WHERE ARE ALL THE OAKS?
A few weeks ago my parents told me about the hundreds of acorns dropping onto their back patio in Sacramento. As an amateur forager, I asked if they would gather some I could make into acorn flour. "If it's a hassle, no problem," I said, "I do live in a place called oak-land, I'm sure I can find some."
That, it turns out, was a lie. I couldn't think of a single oak tree in my neighborhood and, according to the Oakland Public Tree Map, that's nearly correct – there are only three recorded Coast Live Oaks in walking distance of my apartment, the closest of which is in Bushrod community garden.
So, what happened?
Prior to colonization, much of the East Bay was a dense Coast Live Oak woodland (likely the largest in California!) shared by a huge diversity of creatures and the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people. In 1820, the Spanish governor granted the land to Don Luís María Peralta in recognition of his longtime service to the Spanish military. His four sons lived on the land, clearing many resident oaks to create pasture for cattle and horses. As the area urbanized over the next two centuries, nearly all remaining oak trees were felled to make way for railroads and shipping infrastructure, followed by houses, roads, and restaurants. This infrastructure concentrated in the flats, which today means fewer trees in less wealthy areas of the city. As of February 2026, our district's tree cover is highest in the hills (62%) and lowest in Longfellow (8%), correlating with well-known patterns of disinvestment in Black communities and urban redlining.
While oaks are rarely used as street trees, they are on Oakland's list of approved varieties. As drought resistant, hardy native species, I wonder if planting oaks in tree-deprived areas could play a small part in supporting an ecologically healthier, more equitably tree-shaded Oakland.
If interested, you can:
- Support Alameda Native History Project's acorn harvest (training on Oct. 16th!)
- Plant oak trees with California Releaf or Trees for Oakland
- Tell Zac (our city council member) you want more street oaks!
But, before you do that, go find an oak tree near you. Enjoy its beauty and its shade, notice all the amazing life it supports, and think of what this land was, what it is, and what it could be in the future.
