early stage of the effort.

Within the next few months, the team will know if today’s efforts have given the tree a chance at surviving the move, or if the activity killed it.

If the tree survives, the team will be transplanting it to a designated place a couple blocks away at Mission Plaza.

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