Creating greener, healthier communities takes more than planting a tree. It takes people willing to care for trees, share knowledge, and help make sure the benefits of urban greening reach the neighborhoods that need them most.

That was the spirit behind a recent morning at Lanark Park in San Fernando Valley, where TreePeople welcomed volunteers from Delta Air Lines for a day of hands-on service, environmental education, and community tree distribution. The volunteer event was part of LA28’s Volunteer in the Community program, with TreePeople serving as a community partner.

Together, Delta Air Lines volunteers and TreePeople staff spent the morning caring for 60 trees in and around the park. Volunteers watered, mulched, and weeded the trees, helping provide the care they need to grow and thrive. TreePeople staff also shared demonstrations and hands-on lessons about tree care, giving volunteers an opportunity to learn how consistent stewardship can make a lasting difference.

The day also brought trees directly into the surrounding community. TreePeople distributed 50 fruit trees at no cost to local residents, providing families with an opportunity to grow fresh food at home while adding shade and greenery to their neighborhoods.

Delta Air Lines volunteers helped make the distribution possible from beginning to end. They unloaded and organized trees by species, helped residents throughout the distribution, and made sure each family could take home a tree ready to plant and care for.

For TreePeople, the event reflects a stewardship model built around providing shade equity and garnering support from people and organizations that care deeply. With Delta Air Lines’ support, as a foundational partner in Rooting for LA, we will continue caring for trees three to five years after we’ve planted them with our amazing volunteers. This gives each tree the great start they need to grow expansive canopies, clean our air, and provide other environmental benefits for decades to come.

This long term approach is central to our Rooting for LA initiative. The goal is to create healthier communities and more resilient ecosystems while building a living legacy that continues growing long after the Games are over.

The morning offered an early glimpse of what volunteering around Rooting for LA and the 2028 Games can mean: neighbors working side by side, partners investing in local areas, and service projects designed to impart benefits that extend well beyond a single day.