February 2023 Project: Tree Planting in Cheeseboro Canyon

With support from California Volunteers, L.A. Works has expanded its capacity to serve organizations addressing climate issues! As part of this initiative, join us for a day of wildfire mitigation through habitat restoration by planting trees in Cheeseboro Canyon with the National Park Service and Santa Monica Mountains Foundation!

WHAT WE DID:

Volunteers will spend a beautiful morning in the Santa Monica Mountains planting native oak trees and willows. Volunteers will be trained in planting techniques and will have the chance to learn about the natural history and future of the ecosystems of the Santa Monica Mountains. At-home volunteers will prepare seedbombs in preparation of this event. ​Learn about how preserving the ecosystems can help mitigate wildfiresJoin us in person at Cheeseboro Canyon if you can!At home kit: FAVE Fam members will receive their kit in the mail. Kits may be ordered here prior to February 10th. Drop off finished kits no later than February 20th, 2023.Keep learning and advocating for cultivation of native plants to help combat climate change and the elimination of burn-prone, invasive grass and plant species as a form of wildfire mitigation.

WHERE THE SEEDBOMBS ARE BEING DONATED:

This month our partner is The National Park Service. The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.​As a fundraising and educational arm of NPS, the Santa Monica Mountains Fund works to protect and encourage appreciation and understanding of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. ​Seedbombs containing native plants creates greater resilience to climate change and wildfires. In-person volunteers will be helping to meet the goal of planting 500 trees in the canyon.

WHY WE ARE HELPING NPS

Your volunteer efforts contribute to the ongoing Rewilding California Project, which aims to plant 100,000 native plants in 5 key wildfire-affected areas by the end of 2023. At this event, we will be making important progress towards this goal by planting 500 trees and other native species in Cheeseboro Canyon– ensuring that the distinctly Californian flora and fauna of the Santa Monica Mountains are resilient to climate change and preserved for generations to come! Habitat restoration of this kind contributes to wildfire mitigation because native grasses, trees, and shrubs are more fire-resistant than the burn-prone invasive grasses that have proliferated in these areas following wildfires in the last five years.