THE CARLSBAD ARBORETUM FOUNDATION
The Carlsbad Arboretum Foundation was established in 1986 for the purpose of developing an Arboretum at Carrillo Ranch in Carlsbad. The ranch, a 19th century homestead and later the home of actor Leo Carrillo, had been designated as a future park site by the City of Carlsbad and it was hoped that a portion of the property could be set aside for an Arboretum featuring native and drought tolerant plants. The CAF Board of Directors and supporting membership worked towards the goal of establishing a foothold for its plans at Carrillo Ranch, but found that its objectives were not congruent with those of the city.
When it finally seemed unlikely that this project was feasible. CAF turned its focus on the establishment of small gardens at Carlsbad's elementary schools. Beginning with a pilot project at La Costa Meadows Elementary School in 1992, this project quickly blossomed to other school sites. CAF provided fencing, irrigation, soil amendments, seeds and Gro-Lamps to each school and provided instructional material to aid teachers in developing learning opportunities in the gardens. Handsome signs were also provided to display the name that each school chose for its garden. A School Garden Festival was held in Holiday Park in 1994.
In connection with the school gardens, CAF sponsored art contests, to encourage students' observation and appreciation of plant forms. A Compost Poster contest was included in the art program and prizes donated by local merchants were awarded in each school.
In 1995, CAF facilitated participation in the national Historic Tree Planting program, which provided seedling trees from historic sites to be planted on local school grounds.
In 1997 CAF turned its attention towards the planting of a garden in front of the historic Magee House in Carlsbad. Each of the five areas already laid out was designated for a particular type of landscape: Native Plants, Plants Grown commercially in Carlsbad, Old Fashioned Plants from the '20s and '30s, an Herb Garden and a Patriotic Red, White and Blue Garden, in honor of the Bicentennial Time Capsule planted in its midst. As its first hands-on project, CAF has found the Magee Garden to be a highly successful and rewarding endeavor. Maintained on the first Saturday of the month by CAF volunteers, the garden is currently being expanded to include the entire perimeter of the Magee House.