TreePeople’s Post

In 1970, one of the largest nationwide protests in American history took place on the very first Earth Day—and it was inspired by an event right here in California. ⁠ ⁠ As we reflect on the holiday's history this Earth Month, it reminds us what we can accomplish when we all come together to stand up for our planet and its ecosystems. 🌏️💚⁠

Happy Arbor Day! 🌳🌲💚 ⁠ ⁠ Every year on this day, a ton of new trees get planted—and of course, we love to see it! But just as important as planting new trees is caring for the ones we already have. ⁠ ⁠ One of the best ways we can do that is by understanding proper pruning techniques. Did you know that "topping," a common urban pruning practice, can result in tree damage, disease, or even death? ⁠ ⁠ If you care about the health of our urban forests, tell your friends, neighbors, landlords, gardeners, and city officials to #StopTheTop this Arbor Day!⁠

THE LEAVES ARE BACK! 🍃⁠ ⁠ We’re beyond thrilled to announce TreePeople’s new logo. Putting a new twist on our classic spinning valley oak leaves, this updated design conveys a fresh sense of generational growth and momentum. ⁠ ⁠ The arching branch creates a globe-like feel, nodding to our collective, holistic mission of to inspire a greener, more equitable future.⁠ ⁠ Designed with love and care at TreePeople. 🌳

You've probably heard the term "watershed" thrown around a lot recently, but what does it actually mean? A watershed, also sometimes referred to as a drainage basin or a catchment, is a land area that channels channels rainfall and snowmelt to creeks, streams, and rivers, and eventually to outflow points such as reservoirs, bays, and the ocean. Every body of water has a watershed, and they can vary drastically in size. The Mississippi River watershed is the biggest watershed in the United States, draining more than three million square kilometers (one million square miles) of land. In comparison, some watersheds are as small as just a few square meters. According to the National Ocean Service, water from hundreds, and often thousands, of creeks and streams flow from higher ground to rivers that eventually wind up in a larger waterbody. As the water flows, it often picks up pollutants, which may have sinister effects on the ecology of the watershed and, ultimately, on the reservoir, bay, or ocean where it ends up. Learn more about water and water equity at https://lnkd.in/gSakqmc3

Being over 50 years old as an organization has its perks. People share the most amazing memories with us, like this hand-cut paper postcard from the 70s! Thank you, Heather, for this wonderful card made by TreePeople's founder Andy Lipkis himself! Let us know if you have any fond memories of TreePeople over the years in the comments.

Please join us on March 26th and 27th for a WaterTalks wrap-up event - the Summit for Equity and Resilience in Water: Successes and Lessons Learned from the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Disadvantaged Community and Tribal Involvement (DACTI) Program. The HYBRID event will be held online and at the Los Angeles County Public Works Headquarters in Alhambra. Registration: https://lnkd.in/gWT5TRYh

TreePeople’s School Greening initiative aims to collaborate with school communities to reimagine how largely-asphalt-covered schoolyards can provide students and teachers with healthy, shaded, natural learning and play spaces. Over the course of the next two and a half years, our Green Infrastructure team will meet with the various members of each of the 17 schools we are greening to learn from them about how they use their outdoor space and what they envision for its future. Throughout this process we will partner with the people who know their schools the best, the teachers, administrators, families, and of course students! Read more on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gYV2itJG

Trees can actually improve mental health. Studies show that exercising in forests and simply sitting looking at trees reduces blood pressure as well as the stress-related hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Looking at pictures of trees can also have the same effect but less dramatic. Using the Profile of Mood States test, researchers found that forest bathing trips significantly decreased the scores for anxiety, depression, anger, confusion, and fatigue. Since stress also affects the immune system, the benefits are increased. (Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) To learn more about the benefits of trees, visit https://lnkd.in/gS-P4Y6S

The new year is a great time to join us at events that’ll get you closer to nature! Whether you're hoping to attend a volunteer tree planting, an environmental education tour, or something else, TreePeople events are a great way to participate in the community! Sign up by visiting the below. treepeople.org/volunteer