Clorox® Bleach: Protecting California Oaks
Say California and most people think palm trees. But for generations of Californians, it isn't the palm-tree postcard of Hollywood they imagine when they think of their beloved landscape. It's the outline — sweeping, broad and majestic — of the native California oaks that once covered the state.
Today, it's hard to find an oak in downtown Oakland, home of The Clorox Company and our neighbors, the California Oak Foundation. Increasing population pressures and development are threatening oak sustainability. So is a plant disease known as Sudden Oak Death, which can result when a pathogen called Phytophthora ramorum contaminates the water supply of oak woodlands.
As surprising as it may sound, here's where bleach is helping. Many people believe adding a little bleach to the water in a vase helps keep flowers fresher longer. The same idea is helping the California oaks. When it's determined that the water supply for an oak grove is contaminated, bleach is added to keep the disease from spreading to other trees. As part of its commitment to protecting the oak population, The Clorox Company is providing funding to support a program aimed at helping tree-planting groups and teaching middle-school children about the threats to the oak population. The curriculum will bring the story of the oaks to 4,000 schools throughout the state. For more information about the program and the California Oak Foundation, visit www.californiaoaks.org. |
