Los Angeles Needs Stormwater Infrastructure

As a lifelong Los Angeles resident, I understand the extremes that mother nature can throw at us. I recall the droughts of my youth, when we were all urged to be thoughtful about our water use and conserve. I also remember vividly the opposite extreme, when that scarcity turned to plenty, neighborhoods flooded and streams and beaches poisoned by a toxic stew of polluted runoff.

Years later, as Assemblymember representing the San Fernando Valley and then as a LADWP Assistant General Manager, I began to look upon these weather extremes with a sense of obligation.… Read more >>

Have You Spotted These 10 LA Trees?

Time for a quick lesson in dendrology! How many of these trees have you seen around your neighborhood? Here’s the countdown:

10. Bauhinia variegata (Purple orchid tree)

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The Bauhinia variegata is a semi-evergreen tree that is native to Southeast Asia. Not only do the flowers that grow on these trees smell amazing, but they are also used in various foods!

9. Cassia leptophylla (Gold medallion tree)

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The Cassia leptophylla is a semi-evergreen tree with clusters of bright yellow flowers and brown seedpods.… Read more >>

Three Cheers to Our Volunteers!

Did you know TreePeople hosts a Volunteer Celebration? It’s true! Each year, we invite our most dedicated volunteers up to our park for a day of fun to show our thanks.

This year featured our first ever TreePeople Volunteer Olympic Games! Rio has nothing on this. The day was warm and the stakes were high as volunteers gave their all competing in events like: the Tree Stake Ring Ross, Tree Tie Noodle Dance, Mulch Bucket Stacking and TreePeople Trivia Pong.… Read more >>

Partnership: How Boeing Helped Us Plant 80,000 Trees

The July day was hot and the sky was smoky from the Sand Fire, but that didn’t stop the 30 dedicated volunteers from Boeing.

“Boeing’s volunteers are known for being some of the hardest workers,and this morning only proved that.”Volunteer Manager Peter Roquemore

Gathering at the Betty Davis Picnic Area of Griffith Park, the volunteers rolled up their sleeves. Their mission: to water nearly 100 newly planted trees. Their work helped ensure that there will still be shade and beauty after drought, water restrictions and insect pests have devastated the park’s tree population.… Read more >>

Op-Ed: How Drought-Tolerant Landscapes Can Cool LA

Los Angeles is a very unique place with complex challenges when it comes to both water and climate. Moving toward a more climate-resilient LA is a complicated task with a multitude of paths towards a solution. Looking further into how water is used, either through landscape transformations or how water use will affect local temperatures in the future are a step in the right direction for LA. Thankfully, a study by Professor George Ban-Weiss from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering about how changing from traditional lawns to drought tolerant landscape could have an effect on temperatures in LA has been released to assess if changing to drought tolerant landscaping will change temperatures in LA.… Read more >>

3 Water Saving Tips You’ve Never Heard Of

“Flat is so passe…until 1825 it was seldom, if in any year, that the river discharged even during the rainy season its waters into the sea. Instead of having a river way to the sea, the waters spread over the country, filling the depressions in the surface and forming lakes, ponds and marshes. The river water, if any, that reached the ocean drained off from the land at so many places, and in such small volumes, that no channel existed until the flood of 1825, which, by cutting a river way to tide water, drained the marsh land and caused the forests to disappear.”

-Colonel J.… Read more >>

DON’T Make This Tree Pruning Mistake: Q’s to Ask a Professional

This is the third blog in a three part series. Visit part one (on why tree topping is harmful) and two (on when and how much is appropriate to trim) here.

So, you’re ready to prune your trees?  Not so fast!



Here at TreePeople, we strongly recommend hiring a professional tree trimming service to ensure your trees are healthy and properly pruned. If you’re thinking about hiring a professional, make sure you ask these four questions before they get near your trees!… Read more >>