In the early ’70s, a Cal Poly plant science class moved a pine tree to an open plot of land on the north side of campus. Five decades later, through the work of countless class projects and student works, the land has grown into a 5-acre space full of hundreds of plant species from climates around the world.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Leaning Pine Arboretum’s existence. Over the years, the Leaning Pine Arboretum has provided the San Luis Obispo community and Cal Poly students with a place to learn and be mindful in nature.
“Our students see the results of their efforts and decisions, and learn valuable lessons that make them work-ready and knowledgeable citizens,” the Leaning Pine Arboretum website said.
What’s in the arboretum?
The land continues to provide educational opportunities for Cal Poly students and a peaceful place for the San Luis Obispo community to gather in nature today, as arboretum manager Tiffany Faulstich begins to plan for expansions and renovations.
Mediterranean basin, South African, Californian, Chilean and Australian regions comprise the main gardens of the Leaning Pine Arboretum, according to its website. These Mediterranean climates are the focus of the land and are characterized by short periods of rain and long periods of dryness, Faulstich said.
“The whole purpose of this learning space and educational space for students, as well as the community, is to show them that, ‘hey, there are a lot of plants that you can use in built environments, in sites, in projects, in residential homes that don’t have to use a lot of water, that are adaptable to our climate,’” Faulstich said.
The property also encompasses entry, dwarf and unusual conifer, formal, primitive and palm and aloe gardens. Since 1973, students in the plant science department — which was then called environmental horticulture science (EHS) — have designed, built and maintained the gardens in classes and at work with the help of faculty.
A 2000 edition of Cal Poly Magazine said the arboretum initially encompassed plants from just two regions: California and Australia. Emeritus professor and previous arboretum director Tom Eltzroth was credited with broadening the arboretum’s focus to Mediterranean species in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Student involvement
Students have always been able to create project proposals detailing a new plant or item they want to bring to the arboretum and how they are going to do so. Students and faculty managers work closely to see their ideas come to fruition.
“Being able to collaborate with them is a great opportunity for me because they’re amazing, and they think of all kinds of wonderful, amazing things to do … so that collaborative piece is really beneficial for both of us,” Faulstich said.
Each student has a collection in the garden that they consistently maintain among the various tasks Faulstich assigns to them each shift. Faulstich said it’s important for students to have the opportunity to work on something like the arboretum because while it’s one thing to learn about something in lecture, it’s another to work with the concept hands-on.
“They may have touched on something, they may have had one lab on a certain topic, but if they want to immerse themselves even deeper, this gives them the opportunity to do that,” she said.
The five Mediterranean climates produce a wide variety of plant species, from palm trees to redwoods. Photos by Emily Tobiason
Plant science senior Nathan Tinkess began working at the arboretum this quarter. He said he enjoys being outside and working with plants.
“If you want a job in the landscape industry, or if you want to work at a botanical garden after graduating, I think that hands-on experience is the best way to prepare for that,” Tinkess said. “And that’s what the arboretum provides.”
The arboretum in its early years
In the ’70s, a turf management class installed the lawns seen on the land today and an irrigation system that replaced hand-watering, according to a 1980 edition of Mustang Daily. This fall quarter, a landscape class is working on a drip irrigation system for part of the land.
Tinkess likes that he can “make a difference” at the arboretum, by contributing to a space that educates and is open to the public.
Also according to the 1980 edition of Mustang Daily, consistent work on the Leaning Pine Arboretum didn’t begin until around 1977. At the time of the paper’s release, the land was only open to the Cal Poly community for coursework and labs and had not yet opened to the public.
“[The creators] did a really good job and were very thoughtful and methodical about how they planned everything,” Faulstich said. “The use of the land is very smart, and the way they graded the land to store water is very ingenious and way far ahead of their time.”
Faulstich said the land was made to be well-balanced, with the plants and soil providing habitat for wildlife, the land efficiently storing water and the layout requiring little pruning.
“Those are just some basic things about this space that make it so wonderful and already sustainable,” she said.
Future projects
Going forward, Faulstich has a few projects she hopes to have completed within the next year. These include installing perimeter fencing, extending the Mediterranean and South African gardens and expanding the garden pathways to improve the land’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.
Currently, the arboretum staff are unable to plant anything new because deer will come onto the property and eat the new plants, Faulstich said. So, she wants to install fencing to keep the deer out and allow for the replanting of species that had been on the land previously.
“There’s no fancy landscape architecture drawing, there’s no fancy design or anything like that,” Faulstich said. “It’s really trying to put back what was here and had been lost.”
Faulstich has another set of projects she hopes to complete in the next three years that will be funded by a $1 million donation the arboretum received in 2022.
The first is to upgrade the irrigation system, which entails getting water filters, installing systems that track water usage and weather and digging shallow trenches for wiring, she said. The second project will replace interpretive signage that was damaged by the sun or insects and install street and parking signs that better guide visitors to the arboretum.
Signs placed throughout the arboretum provide information on the gardens and the plants within them, as well as tips and tricks for those who want to grow the plants themselves. Photos by Emily Tobiason
Another project is renovating the arboretum’s current catering and barbecue spaces. Faulstich said she hired a landscaping company to install a counter space, storage cabinets and a sink near the welcome kiosk in hopes of hosting more events and raising funds to increase the student workers’ pay.
Faulstich is also working to expand the arboretum by 3 acres and get the space site certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The new space will house plants that aren’t from Mediterranean climates, like those from the southwestern U.S. and Baja California.
“If it doesn’t fall within one of those five collections, there’s really nowhere to put these plants, and they’re great plants,” she said.
Unless professionals are needed, students will get to complete these projects, Faulstich said.
“Because they take ownership of it, it’s not the same when a contractor comes in and does it,” she said. “I like to save as much as I can for the students to work on.”
Once the projects are completed, students will continue to look after their collections and expand upon the more than 50 years of work they and others have done. More information on the Leaning Pine Arboretum, including hours of operation and location, can be found here.