Summer Message from City Plants Executive Director | |
Dear Friends,
I hope your summer is off to a wonderful start. In our home, summer is camping season—a time for my wife, a school teacher, and our children to relax, reflect on the past year, and set new goals.
| | | |
At City Plants, it's been a year of both challenges and significant milestones. Our mission is "to grow a greener future for Los Angeles by engaging Angeleños to plant and care for trees throughout the City." Thanks to our collaborations with non-profit tree planting partners, we’ve made great progress. Through May 2025, with the help of our volunteers, supporters, and donors, we have:
- Planted 1,553 street trees (1,112 in Disadvantaged Communities).
- Successfully adopted 4,163 trees (2,153 in Disadvantaged Communities).
- Hosted 89 tree adoption events across Los Angeles.
Our city and its neighborhoods have faced considerable challenges this past year, from natural disasters like recent fires and ongoing drought, to federal funding cuts, and the recent separation of families due to ICE raids. I've personally relied on my faith to see beyond these circumstances. Despite these difficulties, we press on. Our goals remain steadfast, and our intentions have not wavered. As the theologian John Wesley once said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
At City Plants, we are committed to expanding tree canopy in communities and neighborhoods that lack it. We will continue to build partnerships and collaborations that bring clean air, energy efficiency, improved health, cooling shade, and more vibrant communities to all. I want to thank you for being a supporter of these efforts, and look forward to seeing you at a volunteer event. Have a great summer.
Sincerely,
Carlos O. Campero
Executive Director, City Plants
|
| | | |
|
New: Private Property Planting Program
City Plants is proud to announce the launch of the Pilot Private Property Planting Program, a new initiative offering free trees and planting support for residents in select Los Angeles neighborhoods. This program empowers residents to cool their homes, clean the air, and beautify their communities by adding trees to their yards, front yards, and backyards.
|
|
| |
This pilot program is made possible through a vital partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to build a greener, more resilient Los Angeles, one yard at a time.
What the Program Provides for FREE:
- A beautiful, climate-appropriate tree for your private property.
- A consultation to help you choose the right tree for the right spot.
- Professional tree planting service by one of our tree planting partners.
- A simple guide to caring for your new tree.
How to Participate
If you live within the designated pilot neighborhoods, getting your free tree is easy. Visit our website to confirm your residence is eligible and sign up today!
Check out our website to learn more
This Is Just the Beginning
We know many of our constituents across the city want support with planting trees—and we hear you. This program is just a pilot, and our goal is to expand it in the future to reach more neighborhoods as resources become available. Everyone deserves the benefits of urban trees, and we’re committed to growing this work citywide.
Stay tuned as we learn from this pilot and work toward a greener, healthier future for all.
|
| |
|
City Plants in My City
Want Free Trees Outside the City of LA? We Want to Hear From You!
City Plants, funded by LADWP, has long offered free trees to City of Los Angeles residents—cooling neighborhoods, cleaning the air, cutting energy costs, and making our city greener and more beautiful. But what if you live just outside the city limits? We've heard from many of you in unincorporated LA County and neighboring cities asking for access to the same resources—and now, we’re exploring ways to expand!
To make this vision a reality, we need your input. If you live outside LA City and want free trees in your community, take a moment to complete our short survey. Your feedback will help us understand demand and guide our planning as we work to grow a cooler, healthier, and more equitable Los Angeles County for all.
Take the survey and share it with your neighbors!
| | |
Roots of Cool Art Exhibit
You're invited to Roots of Cool, a new science-based art exhibition exploring shade equity and the vital role trees play in cooling our cities as the climate warms. The exhibit features outdoor installations throughout Descanso Gardens, as well as gallery experiences in the Sturt Haaga Gallery and the historic Boddy House, all designed to inspire civic action around urban greening.
|
|
| |
Roots of Cool runs from July 12 to October 12, 10am–4pm daily, and is included with Descanso Gardens admission or membership. Don’t miss A Celebration of Cool on August 2—a daylong, family-friendly event full of hands-on activities and learning.
Roots of Cool and its programs are generously supported, in part, by Perenchio Foundation; Accelerate Resilience LA, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; and TreePeople.
This exhibition and its programs were curated in partnership with UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, University of California Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Los Angeles Center for Urban Natural Resources Sustainability, TreePeople, USDA Forest Service, Arroyo Arts Collective, The Nature of Cities, Avenue 50 Studio, USC Public Exchange, Dashboard.Earth, and Accelerate Resilience LA., and is dedicated to Pam Gibson and Jim Hardie for their decades of commitment to greening and cooling LA's most forgotten neighborhoods.
| |
ShadeLA
If you live here, work here, or ride here—this is for you. ShadeLA is a new, people-powered campaign to make Los Angeles cooler—literally.
We’re teaming up with neighbors, schools, and businesses to bring more shade to the places it’s needed most: sidewalks, schoolyards, bus stops, parks, and patios.
| | | |
With the World Cup, Super Bowl, and Olympic & Paralympic Games on the horizon, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to create a lasting legacy—for every neighborhood, not just the main stage.
Check out the newly launched website. We’re proud to be on Team Shade.
| | |
Coming Soon
Give Urban Wood a Second Life
City Plants is proud to partner with Angel City Lumber in an upcoming sustainable initiative that turns fallen urban trees into beautiful charcuterie boards, offered to donors like you. These boards are more than just handcrafted pieces—they’re a symbol of environmental stewardship. When mature city trees are removed due to age, storms, or construction, Angel City Lumber steps in to salvage and repurpose them, keeping this valuable wood out of landfills. With your donation, you’ll not only receive one of these unique boards, but you’ll also support City Plants’ mission to expand and care for LA’s urban forest.
Every dollar raised helps us plant and maintain trees across Los Angeles. It costs $2,950 to water and care for a single tree over its first three years—critical time to ensure it survives and thrives. By donating, you help replace the trees we’ve lost and give new ones a strong start. Together, we can reduce climate impacts, improve air quality, and keep LA’s neighborhoods cool, green, and resilient. Donate today and bring a piece of LA’s urban forest into your home—while helping grow its future.
Stay tuned for more updates while we work to make these available!
| | |
Tree Ambassador Program Update
This past June, a cohort of five incredible Tree Ambassadors marked the successful completion of City Plants and North East Trees' transformative "Building Careers & Canopies" program.
| |  | |
CCAC Fellow Spotlights
Meet two of our fellows, Monica Delgado and Izzy Archer, and the impactful work they continue to make a difference with in LA.
| |
Upcoming Events
Tree Adoptions
Pick-up a shade tree in a neighborhood near you!
Walk-Ups Only! Trees will be distributed on a first-come, first serve basis.
| | | |
Zev Yaroslavsky Family Support Center
7555 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91405
Thursday, August 7, 2025
10AM – 1PM
LADWP Watts
1647 E 103rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90002
Saturday, August 16, 2025
9AM - 2PM
LADWP North Hills
9154 Sepulveda Blvd, North Hills, CA 91343
Saturday, August 16, 2025
9AM - 2PM
| | |
LADWP Crenshaw Center
4030 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Saturday, August 16, 2025
9AM-1PM
LADWP Watts
1647 E 103rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90002
Saturday, September 20, 2025
9AM - 2PM
LADWP North Hills
9154 Sepulveda Blvd, North Hills, CA 91343
Saturday, September 20, 2025
9AM - 2PM
| | Please note there is a 7 tree limit per household, for the lifetime of the address. Trees come in 5-gallon containers and are typically 3-6 feet tall. Yard trees must be planted in the ground on private property. |
| | | |
