Current Research

 Why We Need to Plant Trees

Los Angeles is heating up, and not equally. In low-income communities, particularly those in the San Fernando Valley and other wildfire-prone areas, heatwaves are more intense, tree cover is limited, and air quality is poor. These neighborhoods experience up to 23 more days of extreme heat per year than wealthier parts of the city, putting residents at greater risk of respiratory illness, heat stroke, and higher energy bills (The Verge, 2023).

Adding to this crisis, wildfires have destroyed large areas of native tree cover, thereby reducing biodiversity and leaving hillsides vulnerable to erosion and the spread of invasive species. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife notes that high-intensity fires are now too intense for natural regrowth in many regions (California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2022).

The tree canopy in Los Angeles reflects decades of environmental injustice. In many underserved communities of color, tree coverage is less than half that of wealthier neighborhoods. That means less shade, higher cooling costs, and more exposure to air pollution. Trees naturally filter harmful particles from the air, but without them, families breathe more exhaust, wildfire smoke, and smog (Los Angeles County Environmental Justice Report, 2023).

At Wildfire Resilient Landscapes (WRL) and Wildfire Resilient Native Plants Nursery (WRN), we believe restoring native tree cover is not just about making streets more beautiful. It is about health, climate justice, and long-term resilience. Our planting initiative tackles the climate crisis through:

• Planting native species in areas affected by wildfires and climate stress
   
• Restoring urban tree canopy in neighborhoods with limited green space
   
• Creating local jobs and training in fire-safe landscaping
   
• Providing trees grown locally at our native nursery in Los Angeles
   

This is more than a planting program. It is community-powered climate recovery.

• California Department of Fish and Wildlife. (2022). Wildfire Impacts and Ecological Recovery in California.
   
• Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (2023). Environmental Justice and Tree Canopy Inequity Report.
   
• ScienceDirect. (2024). Seedling Survival and Vegetation Regrowth in Burned Conifer Forests of California.
   
• The Nature Conservancy. (2021). Wildfire Resilience Funding and Community Benefits Report.
   
• The Verge. (2023). How Extreme Heat Disproportionately Affects Latino Neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
   
• TreePeople. (2023). Climate Gardening and Urban Canopy Restoration Programs in Los Angeles.
   
• UCLA Center for Healthy Climate Solutions. (2023). Heat and Public Health Impacts in Canopy Deficient Communities.
   
• Wired Magazine. (2022). City Trees Save Lives: How Urban Forestry Protects Public Health.