In January 2021, Hyphae Studio's Impact driven Radical Resilience Lab in collaboration with The Tree Pledge launched Good Shade, an urban reforestation project developed in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department Parks and Recreation, with funding from California ReLeaf and CALFIRE. The pilot project commences at Alondra Community Regional Park (3850 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Lawndale, CA 90260) with 50 trees planted and an education campaign to raise awareness of the mental and physical health benefits associated with human connection with trees and nature. The trees will be planted by venerable green jobs organization, Los Angeles Conservation Corps.
Good Shade seeks to address environmental justice issues, including health risks associated with poor air quality, lack of tree shade and the need more for green infrastructure in urban communities. The Alondra Park area sits within a ring of densely utilized highways and the air pollution that accompanies such traffic. It carries a pollution burden of 87%, bordered by a census tract with a 91 - 100% pollution burden (the Highest Score).
Designed to holistically generate multiple co-benefits for the neediest communities of Los Angeles, Good Shade will reduce greenhouse gases, heat islands, and stormwater runoff by planting trees throughout the county's park system. At the time, the program will increase opportunities for placemaking, education and engagement to improve the physical, mental, social, and economic health of the community.
Through Good Shade, the partners seek to plant hundreds of trees across the county park system, offer a multidisciplinary range of education opportunities, and engage residents in supporting the new trees. The trees will be planted by venerable green jobs organization, Los Angeles Conservation Corps.
PARTNERS
The Tree Pledge is a social movement to plant and protect trees, starting with local communities. We are powered by people, partnerships, resources and technology. We support an ecosystem of local stakeholders and partners to plant and protect trees and empower communities across the world.
Radical Resilience Lab is a pilot program for innovating real-world, market-driven models of urban resilience. We begin with reconnecting humans to the soil right beneath their feet, transforming disused urban spaces into thriving food forests that serve as an intersectional growing medium for community health, personal wellness and climate solutions.
California ReLeaf provides pass-through grants to ReLeaf Network Members and other community groups interested in planting and caring for trees in California. Grant funding has been provided in part through the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). The purpose of these programs is to meet the critical need of creating and sustaining healthy communities in California by providing funding for an array of urban forestry efforts, ranging from education and outreach to tree-planting projects.
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation manages 183 parks and operates a network of 70,079 acres of parkland, 475 sports amenities such as futsal, basketball, tennis, lawn bowling and multipurpose fields, 42 swimming pools, 15 wildlife sanctuaries, 10 nature centers that serve as a refuge for over 200 animals, 14 lakes – 3 of which are boating and swimming lakes, 5 equestrians centers, more than 210 miles of multi-use trails, the largest municipal golf system in the nation, consisting of 20 golf courses, in addition to the world-class Arboretum and Botanic Gardens and performance venues - Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles County Arboretum, Virginia Robinson Gardens and South Coast Botanic Garden and the Hollywood Bowl and Ford Theaters.
Los Angeles Conservation Corps provides community outreach, site preparation for projects, project implementation such as tree plantings and trail development, and long-term tree maintenance. This collaboration provides access to operation and maintenance jobs with long-term career potential in the fields of landscaping, landscape design, engineering, and the advancement of construction-related skills, for long-term, green job potential.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) are dedicated to the fire protection and stewardship of over 31 million acres of California's privately-owned wildlands. Through the California Climate Investments (CCI) Urban & Community Forestry Grant Program, CAL FIRE works to optimize the benefits of trees and related vegetation through multiple-objective projects as specified in the California Urban Forestry Act of 1978 (Public Resources Code 4799.06-4799.12).
