I’ve been reflecting on my time as TreePeople’s Volunteer Manager as I prepare to take on life’s next adventure to pursue my graduate degree in Urban Planning at UCLA this Fall. Over the past two years, I’ve been moved by the community of volunteers I get to work with every day.
I’ll never forget the mornings I woke up bright and early, making coffee and loading up the trucks for a day out in the field with the change makers of LA– the city I call home.… Read more >>
Our Director of Park Operations, Jim Hardie and his wife, Eileen Knight have been the “it” couple around TreePeople for many years and contributed so much to the organization, but their real pride and joy has been our summer entertainment series, Once Upon a Canyon Night.
After 15 seasons of beautiful music, hysterical comedy and powerful theater, it only makes sense that the start of Once Upon a Canyon Night came from the love and passion of these two amazing people.… Read more >>
The future of LA’s trees is in the hands of the next generation of Angelenos this summer.
After five years of historic drought and extreme heat, many of LA’s trees are thirsty and vulnerable. And without healthy trees shading campuses and communities, students suffer— the air they breathe isn’t clean, they don’t have access to green space to cool down and even have their health impacted.
Thankfully for the third summer in a row, TreePeople’s Youth Leadership Program has invited LA area high school students to take climate action and join in on our Summer Tree Care Internship.… Read more >>
LA just increased its coolness factor by $320,000!
On the heels of a sweltering summer, the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council of the U.S. Forest Service awarded the Los Angeles Urban Cooling Collaborative (LAUCC), a national partnership led by TreePeople, a $320,000 grant to fund life-saving urban heat research.
The LAUCC is a unique national partnership between nonprofit groups, universities, government agencies and other experts with a goal to create neighborhood-by-neighborhood prescriptions against heat. The Collaborative is developing the most effective dose of trees plus reflective roofs and surfaces in order to save lives and make LA more livable, both today and in tomorrow’s changing climate.… Read more >>
Many people assume that LA is a desert— it’s not. Actually, we are one of the few places on Earth that enjoy a Mediterranean climate. That’s one of the reasons we all love living here. Regions like ours enjoy mild winters and warm summers. But you may have noticed that summers are feeling extra hot lately!
With the ever-increasing threat of climate change, extreme heat is in our future. Even with the rains we saw over the winter, we still face unprecedented times.… Read more >>
“One tree is magic when you have none, two trees are hope when you have one, and three trees are a forest for learning, healing, and dreams.” Rosa Furumoto, Parent Pioneers
Last month, TreePeople, along with our passionate partners at Parent Pioneers, transformed the campus of San Fernando Elementary School. Our team went in and removed 1,284 sq ft of asphalt to make room for 57 new trees to shade the schoolyard and protect kids from rising heat. Over a span of a few weekends, and with the help of 200 dedicated volunteers, the elementary school students now have a safer space to play and learn!… Read more >>
LA’s water pollution doesn’t stand a chance against our youth.
This spring, our Generation Earth program hosted the yearly Streets to the Sea Challenge. The projects presented inspired and taught us all so much.
Each year, Generation Earth asks middle and high school students from all over Los Angeles County to create campaigns to educate their peers about water pollution and how to take actions to protect local water supplies on their campuses and in surrounding communities.… Read more >>