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.

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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.

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

The Canyon Comes Alive – TreePeople Presents’ Year In Review

Sitting high above Los Angeles, overlooking the legendary Laurel Canyon with all of its musical history, TreePeople’s S. Mark Taper Foundation Amphitheatre might just be the best kept secret in all of Southern California. For over 25 years, it’s been home to some of the most exciting performances the city has to offer and this…

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School Greening Update – Fall 2024

Celebrating Pacoima Middle School’s Brand New Living Schoolyard In late September, our School Greening team joined Pacoima Middle School to celebrate their brand new Living Schoolyard, a project led by TreePeople in partnership with LAUSD, SLA, and the California Natural Resources Agency. Principal Garcha shared her pride in seeing the Schoolyard come to life after…

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The world is stressful right now. Forest bathing can help.

Unfortunately, there’s an awful lot to be anxious about in our world today. One thing that can help you feel more grounded, peaceful, or even hopeful? Reconnecting with nature. Shinrin-yoku—which translates to “forest bathing”—is an ecotherapy practice that originated in Japan, which simply involves spending mindful, restorative time in in a forest or other natural…

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How to find fall color in Southern California

Some people say we don’t have fall in Southern California… and it’s true our seasons do work a little differently here.  Because we have a Mediterranean-type climate, the time of year we call fall is really more like a shift from “hot and dry season” to “cool and wet season.” And because the cool season…

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