The City of Irvine has received a generous donation of an initial thirty-six Native Coastal Oak Trees grown by Joan Irvine Smith, philanthropist and heiress to the Irvine Ranch. Further, Mrs.. Smith has agreed to provide seventy additional trees during the course of the Orange County Great Park forestation project, where all the trees will be planted.

Joan Irvine Smith is the granddaughter of James Irvine II, who sold seven square miles of lima bean fields to the United States Navy to allow for the development of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. Her trees will become a part of the forestation that is transforming the former military base into a great metropolitan park.

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Mrs.. Smith grew the donated trees from acorns gathered from trees that are between 200 and 300 years old growing on her horse farm in San Juan Capistrano. She started growing the trees in one gallon containers. The trees now stand at 7 feet tall.

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Mrs.. Smith has donated trees to the City of San Juan Capistrano, University of California, Irvine and the Great Park. Her gift will be permanently recorded in the Great Park Tree Registry. The tree registry will allow people to go online and learn how to donate trees and make contributions for the care of trees at the Great Park.

For more information about the Orange County Great Park, please go to www.ocgp.org.