A bold greening initiative from TreePeople for 2028
In 2028, Los Angeles will welcome millions of visitors to watch athletes compete on a global stage, which will undoubtedly leave a mark on our region. TreePeople asks: What if the most meaningful legacy is one that continues to grow long after the closing ceremonies? That is why TreePeople is launching Rooting for LA: 28,000 Trees by 2028, a bold initiative to plant and distribute 28,000 trees across the greater Los Angeles region.
Currently, Southern California is facing the most urgent environmental challenges of our time: extreme heat, water scarcity, wildfire risk, habitat loss, and declining biodiversity. These issues are complex, but some of the most effective solutions begin simply by investing in trees, native landscapes, and community action.
TreePeople has a long history of mobilizing Angelenos around major moments for our region. Ahead of the 1984 Games, TreePeople launched the Million Tree Campaign, inspiring thousands of residents to plant trees across Los Angeles. More than four decades later, we again have an opportunity to invest in the long-term health, vibrancy, and resilience of the communities that call Los Angeles home.
Currently, Southern California is facing the most urgent environmental challenges of our time: extreme heat, water scarcity, wildfire risk, habitat loss, and declining biodiversity. These issues are complex, but some of the most effective solutions begin simply by investing in trees, native landscapes, and community action.
TreePeople has a long history of mobilizing Angelenos around major moments for our region. Ahead of the 1984 Games, TreePeople launched the Million Tree Campaign, inspiring thousands of residents to plant trees across Los Angeles. More than four decades later, we again have an opportunity to invest in the long-term health, vibrancy, and resilience of the communities that call Los Angeles home.
Trees are one of the most effective forms of infrastructure we can invest in. They cool our streets, clean our air, capture stormwater, support biodiversity, improve mental health, and create healthier places to live, learn, work, and gather.
"Our top priority is to ensure that these major events create lasting benefits for communities across Los Angeles,” said Randall Winston, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor of Infrastructure and Climate Resilience. “Trees provide cleaner air, cooler neighborhoods, and healthier communities, and they are becoming even more important as we face warmer summers. I want to thank TreePeople for making this important investment in our city."
Through Rooting for LA, TreePeople will work with residents, schools, volunteers, government agencies, nonprofit and corporate partners to bring more trees and green infrastructure to neighborhoods, schoolyards, parks, public spaces, and natural areas across the region. The effort will include community tree giveaways, volunteer planting and care events, school greening projects, restoration and fire recovery, high-impact greening projects, and the re-launch of TreePeople’s Community Forester program.
"Our top priority is to ensure that these major events create lasting benefits for communities across Los Angeles,” said Randall Winston, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor of Infrastructure and Climate Resilience. “Trees provide cleaner air, cooler neighborhoods, and healthier communities, and they are becoming even more important as we face warmer summers. I want to thank TreePeople for making this important investment in our city."
Through Rooting for LA, TreePeople will work with residents, schools, volunteers, government agencies, nonprofit and corporate partners to bring more trees and green infrastructure to neighborhoods, schoolyards, parks, public spaces, and natural areas across the region. The effort will include community tree giveaways, volunteer planting and care events, school greening projects, restoration and fire recovery, high-impact greening projects, and the re-launch of TreePeople’s Community Forester program.
Adding 28,000 trees to the Los Angeles region over the next two years is about more than planting.It is about investing in green infrastructure that is an essential part of making our lives better each day. Every tree we plant, care for, and distribute is a commitment to cooler neighborhoods, cleaner air, healthier watersheds, vibrant ecosystems, and a more resilient city – not just for the visitors who will arrive, but for the people who live here today and long after 2028 has come and gone.”
– Dr. Cassie Rauser, The Fielding Family Chief Executive Officer, TreePeople.
Just as community engagement powers this initiative, dedicated partners are essential to Rooting for LA's success. As a founding partner, Delta Air Lines committed $1 million in Rooting for LA and backed it with action: planting the trees in South Los Angeles that helped catalyze this campaign. "At Delta, we believe the greatest journeys start at home," said Emmakate Young, Managing Director of Sponsorships and Partnerships at Delta Air Lines. "With 4,500 employees based here, Los Angeles isn't just where we operate. It's where we live. Investing in the long-term health of our neighborhoods is one of the ways we show up for the community we call home." Delta Air Lines’ early and sustained partnership with TreePeople reflects that commitment, a belief that the most meaningful investment for LA is one that grows alongside the people who live there.
TreePeople will host a Rooting for LA commemorative planting on July 21st at our Coldwater Canyon Park headquarters. Please contact kmcdaniel@treepeople.org if you are interested in attending.
The world will come to Los Angeles in 2028. Together, we can leave behind something even greater: 28,000 trees representing 28,000 pieces of living infrastructure that will provide multiple benefits for generations to come. To learn more about Rooting for LA, visit our webpage and sign up to volunteer, partner with us, or become a sustaining ‘Canopy’ member to help us realize this vision. Join TreePeople in Rooting for LA!
TreePeople will host a Rooting for LA commemorative planting on July 21st at our Coldwater Canyon Park headquarters. Please contact kmcdaniel@treepeople.org if you are interested in attending.
The world will come to Los Angeles in 2028. Together, we can leave behind something even greater: 28,000 trees representing 28,000 pieces of living infrastructure that will provide multiple benefits for generations to come. To learn more about Rooting for LA, visit our webpage and sign up to volunteer, partner with us, or become a sustaining ‘Canopy’ member to help us realize this vision. Join TreePeople in Rooting for LA!
About TreePeople
Founded in 1973 from the vision of a teenager determined to restore Los Angeles’ forests, TreePeople has grown into a regional leader in restoring landscapes and cultivating environmental stewardship. Guided by the belief that trees need people and people need trees, TreePeople brings communities together to plant and care for trees in mountains, neighborhoods, schools, and parks – creating cooler streets, healthier ecosystems, and resilient communities across the region. With hundreds of thousands of volunteers engaged and millions of trees planted, TreePeople continues to grow solutions that help people and nature thrive together. Learn more at treepeople.org.
For more information, contact:
Kai McDaniel
Public Relations Specialist, TreePeople
kmcdaniel@treepeople.org
Founded in 1973 from the vision of a teenager determined to restore Los Angeles’ forests, TreePeople has grown into a regional leader in restoring landscapes and cultivating environmental stewardship. Guided by the belief that trees need people and people need trees, TreePeople brings communities together to plant and care for trees in mountains, neighborhoods, schools, and parks – creating cooler streets, healthier ecosystems, and resilient communities across the region. With hundreds of thousands of volunteers engaged and millions of trees planted, TreePeople continues to grow solutions that help people and nature thrive together. Learn more at treepeople.org.
For more information, contact:
Kai McDaniel
Public Relations Specialist, TreePeople
kmcdaniel@treepeople.org
