Jensen Hallstrom with a family of garden visitors! Photo by Linda Fry.
Neighbors and volunteers were disheartened to find that a Fullerton City Landscape Crew had removed multiple trees at a beloved community garden on May 5. This was the first instance of any plant removal from the garden since its establishment in late 2017, nearly a decade ago. The removal occurred without any prior notice to neighbors or volunteers.
Affectionately known as “the butterfly garden,” the space is located along the Fullerton Loop Trail between Euclid Street and Richman Knoll and has become a popular rest stop for families and visitors of all ages. What was once an open field dominated by invasive seasonal weeds has, through years of volunteer effort, been transformed into a thriving habitat of California native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers.
Cooper’s hawks circle overhead while hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees pollinate blooming sages. Western fence lizards sun on rocks and logs as scrub jays chirp among the oak trees. Carefully planted and maintained by community volunteers, the guerrilla garden has been thoughtfully curated to connect visitors with the rich diversity of California’s native flora.
On the morning of May 5, a city landscape crew had removed two Sequoia trees from the space — one of which had been lovingly planted as a memorial for a volunteer’s daughter. Both trees were in a small section of the garden representing the central coast.
During the removal, a concerned trail-side resident alerted garden volunteers to the crew’s actions. Neighbors and several volunteers quickly arrived and voiced their concerns over the work before recovering the trees.
The incident upset community members, who say the city focused on removing healthy trees while leaving maintenance and safety problems along the trail unaddressed. Concerns about nearby hazards, including paths that have washed away or have deep crevices that make walking on them difficult, standing dead trees, were shrugged off by the crew lead, casting doubt on the city’s prioritization of trail management. One such hazardous tree recently dropped a large, dead branch, damaging a neighbor’s chain-link fence.
For many involved, the removals struck at the heart of the grassroots effort, which transformed a neglected stretch of trail into a thriving educational and ecological space. Residents, businesses and organizations have made generous contributions over the years, providing materials and resources for plantings and maintenance.
Some local businesses, including Organix Environmental Services, donated mulch, and Fullerton Ace Hardware donated supplies and materials. Native trees were purchased from Tree of Life Nursery with a $500 donation from the Women’s Club of Fullerton in 2022. All plantings are well-established and continue to thrive thanks to these community partnerships and volunteers.
The garden has become widely known in the community through the work of environmental advocate Jensen Hallstrom. Most of the garden has been planted by local youth and families who have participated in volunteer events focused on habitat restoration and environmental education.
Hallstrom’s mission has been to enhance the space through community stewardship and inspire engagement with local ecology. Despite the setback, volunteers say they remain committed to maintaining the garden, strengthened by their determination to preserve the space and the volunteer spirit that built it.
Concerned community members may submit letters of support to City Manager Eddie Manfro at eddie.manfro@cityoffullerton.com.
Those interested in volunteering can contact fullertonurbanforest@gmail.com.
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Categories: Community Voices, Education, Health, Local Government, Local News
This area of the trail that has been decorated is not city sponsored or permitted. Hallstrom is not allowed to leave debris wherever he wants and call it the voice of the community.
Hello Trail Walker,
What you call debris, hundreds of local children and families cherish as a beautiful rest stop along the trail. What do you call the voice of the community if not many people of all ages who enjoy this space? I certainly value that real community voice of countless trail walkers over 8+ years who have expressed their sincere appreciation for the garden and the value it provides as a space for families. Local schools have had field trips to the garden to teach students about native plants and their ecosystems.
Many families have been visiting the garden weekly, some even daily, for years and their children have grown up playing on the stumps and planting California native plants which are all well maintained and improve the overall enjoyment and ecological value of the trail. The beautiful patches of California Poppies along the trail which i’m sure you have seen along the trail have been established by volunteers. Does that unpermitted seeding of California Poppies, our state flower, also upset you? Why should it, really?
What about any of this does not align with your values or viewpoints? Ironically, you don’t seem one bit concerned about the neglect and lacking maintenance of the trail overall as many hazardous, dead, and declining trees have been allowed to overhang trails and private yards as it was stated in the article that a large, dead pepper tree recently dropped a limb onto a fence. The trails themselves have been severely eroded with sections that are becoming dangerous to walk or bike on. I’ve personally filled in eroded pits and ruts along the trail which the city has failed to do for years. There are countless hazardous trees around Fullerton including currently 90 foot tall dead eucalyptus trees overhanging the street near Acacia Park and 80 foot tall dying eucalyptus trees in Rolling Hills Park. Is the city permitted to neglect park land for years on end, risking very real instances of possible injury and death from large tree failures? I’ve personally had to report and bring to the awareness of the city dozens of high risk, dead trees across Fullerton’s parks, trails, and streets. These are real hazards that exist in your community and if you valued safety and quality of life in your neighborhood then maybe you’d thank me for my unpermitted work and volunteer contributions to the city rather than attempting to denigrate my work as “debris”.
I respectfully disagree with the characterization of the garden and decorations as “debris.” For nearly 10 years, many members of the community have gathered there, contributed their time and effort, and found value and enjoyment in the space. While I understand concerns about permits and city approval, the intention has always been to create something positive that brings people together and reflects community involvement and care.
Intention is one thing and impact is another. While the community may enjoy congregating and spending time on trails and in parks, that does not give individuals permission to leave branches, tree trunks, paintings, unapproved plants, and other items in public spaces that are used by all residents. Yes this is debris and it is not allowed to be strewed about wherever one wishes. Hallstrom does not work for the city and should not be permitted to leave these items or plant any items on trails or in parks. He is not authorized to do so and should cease these activities.
If you knew “Hansen” and his passion and love for nature and making a beautiful space for everyone to enjoy, you would understand. Through the garden and trail space, he has encouraged young people to explore, plant, create, and experience firsthand the value of caring for the earth and their community. His efforts have inspired curiosity, creativity, and environmental awareness in countless children and families who have spent time there over the years. What negative impact does this butterfly garden have to you?
Children are taught appreciation for nature by learning to leave wild spaces better than they found them. This can include activities like picking up trash from beaches, trails, and open spaces. Appreciation for nature doesn’t include altering community spaces however one chooses, including leaving logs, stumps, and tree branches, and planting bushes and flowers. You are free to design and plant your own home however you wish- but not community spaces. Hallstrom doesn’t own Fullerton’s trees, parks, or trails and should stop acting as if they belong solely to him.
From Editor Saskia Kennedy: Thank you, Tom Fields, for your opinion. However, I disagree. I think caring for and learning about nature are great skills for all children. This little area is a wonderful outdoor classroom for that purpose. This community space is a perfect place for families and volunteers of all ages to meet, learn, and participate. Jensen Hallstrom is very passionate and knowledgeable about native species and does a great job inspiring and teaching children to appreciate and respect nature.
I also think there is plenty of space for you to enjoy without ever having to go to this outdoor nature classroom.
Who made the decision to remove the trees and what was the reason for their removal?
David Bishop, the city landscape lead on site with the crew said that the removal was at the discretion of his boss, director of public works, Stephen Bise.
The reasons provided hinged on the idea that the Sequoia trees could not be properly managed by the volunteers and the city thought that they would grow unattended for years, become tall and large, then potentially die in a heatwave and become a liability and expense for the city to remove. This baseless hypothetical does not match the reality of years of dedicated volunteers who have managed this space and kept it thriving and thoughtfully maintained. These two Sequoia were in a small part of the garden representing the central coast and had thoughtful planning. This included proactive pruning to progressively retain a compact mature canopy and size under 20’ tall in a bonsai form. Gradually stunting and training these trees would prevent the chance for them to ever attain a tall, large size and associated risk potential.
The real answer is that there was no good reason as to the city should be spending it’s time digging out small, healthy trees while nearby trails are dangerously eroded and hazardous, dead trees are currently standing in parks and trails across Fullerton. There are quite a few street trees which the city planted years ago and promptly died and have still been left standing dead with the planting stakes still attached three years later in front of people’s homes yet they take their valuable time to dig out healthy trees which were planted just a month prior and were being well-maintained by community volunteers. There is not one bit of logic or rational reasoning to find there, I think.