The Terrifying Tale of the Gold Spotted Oak Borer

Gather ‘round for the spooky tale…of the Goldspotted Oak Borer. It was the early 2000s in San Diego, and out of nowhere drought-stressed oak trees began dying of mysterious causes. Soon, scientists realized the enemy was within the trees—eating them alive from the inside out. A yellow-spotted pest that was nearly invisible to the human…

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The Spookiest Hikes to Take in Los Angeles

Spooky season is upon us! And as the weather finally cools down, it’s also one of the best times of the year to get outdoors and take a hike. If you’ve been pining for a way to enjoy nature AND get a little creeped out at the same time, fear not…we’ve rounded up five of…

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What to do when a tree is at risk of being cut down

Our urban forest is a precious resource. Trees help cool our streets in a warming climate, create critical habitat for wildlife, and beautify our neighborhoods, too.  We need to be planting more trees—especially in areas that have historically been disinvested in. And it can be extra frustrating when one is at risk of being cut…

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Here’s how to vote for MORE TREES this election season

If you live in LA, there will be three important environmental bond measures on your ballot this election season: Prop 4, Prop 2, and local Measure US. While all of these bonds are a bit different, they have one important thing in common: they’ll support our mission to plant and care for more trees across…

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Anatomy of a Chaparral Ecosystem 

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,…

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The Power of Planned Giving: A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today

A Letter from Our Director of Development Dear TreePeople Family, With August in full swing, we celebrate National Make-A-Will Month—a time to reflect on the lasting legacy each of us can leave for the future of our environment. Legacy giving, or planned giving, is an extraordinary way to ensure your values live on, nurturing the…

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How to grow native plants in containers

The benefits of growing California native plants are vast: they increase biodiversity by providing habitat and food for native creatures. They’re highly sustainable and low maintenance because they’re adapted to California’s ecosystem. And of course, they’re just plain beautiful! If you have a yard you can rip out and replace with natives—you absolutely should! Our…

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If you can’t beat it, eat it! Five ways to use invasive black mustard

If you live in Southern California, you’re probably familiar with the ubiquitous black mustard plant. Every spring, its bright yellow flowers blanket our hillsides, freeway medians, parks—basically, anywhere there’s a patch of dirt, mustard will grow. It’s a plant that thrives in disturbed areas—and unfortunately, it often disturbs the habitat around it, too. Considered invasive…

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From fire damage to flourishing habitat: TreePeople kicks off $7 million mountain restoration effort

Fire has always been a natural part of California’s ecology. But in recent years, climate change and decreasing biodiversity have resulted in more frequent and larger wildfires in the Angeles National Forest and the adjacent wildland-urban interface. That’s why on May 16, 2024, TreePeople and California Botanic Garden (CalBG) kicked off a $7 million initiative…

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Community-Centered Branding: TreePeople’s Logo History

The year is 1970. At a summer camp in the San Bernardino Mountains, a 15-year-old “leadership camper” named Andy Lipkis learns that air pollution from the city is killing Southern California’s forests. It was a striking realization for the budding environmentalist—one that stuck with him until college, and inspired the school project that would change…

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