TreePeople

TreePeople will distribute 900 fruit trees in historically-underserved communities, to improve access to fresh fruit, produce shade, promote urban nature, and support environmental health. This project will include numerous fruit tree distribution events, to provide tree planting and care instruction, build awareness of the urban forest, and leverage support for tree planting initiatives in these communities.

COVID-19 employment downturns continue to disproportionately impact underserved populations of LA County at the same time the existing urban forestry workforce is aging out, struggling to cultivate the next generation. The need for a younger, diverse workforce trained to conserve CA’s natural lands and combat wildfires is now. To address these environmental workforce issues, TreePeople is implementing an equity-focused, green pathways program that increases green job opportunities and experiences for youth in underserved communities.

Through fruit tree distribution and education events, TreePeople will activate Angelenos to help create a sustainable, edible urban forest that provides not only food security and community nutrition, but also critical benefits such as cooling shade, air quality, reduced water pollution, and carbon capture. TreePeople will distribute fruit trees at a number of events in “tree poor” neighborhoods and train community members on how to plant and care for their trees.

Calles Verdes is a community-driven green streets project in the City of San Fernando. LA2050 would support the project by hiring a youth and community organizer to rally community members, young and old, to transform the city, resulting in cool city streets, increased water supply, removal of toxins from the water, increased tree canopy, improved access to healthy food and more walking and biking.

TreePeople will conduct a pilot-to-scale project in two communities that will determine what inhibits and motivates people to take specific environmental actions related to rainwater harvesting and tree canopy, based on socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental characteristics. With the information we learn, we will create models to mobilize similar communities throughout LA, which has the potential to reduce water importation by at least 40% and increase tree canopy to an equitable 25%.

On TreeMapLA Angelenos can crowd-source a healthier future by revitalizing our urban watershed: one tree and one rain garden at a time.