“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

These wise words from Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax”, a rallying cry against deforestation and the destruction of the natural environment, rings especially true in a city as urbanized and concrete-laden as Los Angeles. However, amidst the towering buildings and sprawling freeways, a movement is growing that echoes the Lorax’s plea for environmental stewardship – it’s called urban forestry.

The Environmental Benefits of City-Trees

Imagine, if you will, walking down a city street on a hot summers’ day. You wipe the sweat from your brow and pause to take a breather, absentmindedly wandering to a cool shaded area just off your path. You lean on the knotted wooden surface of a tree trunk as dappled sunlight filters through its leaves. That sunlight gets partially absorbed by your chlorophyll-infused cover and reduces the overall heat level of the city. You don’t remember this tree being here before, but you’re glad it’s here now. 

That’s just one vision of a future with urban forestry, where tree planting, care, and maintenance transform the city into a greener, healthier oasis – with plenty of benefits for Angelenos like us.

For instance, did you know that urban trees are also nature’s air purifiers? They gulp down pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide, while their leaves act like sticky traps for harmful particles. Through photosynthesis, they also gobble up carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. City trees help combat these environmental consequences of unchecked urbanization.

But it’s not just about cleaner air. Urban trees play a crucial role in stormwater management in arid Los Angeles. By intercepting rainfall and improving soil permeability, these trees reduce runoff, prevent flooding, and replenish our groundwater supplies. They also help to keep our parks and greenspaces stable and safe from erosion due to the increasingly common super-storms that batter our city.

Take Care of Trees And They’ll Take Care of You

The benefits of urban forests extend far beyond the environment. Studies show a strong correlation between access to green spaces and improved mental and physical health. Spending time in nature reduces stress, boosts mood, and encourages physical activity helping you lead a happier life in what can at times be a very difficult city to live in.

Urban forests also create gathering places, fostering community interaction and engagement. They transform ordinary streets into vibrant hubs, instilling neighborhood pride. Well-maintained trees even increase property values, attracting those seeking a greener lifestyle.

Economically, urban forestry is a boon for Los Angeles. It lures businesses and tourists who value a greener, healthier environment. It also creates tree planting, maintenance, and landscaping jobs, contributing to the local economy.

Speak for the Trees

It might please you to know  that the City of LA already recognizes the importance of urban forestry and is actively pursuing a greener future. For instance, the Office of Forest Management branch of the LA Department of Public Works presently oversees and helps maintain LA’s existing greenspaces while the LA Urban Forestry Division handles the management of almost 700,000 street-trees that commingle with your day-to-day life.

Returning to the words of the Lorax, the green future that urban forestry promises can’t be achieved unless “someone like you cares a whole lot”. But why wait for someone like you when you can be the change we need instead? Yes, we mean you in the personal sense – the person reading this right now. Whether caring a whole lot looks like getting informed and informing others about the benefits of urban forestry or getting on the ground and doing some work volunteering for local orgs is up to you – but everyone can make a difference, even if it’s small.

To give you some ideas of where you can start, here are some local organizations you might not know about:

  1. Tree People is an organization that is all about community action. It plants trees in neighborhoods and parks and teaches people how to care for them. Interested in lending a hand with them? You can learn how you can get involved with TreePeople’s ‘grass-roots’ efforts here.
  2. City Plants is an organization partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, which connects LA residents with opportunities to plant new trees in our wonderful city. They also offer a tree-planting program in which you can apply to have a free tree planted in the yard of your home, school, or business and help greenify LA – starting with your own property!

Having trouble finding volunteer opportunities or wondering about options for planting a tree on your property? We’ll take any questions you have over at lastormwater@lacity.org.