TreePeople
The recent wildfires took a devastating toll on Southern California, impacting both our urban communities and the wilderness areas surrounding them. For nature lovers, it can be heartbreaking to see once-lush ecosystems in areas like Eaton Canyon and the Pacific Palisades reduced to ash. But while recovery will likely be a long road, it’s comforting…
Have you ever wondered how the plants we grow can help combat climate change? How factors like soil health can play a role in making our communities greener and cooler? And what we can do to design better landscapes for a more climate-resilient world? As we experience the very real impacts of climate change in…
Unfortunately, there’s an awful lot to be anxious about in our world today. One thing that can help you feel more grounded, peaceful, or even hopeful? Reconnecting with nature. Shinrin-yoku—which translates to “forest bathing”—is an ecotherapy practice that originated in Japan, which simply involves spending mindful, restorative time in in a forest or other natural…
Some people say we don’t have fall in Southern California… and it’s true our seasons do work a little differently here. Because we have a Mediterranean-type climate, the time of year we call fall is really more like a shift from “hot and dry season” to “cool and wet season.” And because the cool season…
If you’ve been hiking in California, odds are you’ve encountered the chaparral, the most widespread native plant community in the state. Here’s everything you need to know about this amazing (but often under-appraciated) ecosystem: Home to 20 percent of California’s plant species, chaparral is defined by dense, low-lying shrubs like sagebrush, ceanothus, manzanita, and chamise,…
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the trees and plants in your very own backyard? What are they called? And what positive impacts do they have on your life and in your neighborhood? TreePeople is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service to answer some of these questions, and we need your help. At…
Native, non-native, and invasive. If you’re passionate about plants, you’ve probably heard these terms thrown around a lot. They’re used to describe the origins of different species, and often the connotation is that native plants are “good,” while other plants are “bad” or unwanted, and should be removed. But is this always true? Can plants…
If you’re a homeowner, a landscaping professional, or someone who just cares a lot about the health of your local trees, you’re probably familiar with the practice of pruning. In its simplest form, pruning involves removing branches from a tree for a specific purpose. But how often should you be doing this? Which branches should…
Here in Southern California, winter showers often mean we can look forward to beautiful March, April, and May flowers. Here are some native blooms you can keep an eye our for on your next springtime hike: 1. Arroyo Lupine This prolific annual features vibrant whorls of blue-purple blooms that serve as a snack for pollinators…
In a world glued to screens and constant connectivity, it’s not just a feel-good myth—nature’s got some serious perks for our well-being. Besides the “get off your phone” and “touch grass” cliches, science backs up the fact that spending time outdoors can benefit your health. We’ve compiled a non-exhaustive list of ways that nature can…
Have you noticed red berries around southern California lately? Chances are they might belong to heteromeles arbutifolia, a California-native shrub also known as toyon or “California holly.” Toyon — a perennial found throughout western California and the Sierra foothills — has dark green, toothed leaves and white flowers in the summer that yield to red…
If you were in Los Angeles over the weekend, you no doubt felt the wrath of the winds! A wind advisory remained in effect across Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties throughout the weekend with gusts ranging from 25 mph to 50 mph across the region. Unfortunately, the winds brought dangerous conditions to the…