Did you know we host volunteer opportunities nearly every weekend? Our events bring thousands of people together to lend a hand in our local forests to heal our mountains, dig in at city parks, chip in to green LA’s schools and help beautify and maintain our own Coldwater Canyon Park every year. Together we are a powerful force with the support of our dedicated community, and these events wouldn’t be the enjoyable experiences they are without our corp of committed Volunteer Supervisors.
This spring, we were fortunate to bring aboard a diverse group of UCLA students—from a freshman Chicana/o Studies major to a junior Pre-Business/Economics major—who stepped up as Volunteer Supervisors, and whose enthusiasm for our work and reliable support has been a big help to our Forestry staff and a shared success story.
The students volunteered with us as part of a Civic Engagement course at UCLA whose focus was “engaging Los Angeles.” In addition to attending class, they also were required to volunteer regularly with a local nonprofit to gain real world experience, and we were fortunate enough to have them join our ranks.
Initially, the student volunteers from UCLA attended two urban forestry tree planting events at Griffith Park in Los Feliz. Afterwards, they were ready to train to be Volunteer Supervisors. At the fun, informative, and hands-on training at Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace, they learned how important Supervisors are to a successful community event, as well as the technical skills required to plant and care for trees.
They helped support our Forestry department by managing volunteers at various urban events such as overseeing both tree planting and tree care at Sylmar Elementary School as well as working with volunteers at a Citizen Science data collection. At each of these events they learned various technical aspects of urban forestry, along with leadership and community organizing skills, all while giving back to the city.
Wearing Different Hats
If you’d like to have an impact on LA, become a Volunteer Supervisor! Our volunteer supervisors have various ways of getting involved—whether they love fresh, mountain air, or feel invigorated by greening an urban street.
In the Santa Monica Mountains, Restoration Supervisors lead teams in replanting of natives, removal of invasive species and the revitalization of our local watersheds. To bring vitality back to the Angeles National Forest, trained and committed Angeles Restoration Supervisors make sure the trees are planted and cared for correctly while also helping create enjoyable experiences for their volunteer groups. Volunteer Supervisors also play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of volunteers and supporting our staff at our urban forestry events in parks and at schools in the LA community.
As long as you’re at least 16 years of age, all you need to do is volunteer at at least two Forest Restoration events (or two urban forestry events to be an Urban Forestry supervisor), then join us for a weekend training. New Supervisors will receive a T-shirt and name badge! For mountain and urban forestry volunteer opportunities and dates for upcoming trainings, see our calendar.