Who We Are

Born from the efforts of a teenager over 50 years ago, TreePeople inspires and supports the people of Southern California to come together to plant and care for trees, harvest the rain, and renew depleted landscapes. Through our unique model, we listen to, equip, and train volunteers to green our urban spaces and mountains. TreePeople has activated millions of people in planting and caring for millions of trees.

We work with both educators and students to train the next generation of eco-conscious leaders. We steward thousands of acres of land—maintaining habitats and protecting land from development. We develop original, actionable research that drives science-based policy. We train volunteers on the ground to help build a greener Southern California.

Meet our team →

What We Do

What We Do

Forestry

We restore ecosystems, plant trees, and incorporate nature-based solutions throughout our Southern California streets, mountains, and everywhere in between.

School Greening

We create green learning environments that enhance academic achievement, support health and well-being, and create safe places to play in nature. Through partnerships with school communities and districts, we advocate for, implement, and manage school greening projects to protect students from extreme heat, air pollution, and polluted water.

Education & Youth

We provide students, teachers, and the school community with the knowledge, tools, and support they need to create environmental change.

Coldwater Canyon Park

TreePeople’s 45-acre headquarters on Mulholland Drive in the Santa Monica Mountains offers nature trails, experiential education, and cultural programming and is home to TreePeople’s Native Plant Nursery.

TreePeople Land Trust

We steward more than 3,000 acres of land in the Santa Monica Mountains–protecting these spaces for the benefit of future generations. Programs include public recreation, environmental education, scientific research, and more.

Policy & Research

We conduct cutting-edge research and facilitate policies that support nature-based solutions.

Get Involved

Events at the Park

TreePeople events are where arts and activism converge in Southern California – creating a new space to explore the connections between creativity and the environment.

Native Plants E-Book

Our highly anticipated native plant guide, “Southern California Native Plants: A Starter Guide from TreePeople” is now available for free download! This beautifully illustrated e-book is chock-full of TreePeople’s favorite native plants and trees, garden planning tips, maintenance hints, planting requirements, and other helpful resources.

Shop

For nearly 50 years, TreePeople has planted over 3 million trees with 3 million volunteers across Southern California. Purchasing these products helps us plant and care for the next 3 million!

Tree Dedication Cards

Looking for a way to honor, celebrate, or memorialize a loved one? Purchase physical and virtual cards to send today! Each card supports TreePeople’s mission planting trees and restoring ecosystems, educating the next generation of environmentalists, and researching for our future.

Wildfire Resilience Fund

Wildfires are a natural part of California’s landscape, but their increasing intensity threatens our forests, communities, and green spaces. At TreePeople, we are dedicated to fire resilience, working to restore fire-scarred lands, prevent future devastation, and protect the biodiversity of Southern California. Yet, we can’t do it alone—we need your help.

Donate today to TreePeople’s Wildfire Resilience Fund and be a part of the solution.

Monthly Giving

Canopy funds will directly benefit our initiatives in urban and school greening for underserved communities, support our wildfire restoration initiatives, and allow us to provide environmental education to thousands of students each year.

Blog

Ten invasive plants to watch out for in Southern California

Here at TreePeople, we work to transform degraded wilderness areas into healthy, sustainable, biodiverse ecosystems that provide countless benefits to our communities. When we take on these large-scale restoration projects, a big part of the work involves managing invasive species—aka weeding out harmful, non-native plants that damage the ecosystem by crowding out native species. In…

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School Greening Spring Update

Sparks Middle School Greening is Complete! On Saturday, February 22nd, students, parents, community members, longtime volunteers, and school administrators gathered at Sparks Middle School to plant the remaining 23 trees from TreePeople’s 55-tree plan. Joined by the San Gabriel Valley team, members of the education department, and the Green Infrastructure team, this group put the…

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How to Start a School Greening Project

No student wants to play on asphalt, but unfortunately, many are forced to learn and play at concrete-covered schools with a severe lack of green space. Here at TreePeople, our School Greening team wants to see that change—we are currently greening more than two dozen school campuses to create healthier learning environments that will keep…

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Embracing Roots: TreePeople at The Broad’s Social Forest Celebration 🌳

Recently, TreePeople participated in The Broad Museum’s “Never Stop Planting – Social Forest Community Celebration” at Elysian Park. This vibrant event marked the commencement of the museum’s reforestation initiative, Social Forest: Oaks of Tovaangar, aiming to rejuvenate Los Angeles’ natural landscape while honoring Indigenous traditions. Introducing TreePeople’s Native Plants & Language Project At our booth,…

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