3 places in nature near L.A. to feel the holiday spirit

Toyons produce iconic red berries, a signal that the temperatures are lowering and that winter is coming. TreePeople shares a brief history of this ‘California holly’ in The Wild newsletter from Los Angeles Times.
Jaclyn Cosgrove | 12.11.2025

UCLA researchers conduct free soil testing for residents near Eaton Fire burn area

TreePeople’s Research team joined UCLA researchers to provide free soil testing for residents living near the Eaton Fire burn area. The free testing focused on identifying harmful metals in soils, and our researchers consulted with participants on the results and next steps to take.
CBS Staff | 12.06.2025

It’s November... where are the fall colors?

Where are the fall colors hiding? Turns out you just have to know where to look. Los Angeles Times spoke with Alyssa Walker, our Associate Director of Conservation, about why autumn looks different in SoCal, and ventured into the TreePeople Land Trust with Mark Fiege to take a closer look. You can also watch on Instagram.
Brenda Elizondo | 11.21.2025

Gift Guide: Put these under a tree for the gardeners and plant parents in your life

Gardeners will be itching for springtime when they unwrap these items. Want something you can wrap? Consider the TreePeople Organic Ribbed Beanie.

Bonnie McCarthy | 11.17.2025

Altadena Community Garden gets $25,000 boost to grow its rebuilding plans

The Eaton and Palisades fires were still burning when the North American bank BMO pledged $3 million to the LA Wildfire Recovery Fund. After months spent meeting with nonprofits working from each burn area, the bank announced the 32 recipients of that $3 million.

Anissa Rivera | 10.28.2025

UCLA, community partners help Altadena fire recovery through free soil testing

In an effort to support the region’s recovery in the aftermath of the 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires, a team of UCLA researchers is joining with community partners to test soil samples from neighborhoods hit hard by the blazes.

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health | 10.27.2025

You might recognize Southern California’s native plants

You might recognize Southern California’s native plants — but do you know their names in the Tongva language? The nonprofit TreePeople in collaboration with language researchers and members of the Gabrielino-Tongva tribe, has launched a new project, The Plants of Tovaangar.

Tom Carroll | 10.24.2025

Santa Monica Mountains planting project gives indigenous group a new voice

Joy Benedict reports from the Santa Monica Mountains, where she gets an up close look at the planting project giving an indigenous group a new voice.

Joy Benedict |10.22.2025

Delta celebrates 1,000 Days to LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games with commitment to plant 1,000 trees in Los Angeles ahead of Opening Ceremonies

Delta is kicking off the countdown to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games with a tree planting event in collaboration with Delta Community Engagement partner, TreePeople.

Delta News Hub | 10.17.2025

Casandra Rauser is the New CEO of TreePeople

Casandra “Cassie” Rauser has been named as the new CEO of TreePeople. Rauser said she admired the work of the late Cindy Montañez and will honor her legacy.

Cesar Arredondo | 10.08.2025

LA’s birding community reacts to Hallmark’s birder romcom: ‘They really blew it’

L.A. is home to both Hollywood and a passionate birding community — but the two don’t always see eye to eye.
Antonia Cereijido | 10.03.2025

Casandra “Cassie” Rauser Joins TreePeople as Chief Executive Officer

TreePeople, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit that has been bringing people together to grow a more sustainable Southern California for more than fifty years, is excited to announce the appointment of Casandra “Cassie” Rauser as its new Chief Executive Officer.

09.26.2025

Native plants

The Plants of Tovaangar allows hikers to hear audio recordings of indigenous names of plants along a trail at Coldwater Canyon Park.

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | 09.26.2025

Hear and get familiar with Tongva plant names while hiking Coldwater Canyon Park

Starting Saturday morning, people walking a one and a half mile trail at Coldwater Canyon Park will be able to scan a QR code and hear something new: wiit, the Indigenous word for California oak, and huukat, the word for elderberry, plus 17 other Indigenous names of native plants.

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | 09.26.2025

How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to John C. Reilly

There’s this great place called TreePeople that I love that is up at the top of Coldwater Canyon. It’s a famous conservancy started by this kid in the ’70s — he was a teenager who was concerned about pollution, and he heard that trees and plants can help take pollution out of the air.

Aspen Anderson | 09.12.25

Experts recommend shade-giving trees to keep SoCal communities cool

Both Vejar and Dean recommend planting trees such as California sycamore, coast live oak and peppermint willow, which provide dense canopies and require less water and are a good fit for the Los Angeles climate.

Karma Dickerson and Elizabeth Chavolla | 08.22.25

Commentary: Prepare to say a frond farewell to Los Angeles’ palm trees

We stand at an inflection point for L.A., after the fires, in the grip of climate change, recalibrating our future right down to the roots. Literally to the roots. Uncounted thousands of trees burned in the fires. Thousands more are getting thinned out by disease and drought and age. How do we replace our geriatric urban forest with more and better trees?

Patt Morrison | 08.10.25

Fast-forward 25 years: Sharing hopes and dreams for a future Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a city built upon amnesia and denial. Graded and paved, bought and sold, it bears little likeness to Tovaangar, the home for the first people who, for thousands of years, walked its valleys and chaparral-clad basins and paddled its broad shorelines.

Thomas Curwen | 08.10.25

City launches rebate program to help residents revamp their yards with unique garden kits — here's what you need to know

Native landscaping just got easier — and cheaper — for Pasadena, California, residents. A new city partnership is offering a $60 rebate to help locals grow beautiful, drought-tolerant gardens at home. Syndicated to Yahoo! News.

Nicole Westhoff | 08.05.25

Ahead of the 2028 Olympics, Los Angeles launches a program to expand shade across the city

With the 2028 Olympics and other global events set for L.A. on the horizon, a coalition of universities, nonprofits and local agencies has launched ShadeLA, an initiative to expand cooling infrastructure across the city. ShadeLA brings together agencies such as L.A. County’s Chief Sustainability Office, the County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and a network of nonprofits including City Plants, North East Trees and TreePeople. Syndicated to Yahoo! News.

Niamh Ordner | 08.01.25

Pasadena Water and Power Partners With TreePeople to Offer $60 Native Plant Rebates

Pasadena Water and Power has launched a partnership with TreePeople to offer residents a $60 rebate on Fall Native Garden Kits, reducing the standard $120 price by half. The collaboration aims to make native landscape transformation more accessible and affordable for PWP customers.

Pasadena Now | 07.22.25

Schoolyard greening projects hit milestone as advocates see the 'most impact ever'

California lawmakers approved $150 million in 2022 to be given out as grants for public school projects. Now, work by about a dozen groups in Southern California funded by that money is starting to bear fruit.

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | 07.22.25

Saul Williams, Carlos Niño Announce Collaborative LP, Fall Tour Dates

Saul Williams and Carlos Niño will release their debut collaborative album, Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends at TreePeople, on Aug. 28. The duo have previewed the LP with an expansive, 16-minute track titled “Sound Then Words.” The improvised album, produced by Niño, was recorded live under black oak and walnut trees in Coldwater Canyon Park in Los Angeles on Dec. 18, 2024.

Emily Zemler | 07.15.25

Best things to do this weekend in Los Angeles and Southern California

Bring a picnic and help support TreePeople’s efforts to restore nature areas in L.A. after the January wildfires. With performances from singer-songwriters Priscilla Ahn and Max Gomez, this sounds like a low-key but powerful way to be in nature at TreePeople’s relaxing space and support their great work.

Laura Hertzfeld | 06.12.25

Firefighters stop small brush fire in Studio City, LAFD says

The Coldwater Fire was reported at 3:36 p.m. Saturday. TreePeople manages the property where the fire broke out. LAFD said forward progress stopped and the fire held to about two remote acres.

After the Eaton fire, those with gardens weigh soil safety with healthy growth

How does your garden grow? Post Eaton fire, from the ground, that is, the soil, up.

Anissa Rivera | 05.18.25

This LA school is planting trees to ‘supercharge’ childhood development

At Washington Elementary Stem magnet school in Pasadena, California, a group of volunteers and staffers from Amigos de los Rios hauled soil for a new pollinator garden of native plants that support local habitats such as those for butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.

Victoria Namkung | 05.16.25

Volunteers spruce up Jerry Eaves Park in Rialto with new trees

Jerry Eaves Park in Rialto has more than 50 new trees, thanks to a partnership between Niagara Bottling, the Arbor Day Foundation and TreePeople.

San Bernardino Sun | 05.14.25

Comedy for the Trees

I’m heading to Comedy for The Trees at TreePeople. This originally caught my attention from a few friends that follow and support the organization. The line-up included Reggie Watts, Kurt Braunohler, Nicolas Rutherford, Ali Kolbert, Blair Socci and Maggie Maye.

Neil Vacchiano | 05.05.25

A man chopped down Los Angeles trees. The crime cut deep in the struggling neighborhood

The tree canopy across Los Angeles leaves a lot to be desired. A 2021 study by the city, found that 20% of the tree canopy within the city limits was located in just four neighborhoods.

Vanessa Romo | 04.30.25

A chainsaw wielding perpetrator is suspected of cutting down dozens of trees in Downtown LA.

Angelenos posted the shocking destruction to social media. Associate Director of Community forestry at TreePeople calls the act “senseless.”

Annenberg TV News | 04.21.25

Loss of Federal funding uproots plans to plant 19,000 trees

They may not give off much shade at the moment, but when they grow up, the baby eastern redbud trees recently planted in El Monte will be 20 to 25 feet tall, enough to cool off the entire block..

Tara Lynn Wagner | 04.08.25

This Southern California nonprofit helps communities focus on restoration and reforestation

Now, thanks to the League of California Community Foundations/Wildfire Resilience Fund through Inland Empire Community Foundation, TreePeople is broadening its reach in its mission to inspire, engage, and support individuals to take personal responsibility for the environment.

Greg Archer | 04.03.25

It may be time for LA to ditch the palm tree

It’s a towering Los Angeles institution. Like the Empire State Building in New York or the Space Needle in Seattle. The palm tree is more Hollywood than the Hollywood Sign.

Dino Grandoni | 03.30.25

USC study shows Los Angeles trees are absorbing far more pollution than thought

Trees are removing about 30% of fossil fuel emissions yearly. Advocates say that's a really big number.

Teresa Liu | 03.07.25

Waiting for wildflowers? Here's the forecast for Southern California's iconic blooms

Welcome to March, when Southern Californians start gearing up for colorful wildflower displays blanketing our deserts and hills.

Jeanette Marantos | 03.01.25

Trump funding freeze halts key environmental projects in Los Angeles area

About $28 million in federal grants are in limbo, halting tree-planting and jeopardizing jobs

Steve Scauzillo | 02.12.25

Los Angeles tree advocates hope their vital work recovers from devastating fires

Some people across Los Angeles have worked for years to increase the number of trees that give respite from heat and air pollution.

Tammy Webber and Dorany Pineda | 01.12.25

Conspiracy-laden, fire-prone icons: what will happen to LA’s palm trees?

Many palm species in the city are receptive to embers, hard to extinguish – and probably helped spread the fires

Victoria Namkung | 01.23.25

Wildlands that burned may find that nature heals itself

When will those areas look green again? KCRW sits down with experts at TreePeople to get some answers.

Tohar Zamir | 01.24.25

Baldwin Park gets boost in trees to increase city shade

partnership with TreePeople and Active SGV has led to several trees being awarded to the city of Baldwin Park.

San Gabriel Valley Tribune | 12.20.24

CLA alumnus Cindy Montañez remembered for championing environmental justice

tribute program honored the late California Assemblywoman’s strong legacy of community activism and work on social justice.

Najda Hadi-St. John | 12.17.24

LA tree enthusiast shares her love for the city’s canopy: ‘Something we took for granted’

tephanie Carrie gives tours and educates Angelenos on the importance of the urban forest – and how to improve it.

Victoria Namkung | 12.15.24

How recent wildfires have primed Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains for more frequent blazes

In this episode of Hi, Energy!, Esteban is joined by Amanda Begley, Senior Program Manager at TreePeople, who shares her expertise on how green spaces, reflective materials, and community action can help cool our cities.

Noah Haggerty | 12.14.24

he Urban Heat Island Effect: Why It Matters and How We Can Fix It

In this episode of Hi, Energy!, Esteban is joined by Amanda Begley, Senior Program Manager at TreePeople, who shares her expertise on how green spaces, reflective materials, and community action can help cool our cities.

Hi, Energy! | 11.25.24

Latino residents slam ‘trust fund hipsters’ in ugly L.A. gentrification battle

In this episode of Hi, Energy!, Esteban is joined by Amanda Begley, Senior Program Manager at TreePeople, who shares her expertise on how green spaces, reflective materials, and community action can help cool our cities.

Clara Harter | 10.21.24

Want to wake up among the wildflowers this spring? Book these California campsites immediately

Reservations for campgrounds near wildflower blooms are opening up. Book one now before they disappear. Take a spooky stroll in Beverly Hills - TreePeople’s special Halloween moonlight hike at Coldwater Canyon Park in Beverly Hills

Jaclyn Cosgrove | 10.17.24

Volunteers Plant Trees for Pacoima Middle School’s New ‘Living Schoolyard’

Eight years after Principal Simer Garcha expressed her desire to green and beautify her campus at Pacoima Middle School, the “living schoolyard” was unveiled as volunteers from the school.

Gabriel Arizon | 10.02.24

Waiting for wildflowers? Here's the forecast for Southern California's iconic blooms

Welcome to March, when Southern Californians start gearing up for colorful wildflower displays blanketing our deserts and hills.

Jeanette Marantos | 10.01.24

Pacoima Middle School Paving the Way With a Living Schoolyard

Eight years after Principal Simer Garcha expressed her desire to green and beautify her campus at Pacoima Middle School, the “living schoolyard” was unveiled as volunteers from the school.

Diana Martinez and Alejandro JSM Chavez | 08.21.24

Free fruit trees in food deserts help residents and their neighbors access fresh produce

Mario Dagonel works with trees in his line of work as a community engagement manager with the nonprofit TreePeople. He says a lot of our personal connections to trees start with a fruit tree.

Ava LaLonde | 08.10.24

To Discover L.A.’s Neighborhoods, Let the Trees Be Your Guide

There are palms, of course. But the city has one of the most diverse urban forests in the world and each neighborhood has its own characteristic plantings. Just follow the greenery..

Danielle Pergament | 08.06.24

Planting non-native trees isn’t ideal — but sometimes it makes sense in LA

California has been steadily losing trees over the last few years — 30% of its tree cover has been lost since the turn of the century — and the only way to solve that problem is to get more trees in the ground.

Kevin Tidmarsh | 07.27.24

Our favorite parks in Los Angeles: Ft. TreePeople

Evan's taking Brian on a tour of a park that meant a lot to him as a kid - and we're meeting the organization that acts as its steward: TreePeople. You've probably heard of them before - they do everything from trail restoration work to planting shade trees, just about everywhere in Southern California.

Brian De Los Santos | 07.24.24

SoCal Matters | Advocates Push Greener Schoolyards to Combat Rising Temperatures

As temperatures rise, many schoolyards in LA resemble parking lots due to lack of shade. Advocates like TreePeople are pushing for more funding to create greener, more shaded school environments to protect students from extreme heat.

PBS SoCal | 07.24

Know your trees

The LAist guide to L.A. trees | To put some shine on these lesser-known tree species, we went ahead and polled some specialists from TreePeople and the L.A. County Arboretum for their favorite blooms.

Kevin Tidmarsh | 06.16.2024

Volunteers with TreePeople at work restoring Angeles National Forest

The nonprofit TreePeople is working with the state and federal government to restore over 1,000, fire-damaged acres within the forest.

CBS News | 06.11.24

TreePeople Presents

Looking to spend a night at the theater? Tucked inside the hills of Coldwater Canyon Park, the rustic S. Mark Taper Foundation Amphitheatre hosts a series of diverse, open-air performances spanning music, movies and more.

CBS News | 06.07.24

LADWP Unveils Pollinator Garden in Honor of Late Cindy Montañez

Adorned with California-friendly flora and fauna, the new pollinator garden at the Hollywood Reservoir was unveiled by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) in honor of the late city of San Fernando Councilmember Cindy Montañez.

Gabriel Arizon | 06.05.24

Those yellow wildflowers you see everywhere are bad for the environment — but they're here to stay

The so-called "superbloom" of California poppies may not be happening this year, but no doubt you've been seeing many majestic hillsides covered in yellow wildflowers all over SoCal.

Fiona Ng | 06.01.24

Scorching schoolyards: California groups want more trees, less asphalt at schools

Too few trees at California’s schools mean there’s little protecting students from a warming planet. Here’s how advocates say the state can pay for more shade.

Alejandra Reyes-Velarde | 05.23.24

Fire Scarred Areas In The Angeles National Forest Will Soon Get New Trees

$7 million Angeles National Forest restoration project kicked off on a hillside above Castaic Lake, with volunteers transplanting chamise and pulling invasive mustard.Tree People is leading the program.

AirTalk with Larry Mantle | 05.20.24

Wildfires Destroyed Swaths Of Angeles National Forest. Can Restoration Efforts Bring It Back?

TreePeople is expecting to transplant 54,000 plants and trees and are working in conjunction with the California Botanic Garden to grow more than 60 species.

Jacob Margolis | 05.20.24

So There's Something Arborists Say We Should Stop Doing To Trees. It's Called 'Topping'

Here's an unassailable fact: Trees are awesome. Which is why a rise here in Southern California of a practice known as "topping" is worrying arborists and others.

Fiona Ng | 05.12.24

John Mulaney's 'Everybody's in L.A.': A guide to the hyperlocal references

In a monologue, Mulaney did a deep dive on the picturesque trees that line L.A.’s streets. Amanda Begley, a senior leader at nonprofit TreePeople, came on to confirm the facts from Mulaney’s monologue and said palm trees are technically a type of grass.

Kaitlyn Huamani and Maira Garcia | 05.10.24

Maintaining and Saving Trees Takes Careful Planning and Care

It takes careful planning and selection of where that tree can have room to grow. It takes the TreePeople staff time and volunteers to help nourish the sapling, transport it and put it in the ground. It takes gallons and gallons of water and years’ worth of careful pruning and care.

Alex Miller | 05.01.24

South LA groups using $35 million grant to help environment

South-LA Ecolab groups, including TreePeople, began using $35 million in grant money from state and local governments to improve the environment in Los Angeles.

Timothy Parker | 04.09.24

18 ways to volunteer with native plants in and around L.A.

One of the easiest ways to learn about California native plants is volunteering to get your hands dirty.

Jeanette Marantos and William Hallstrom | 04.04.24

Saving rain water to help Southern California

KCAL News reporter Joy Benedict shows how saving rainwater plays a large part in conservation in Southern California.

Joy Benedict | 01.26.24

A Meditative Ecology of Sound in Wild Up’s Darkness Sounding

The setting for this year’s offerings, in collaboration with the meditative outdoor performance series floating, was Coldwater Canyon Park, the eco-reserve operated by TreePeople that overlooks the San Fernando Valley.

Jim Farber | 01.30.24

A botanist shares her love of nurturing green urban spaces

Talia Dotson, TreePeople, uses mostly science in her career growing urban green spaces, leading community planting efforts and educating on the healing power of plants

CBS News | 01.17.24