It was such a pleasant surprise to volunteer for Tree People. I’ve always been passionate in caring for our Earth and sustainability, and after Tree People reached out to see if I’d get involved, there was no hesitation to lend a hand.

Everything was provided for us when we got there; the only hard thing you have to do is decide on what you want to name your little sapling (ours varied between Some Disney characters and our own family member names). And I was grateful they made it so simple to do because as you saw from the photos I brought my 5-year-old son to volunteer with me, which is a task in itself! I could see that he was at an age where he’s constantly learning and I wanted to show him what I myself was passionate about, especially cuz we do so much of our own gardening at home. I could see that during the process, it gave him a perspective on what is important and how to take care of Mother Nature. 

A surprising fact I found out while questioning some of the Tree People volunteers, was that it took them up to 8 years to approve the planting of the new vegetation. I thought “that’s so long, it should be a no brainer for them to allow people who are willing to replant the areas that were once burned and need new life.” But, it’s actually good to know that laws are in place to protect these areas of Los Angeles that actually need it. 

My advice to anyone who’s giving volunteer work a thought, so please don’t think twice about making it a plan to sign up! It was such a serene experience driving out to the location, away from the city, and doing something my heart yearned to do.

To feel like you can be a part of a positive movement surrounding the “Selfish LA Hoopla,” I think that’s what a lot of us are missing.

Visit our Flickr album to see more photos of this planting!