Blog

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…

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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…

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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…

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Youth Leaders Aim for Climate-Ready Schools!

The future of our environment lies in the hands of our teens, and we couldn’t be more excited! Earlier this month, our Environmental Education department hosted one of our favorite events, The Youth Leadership Summit. Every year we invite students from all over the County who are eager to change the future of LA’s environmental…

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Everyone has a Tree Story

“Everyone has a tree story.” Chris Imhoff, our Director of Program Development, would know, as she’s been working with TreePeople since 1979. They say when you work in nonprofit, you wear a lot of hats. In Yurt Village, we like to say that Chris has worn them all. Chris began with TreePeople as an Intern…

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Cause a Chain Reaction: How To Install a Rain Chain

As we all wait patiently for winter rains, installing a rain chain will add a fun, new aesthetic to your garden to make stormy days a little more fun. Wildflowers popping up from the warmth of the spring will love them too! Install a rain chain! Rain chains are functional, beautiful alternatives to downspouts. Instead…

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I Am TreePeople: Yujuan Chen

Los Angeles is on the cusp of something big. Every day, more and more Angelenos are waking up to the threats climate change and extreme heat bring to life in the city. For over 40 years, TreePeople has committed itself to fighting for a greener and healthier Los Angeles. From Watts to the Santa Monica…

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First Look: 300 Free Fruit Trees Planted for San Fernando

If there’s one thing Angelenos can agree on, it’s that we have a special place in our hearts for fruit trees. From classic citrus, savory stone fruit, or (the millennial favorite) avocado, our city is blessed to have these trees thrive and bloom all year long. So it’s no surprise that there was no shortage…

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$35 Million to Heal Watts

Watts’ history is a tangled fabric of beauty and tension. Like threads weaving through a quilt, its story is a mixed patchwork of personality, diversity– but also pain. Streets running through the city hold deep memories of conflict and fire, but like the Watts Towers, the people’s resilience and character are strong. It’s been 53…

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Cooling LA to Save Lives

How do you cope with heat waves? Do you go swimming? Go to the movies? Crank up the air conditioning and stay home? While these are all great options for most of us, many of these are not available to our fellow Angelenos. Half of LA’s households do not have air conditioning. For some households,…

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I Am TreePeople: Neenah and Tiffany Paige

In 1981, TreePeople set a lofty goal to plant 1 million trees in Los Angeles by the start of the 1984 Olympics. This would be a towering feat for any organization, but TreePeople gathered all of its muscle to get it done. Many trees were distributed through local schools and field trips to TreePeople’s Coldwater…

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2017: Making Strides in Creating a Climate-Ready LA

Happy New Year! From the TreePeople family to yours, we hope you had a wonderful holiday season and New Years! We are starting off 2018 with a tremendous feeling of gratitude due to all of the milestones we reached last year– all which not have been possible if it wasn’t for people like you! Let’s…

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