Throughout TreePeople’s Legacy Grove, native trees grow alongside names, messages, and memories that carry personal stories.
Each dedication reflects a connection to a loved one, to the natural world, to Los Angeles, and to the generations who will experience this landscape in the years ahead. Together, they are part of a place shaped by care: for the people we love, the environment we share, and the future we hope to leave growing.
Through their dedications, Legacy Grove Members Adrienne Adar and Julie Schmid share what it means to carry love, memory, and care forward.
From generation to generation
Adrienne’s connection to TreePeople began long before she dedicated a Tree Plaque in honor of her mother.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Adrienne first visited Coldwater Canyon Park on a school field trip, and the experience would stay with her well beyond that day.
“As a child, coming to Coldwater Canyon with my class, I learned that this isn’t just ‘nature out there’—this is our home, and we’re responsible for taking care of it. Planting trees and learning how everything lives together here shaped my understanding of what it means to be part of an ecosystem.”
This understanding was also nurtured at home.
Adrienne remembers her mother tending a garden for decades, walking her through it and noticing which plants needed water or pruning. Caring for living things was not something her mother needed to formally teach. It was simply part of the way she lived, and through example, something she passed along to her daughter.
“In Hebrew we say dor l’dor—from generation to generation. Planting trees and tending this landscape is a way for me to pass that love of the environment on to the next generation, just as it was passed to me.”
Adrienne chose to place her mother’s plaque next to a mature buckeye tree with a low, generous canopy and distinct seasonal changes. Each visit offers something a little different as the tree marks the passing of time. And for Adrienne, seeing her mother’s name there brought together remembrance and stewardship in a uniquely living way.
“Every time I visit, it looks a little different. That rhythm of the tree—the way it marks time—has become part of how I think about memory, grief, and renewal.”
A place for hope to keep growing
Julie dedicated a Legacy Grove Tile in memory of her late husband, Jason, whom she described as the love of her life.
For Julie, honoring Jason at TreePeople felt connected to both who he was and the life they shared together. Jason cared about the environment profoundly, and Julie remembers him as tall, grounded, and resilient, ”much like trees.” The couple called Studio City home, and nearby trails were places they could spend time together in nature.
After Jason passed in 2020, Julie continued returning to the trails. Surrounded by the quiet stillness of nature, she found space to slow down and remember.
“In a city that is constantly pulling us in so many directions, I think it is important to get out into nature, slow down, and make space to reflect.”
That connection to nature was part of what drew Julie to Legacy Grove.
“I loved the idea of his name being at TreePeople, where the people who loved him could come for a hike, spend time in nature, and have a place to feel connected to him.”
This dedication also carries forward the defining force behind Jason’s life: hope. Even through the most difficult moments, she remembers him finding a “seed of hope” and embracing life fully.
“I hope that seeing his name at Legacy Grove will keep a little piece of him alive, that people will be inspired by his dedication and his hope, and that those who loved him will see his name and smile. I hope the trees planted in his honor grow tall and strong, providing beauty, shade, and cleaner air for generations to come.”
What we carry forward
Adrienne and Julie’s stories reflect the belief that what we care for today can continue growing long into the future. That idea has shaped TreePeople for more than 50 years and counting.
A love of nature can be passed from one generation to the next. A memory can find a home in a living landscape. A tree planted today can grow to provide shade, habitat, cleaner air, and beauty for people we may never meet.
TreePeople’s Legacy Grove offers a meaningful way to honor the people and stories we carry with us while supporting a greener future for Los Angeles. If there is someone meaningful in your life whose story you would like to carry forward, we invite you to find a place for their memory here.
[Learn more about our Legacy Grove here]
A meaningful tribute can also be shared with those who hold the same memories close. Through our Tree Dedication Cards, you can honor someone special with a symbolic tree dedication while sending a heartfelt message of remembrance to a loved one. Each mailed card celebrates life, supports a greener Los Angeles, and offers a thoughtful way to let someone know that the people they love are remembered.
[Honor someone with a Tree Dedication Card here]
The stories we leave behind are shaped by what we choose to carry forward. The people we love, the places that have shaped us, and the causes we believe in can all become part of the future we help create.
For those who want their care for the environment to continue for generations to come, including TreePeople in a will or estate plan is one meaningful way to make that possible.
Through our partnership with FreeWill, you can create or update your will for free and in less than 20 minutes. This resource is yours to use whether or not you choose to include TreePeople, helping you plan for the people and causes that matter most to you.
[Create or update your will here]
Have you already made a planned gift to TreePeople? Please let us know by completing our Gift Intent Form.
Your support creates healthier, greener, and more resilient communities for generations to come. However you choose to care for the future, we are grateful to have you as part of the TreePeople community.
With heartfelt gratitude,
The TreePeople Team
“Legacy Grove turns something that feels so finite into a kind of forward motion.” – Adrienne Adar