TreePeople

Founded in 1973 by then-18-year-old Andy Lipkis after LA smog was found killing forests in the San Bernardino Mountains, TreePeople has spent five decades greening Southern California's streets, schoolyards and parks. Its Community Forestry program targets shade-tree planting and distribution at low-canopy, heat-vulnerable communities such as Watts, Huntington Park and the Gateway Cities, since extreme heat kills more Americans than any other weather hazard. With community volunteers, TreePeople has now planted over 1 million trees in the cities that need them most, including 1,007 urban trees planted and 6,015 shade trees distributed to residents in 2025 alone.