GROWING WISHES–Klaas tomDieck, a third-grader at Sycamore Canyon School in Newbury Park, wished for a friend on an orange blossom. He’s thankful his wish came true. STEPHANIE BERTHOLDO/Acorn Newspapers Two small orange trees behind the National Park Service headquarters in Thousand Oaks are being used by a local psychologist to help children overcome depression and other emotional issues.

For Klaas tomDieck, a thirdgrade student at Sycamore Canyon Elementary School in Newbury Park, the trees are magical.

Klaas moved to the United States from Germany in 2007 and has had difficulty making friends because of language barriers and other issues, said Judy Welch, a psychologist and family therapist in Thousand Oaks.

Welch, whose office is a fiveminute walk from the park service center, has been taking her young clients to visit the orange trees for 15 years. She tells them to make a small wish on an orange blossom or a slightly bigger wish on green oranges, which cannot be picked from the tree’s branches until the fruit is ripened. When the fruit turns orange and is ready for picking—which only happens twice a year—Welch tells youngsters that their greatest wishes are being heard.

When Klaas wished for a friend on an orange blossom, it was granted within two days, he said.

“I met (Max) on the playground,” Klaas said. “I play with him at all the recesses.”

Klaas made a second wish this past summer.

“I went back and picked a really big orange,” he said, revealing that his second wish was for more friends like Max. Since Klaas had picked a ripe orange, he said he wished he could make nine more friends.

“Big wishes take a little longer,” Klaas said. “It will take a few months.”

On one journey to the tree, Klaas met Rubin Rojo, a 30-year employee with the Conejo Valley Recreation and Park District who has been keeping the trees alive by watering them on his own time.

“When I got there the trees were all dried up,” Rojo said. “I felt bad for them and started watering them. They came back really nice.”

Rojo was pleased to meet Klaas at the tree site and happy to learn how much the trees meant to the boy. When he found out later that their meeting had inspired Klaas to write a story about the trees—and him—he was moved.

In the story, Klaas recounts how he made wishes on the tree and how he met Rojo. “I want to talk about Ruben who made the tree come alive,” wrote Klaas. “He didn’t come too often, but came enough to keep them alive. He first came about eight years ago to feed and water the tree. Then he got busy and didn’t come much until his summer. Ruben brought his hose from home and gave the tree water. Then the tree came back to good health. Now thanks to Ruben the tree is better and alive so more kids can make wishes.”

Welch said she often takes children outside for “Walk ’N Talk” therapy.

“Children seem able to communicate more freely; the outdoors gives them a sense of freedom and is less confining,” Welch said. “Taking a walk can be relaxing, has a calming effect (and) is nonthreatening. Nature is a child’s natural playground, and they respond accordingly. My idea of the Magic Orange Tree was to appeal to a child’s sense of fantasy, opening up a window to their imagination. It has proven (to be) a positive inroad for many children with different therapeutic issues. The therapeutic power of the imagination, like wishing on a tree, is magical,” she said.

While Klaas continues to adjust to a new school, customs and country, he has had time to think about what he wants in life.

“I want to be a millionaire and make video game systems for kids,” he said. “But I wouldn’t buy a big house, (just a) house with a private beach. I’d save my money for school, college.”

Klaas, a budding artist, created a thank-you card for Rojo and says he likes to draw as a hobby. On one visit to the tree, he sat down to sketch the magical plant.

“I believe in magic—sort of,” Klaas said.