Plant a Million Trees, LA!

I’ve lived in Los Angeles for most of my life and one thing I wouldn’t necessarily attribute to this great city is “green”. No, I’m not talking about our eco-consciousness because I really believe that our city is one of the “leaders” in this new revolution. I mean, the greenness that comes from an abundance of a cities’ natural beauty: the vegetation, plants and, most important, the trees!

Trees are not just an aesthetic need, they are so important to the existence and well-being of the environment. Not only do they improve the quality of the air that we breathe by “sucking in” airborne particles, reducing heat, and absorbing pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.  Tree shade also acts as a natural “air conditioner” during those hot summer months and an eco-friendly “heater” during the chilly winter times.  Do you need any more incentive to plant just one little tree?  It’s simple!

Mayor Antonio Villaragosa began an initiative to make Los Angeles the “largest, cleanest, and greenest city in the United States.”  The Million Trees L.A. (MTLA) Initiative hopes to accomplish this goal through community and private partnerships that will plant one million trees throughout Los Angeles. You can get involved with this program by either planting a tree in your own backyard or by volunteering with the any of the following organizations:

• Tree People
• North East Trees
• Arbor Day Foundation

If you would like to plant a tree on your own property, residential electric customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) qualify for free trees through the LADWP GreenLA program.

By planting trees, we make up for the loss we’ve already caused the planet and ourselves through the destruction of forest areas over the centuries.  In support of this effort, a very apropos quote:

‘The planting of a tree is a gift you can make at almost no cost and trouble and it will far outlive the visible effect of any of your other actions, good or evil.’ 

George Orwell, author of “1984″ & “Animal Farm”