About

The Kate Session Commitment

Kate Sessions, touted as the Mother of Balboa Park, is a historic San Diego figure who embodies an environmental legacy that has a visible impact throughout the early settled parts of our city. Kate’s commitment to planting shade trees in San Diego offers a relevant local platform for reigniting a community based stewardship tree planting program to support local Climate Action Plan.

Based on an arrangement that Kate Sessions developed with city leaders to plant 100 trees per year in Balboa Park, the Kate Sessions Commitment is a program designed with the goal of increasing tree canopy coverage one community at a time, and inspiring all neighborhoods to protect and be proud of their trees.

Bronze statue of Kate Sessions located in Balboa Park's Sefton Plaza.
Bronze statue of Kate Sessions located in Balboa Park’s Sefton Plaza.

Each community is invited to pledge to the Kate Sessions Commitment and to plant 100 trees per year. Community engagement programs will include education of Kate Sessions’ legacy, and working with local residents to select key areas within their neighborhood where tree canopy coverage is most desirable. By taking action, residents will learn the fundamentals of planting trees, environmental stewardship and commit to ongoing watering and maintenance.