Let Me Tell You About the Data and the Trees

4,700 volunteers at 231 forestry events…236,839 students touched by campus projects…more than 700 volunteers caring for our park…1,981 trees planted and more than 9,500 plants nurtured…

There is a lot going on at TreePeople, to say the least. And that means a lot to track and plan so that we can handle it all – with success!

Trees Count on Us, so We Count Our Work

When most people think of nature, they tend not to think of a database. Data, however, is an integral part of all our work.… Read more >>

Environmental Learning Takes Root at Vena Ave. Elementary

Take a minute to think about your average school playground here in LA.

Chances are what you’re envisioning more closely resembles a long-forgotten parking lot  – a barren, treeless expanse of cracked blacktop that fades into a mirage as the sun beats down upon it. This is a far cry from a welcoming and hospitable environment for children to learn.

It doesn’t need to be like this.

Study after study has shown the importance of nature and green spaces in the lives of children – from improving memory and cognition, increasing attention span and lowering aggressive behavior, to protecting their developing bodies from harmful pollutants.… Read more >>

Time to Plan, Not to Plant!

Are you thinking about finally getting around to replacing that brown lawn in your front yard?  

Thinking of taking advantage of LADWP’s Cash for Grass rebate?  

Envious of your neighbor that already has a climate-ready garden?

Well, take a breath… the hot, rainless months of summer are coming, and they are not the best time to plant. Instead, it is a great time to plan the garden you’ve always dreamed of!

Do Your Homework

Before you start designing your garden, follow these four steps to get to know your landscape a little better:

  1. Determine your climate zone.
… Read more >>

We Call Her Big Mama Oak

We call her Big Mama Oak.

Most hikers in Coldwater Canyon Park probably don’t know her by name, but I am well acquainted with her. She has likely been a resident of our park for somewhere between 200 and 300 years.

Coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia), like Big Mama Oak, can live to be 850 to 1,500 years old!

From providing food and shelter to countless animal species to cleaning the air we breathe, helping store water and combat erosion, these oaks are the cornerstone of our local ecosystems.… Read more >>

TreePeople & LA Take a Giant Step Toward Resilience

“Resilience is a value that guides everything we do in Los Angeles, because we know that the decisions we make today will shape the future our children and grandchildren will inherit. The Resilient Los Angeles plan will help us strengthen our infrastructure, protect our economy, make our institutions more inclusive, and create safer neighborhoods.”
– Mayor Eric Garcetti

Last month, the City of LA took a big step toward becoming more climate-ready when it published its first-ever Resilience Strategy. The strategy is part of the global 100 Resilient Cities effort pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation.… Read more >>

Magnificent March for Green Youth Leaders

“Our youths are the roots of our future and the leaf canopy to our human existence.
They must thrive, and we must empower them too.”

Students across LA are leading the charge in their communities like never before! Just last month, TreePeople’s Youth Leadership Program accomplished some magnificent numbers:

  • 130 Youth Directly Engaged In Events
  • 40+ Native Plants Cared For at Coldwater Canyon Park
  • 120 Trees Cared For around LA
  • 600+ square feet of California Poppy Seeds Planted

From Youth Leadership Summits to Park Tree Care events, students are getting involved every day to create a greener, healthier future for all Angelenos.… Read more >>

Growing a Greener Future One Acorn at a Time

In 1977, TreePeople set roots at Coldwater Canyon Park, a 45-acre slice of wonder hidden in the Santa Monica mountains. The former fire station is home to miles of hiking trails, magnificent old oak trees, and some of the most scenic vistas in the LA.  For over 40 years, we’ve had a profound connection to not only this hilly outcrop that we call home, but to the entire mountain range that surrounds us and the city. That is why we here at TreePeople are committed to preserving and restoring the wildlands in the Santa Monica Mountains for generations to come.… Read more >>

The Spirit of Place

Working at TreePeople, if I am going to talk the talk, I felt I needed to walk the walk.

Some years ago I began converting my traditional lawn-covered yard into a more sustainable, climate-ready version. My husband was game, thrilled that he would not have to mow anymore! In addition to removing the lawn, we also redirected our existing garage downspout into a front yard rain garden to capture precious rainwater, planted natives and other low-water-use plants, and added fruit trees (yum!).… Read more >>

Growing a Green Future at Carthay Elementary

A green future is a bright future when it involves our schools.

Last month, TreePeople, along with our partners Boeing and The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation, helped transform the campus of Carthay Center Elementary School. With the aid of students, teachers, and all manner of volunteers from the local community, our team installed an interactive learning garden of over 600 native plants at the front of the campus! Every plant was carefully chosen for its value to local birds and insects, offering the students new ways to learn and connect with the natural world that surrounds us.… Read more >>

The Shape of the Landscape

As of the end of January, LA had seen just 28% of its average precipitation since October – the official beginning of our region’s rainy season. On the heels of another incredibly dry winter, 22% of California is still in “severe drought” – so doing what we can in our yards is essential!

Mother Nature Knows Best

In natural areas, the landscape is perfectly laid out to reap all the benefits of rainwater. During storms, rain falls to the ground and flows through the hills and valleys of the land allowing it to slow down, spread out, and then sink into the soil.… Read more >>