Pismo Preserve to Instagrammers: Don’t kill our oak tree
Meet Lone Oak — a stately tree that sprouted from a stone bluff above the Pacific Ocean hundreds of years ago.
With her large branches and twisted roots, the coast live oak quickly become an icon of the newly opened Pismo Preserve.
But just five days after the park opened its trails to the public, managers are already worried that the beloved tree could be killed by her stardom.
The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County posted a gorgeous photo of the tree, from a safe distance, with a simple message for social media posters: Back off.
“She won’t be with us much longer if we don’t treat her with respect,” read the Thursday post. “Trampling her roots, leaning on her trunk, and sitting in her branches for the perfect ‘gram’ will guarantee a much shorter life for this amazing tree.”
Conservancy Director Kaila Dettman told The Tribune that staff noticed a few posts on social media that prompted them to ask people to stay on the trail and off the oak’s roots.
“We want to be proactive to protect it. With the incredible attendance we’ve seen — if everyone did that — we know it would be hard on the tree,” Dettman said.
Around a thousand people visited the Preserve each day on opening weekend and several hundred have gone each day since, Dettman estimates. Local hotels are directing tourists there, and residents have so far enjoyed hiking, dog-walking and mountain biking on the 11 miles of trails.
Dettman welcomes the visitors but encourages some consideration: Stay on the trail to #SaveTheLoneOak.
“Do not step on her roots or hang on her branches — no, not even ‘carefully’ — and she will be able to welcome people to the Pismo Preserve for decades more to come,” the post says.
Have you photographed the Lone Oak in a responsible way? We’d love to share your pictures on the The Tribune website. Send your shots to mvaughan@thetribunenews.com.
This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
