A few years a back, the staff at the Rotary Nature Center produced this excellent little tree guide. The text came from Constance Taylor, Blake Edgar, Paul Belz, and California Center for Natural History. The illustrations are from John Muir Law’s nature illustration club.
Often, the trees we see in cities are from different parts of the world, so they can be hard to identify. This guide will introduce you to 10 of the most common trees you’ll find around Lake Merritt, Oakland, & other urban areas in California. Some of them are native & some of them are introduced, but all are part of our urban ecosystem. A giant thank you is due to John Muir Laws and his nature journaling club for creating all the beautiful illustrations! It’s our hope that this community-created tree guide will help you learn a little more about what else is “growing on” all around us in Oakland. See if you can find all 10 trees outlined. Happy searching, learning, and exploring!
Without further ado, checkout this Lake Merritt Tree Guide and amaze your friends when they ask what the heck is that tree.
Further References:
- More about John Muir Laws’ nature illustration techniques can be found at his website.
- A Californian’s Guide to the Trees Among Us by Matt Ritter (book)
- California Center for Natural History
Community for Lake Merritt 