TreePeople
You can’t care about trees without caring about water. The two are intimately connected. That’s why TreePeople has been committed to take rainwater harvesting to scale for over 20 years. Rainwater can and should be a significant part of our water supply. Each month, hundreds of people attend our workshops and install rain tanks at…
El Niño isn’t panning out to be the drought buster we had hoped. Despite the recent rain, scientists believe prolonged drought is in California’s future. We shouldn’t be surprised. The links between climate change and extreme weather patterns are undeniable. Weather satellites marked February as the hottest month on record, and our recent weather has…
What I witnessed in Australia truly shifted my thinking. Once I returned home, I found myself waking up in the middle of the night, thinking about how to transform LA to capture and conserve water. -study trip delegate Councilmember Felipe Fuentes TreePeople is proud to announce the release of our new report, Transferring Lessons from…
Between 1997 to 2010, Australia experienced the devastating “Millennium Drought,” a period that brought the region’s longest stretch of drought on record. Four years in, their drought was similar to California’s current experience: overwhelming and destructive. To learn from Australia’s experience, TreePeople has been leading the way in research to adopt drought solutions locally. In…
Calling all creative TreePeople! If you have been to a tree care, planting or outreach event, you’ve probably noticed the green shirts our staff, volunteer and restoration supervisors wear. It’s a staple of our volunteer events! But we’re ready for a new design and want YOU to be involved! Here’s your chance to become a…
What do Velcro, bullet trains and LED lights have in common? Their designs were inspired by nature. It’s true! The Kingfishers’ ability to dive at into water at high speeds to catch prey inspired the aerodynamic design of modern bullet trains. The tiny seed casings that stick to your clothes while you’re on a hike…
Climate change research is creating wild weather patterns. Here in California, we’re already experiencing the impact. Longer droughts. Flash floods. More intense weather patterns like El Niño. The conditions seem to fluctuate week by week. If that’s our experience now, imagine the impacts we’ll see 10 years from now, and beyond. That’s why TreePeople is…
This year, several scientists intend to make history by declaring that our planet has officially entered the Anthropocene. What is the Anthropocene? We’re currently in the Holocene–a period where Earth’s patterns have been influenced by natural events. Unlike the Holocene, which began about 12,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age, the…
Do you know a hard working, environmentally-minded student that would like an opportunity to win a trip on a marine science boat excursion, AKA, the Floating Lab? Invite them to join the Streets to Sea Challenge! The Streets to Sea Challenge is an inter-school competition for 7th-12th graders that challenges students to create a campaign…
We’re excited to announce the addition of former California State Assembly Member, Cindy Montañez as the new CEO of TreePeople. She will be working alongside our Founder and President, Andy Lipkis to meet the unique climate and environmental challenges our region faces. Cindy is an Angeleno through and through, bringing extensive policy experience and deep…
The Sayre Fire of 2008 burned over 11,000 acres in Sylmar and resulted in the loss of nearly 500 homes. It was the worst loss of homes due to fire in LA’s history. That Thanksgiving, I happened to be taking my first trip to Los Angeles. I remember passing the destruction on the way out…
Exciting news! This week, TreePeople’s rainwater capture leadership in a drought-stricken LA was highlighted in two national stories. Last Sunday the New York Times’ piece, “Storm Water, Long a Nuisance, May Be a Parched California’s Salvation,” quoted our Founder and President, Andy Lipkis pointing out, “There’s a massive amount of water we throw away.” Even…