By Brian Hiro
A giant oak tree as old as Cal State San Marcos itself was saved this month as part of a large-scale relocation project.
The tree, which was planted around the time of CSUSM’s founding in 1989 and weighs 27 tons, was moved in early September from a plot outside the Arts Building to the area between Kellogg Library and Campus View Drive, near the main circle.
“It’s not every day that you move a tree that size,” said Michelle Alves, a campus planner in Planning, Design and Construction (PDC) who helped supervise the project.
The fate of the tree was thrown into question over the summer when Facilities Development and Management (FDM) began the construction of a new glass elevator on the perimeter of the Arts Building. Because the tree sat right next to the construction zone, the determination was that it would need to be uprooted to give it the best chance of survival.
“That kind of oak tree, you could never buy one. It’s irreplaceable,” Alves said.
