Blog

The Western Drought Hits Our Local Mountains

Spring and early summer are typically the best time of year to experience the incredible beauty of our local mountains. From the charismatic Humboldt lily to the humble larkspur, the rugged lands surrounding the LA Basin teem with unique and brilliant life – but this year was different. The weather station at Van Nuys Airport…

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TreePeople Brings Environmental Education Into The Classroom

Supporting the next generation of environmental leaders has been at the forefront of TreePeople’s mission for almost 50 years — ever since we were founded on the dreams of a 15-year-old boy trying to change the world. That spirit is still growing strong today.  As the new school year starts and teachers and students return…

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HOW-TO: Install a Rain Chain

Rainwater is a precious resource in Los Angeles and the best way to harvest it is to start with your home. Many of our homes have gutters and downspouts installed that direct vital rainwater away from our gardens and directly to the street and storm drains. A great alternative to this is to install a…

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TreePeople distributes free fruit trees to residents living in “food desert”

By Jean-Paul Renaud TreePeople distributed free fruit trees on August 14 to 250 households in Huntington Park, which suffers from some of the worst pollution, lowest shade coverage, and some of the most limited access to healthy food in Los Angeles County. TreePeople staff members and volunteers distributed mango, lemon, orange, and pomegranate trees to…

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HOW-TO: Create Your Own Superbloom

Nursery Manager, Jack Smith shares great tips on how to create your own golden poppy patch in your yard. Here’s some key things to know: Be sure to hand-weed any invasive plants to ensure enough space for your native flowers and place them in the trash so they don’t spread more seeds. Removing invasives helps…

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THE CHAPARRAL NEEDS YOUR HELP

It is 2 am on an unpleasantly warm but predictably unnerving autumn night. The Santa Ana winds are roaring through the hills and valleys of Southern California. Throughout Los Angeles, residents are on edge. It is not the wind that they are afraid of, even though it does have a role to play. It is…

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HOW-TO: Grow Your Own Native Plants

Nursery Manager, Jack Smith and Biological Science Interns Brenna Cheyney and Emily Bowyer recently hosted a webinar to share tips and tricks on how to collect and plant seeds and acorns, the importance of adding native plants and trees to your landscape, and much more! Here’s some key takeaways from the discussion: When collecting seeds…

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SOLUTIONS TO URBAN HEAT

Sadly, not all Californians have the same access to tree canopy and green spaces, especially in urban areas like the San Fernando Valley, South Los Angeles, and Southeast Los Angeles. As a result, heat-related deaths are usually higher here than anywhere else in the region. Check out this graphic below for more information on research that…

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HOW-TO: Capture Rainwater at Home

Although it doesn’t look like rain is in the forecast for the foreseeable future, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared once the winter storms come back. Contrary to popular belief, Los Angeles is NOT a desert but rather a chaparral biome with hot summers and cool and wet winters. In recent years, winter rain has…

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HOW-TO: Start Birdwatching

One benefit of trees is that they provide habitat for wildlife such as birds. Trees are important for birds because provide food in the form of fruit or insects and make perfect homes for nesting. Kenny Derieg, our Waste Reduction and Recycling Specialist, is an avid bird-watcher and has shared some insightful tips on how…

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GROWING FIGS, A STORY

By Miguel Vargas Bill Hock can often be found in his backyard in Downey, carefully pruning his 7-foot fig tree. He does this slowly and methodically, snipping the branches at a diagonal and gently placing each twig in water. The tree produces hundreds of figs each year, that are a big hit with his family,…

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