News | South LA Tree Coalition https://southlatrees.org Protect Our Urban Forests. Sat, 27 Sep 2025 05:00:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://southlatrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/cropped-slat-tree-32x32.jpg News | South LA Tree Coalition https://southlatrees.org 32 32 Roots & Fruits: Greening Jefferson Park – Community Tree Planting & Block Party https://southlatrees.org/roots-fruits-greening-jefferson-park-community-tree-planting-block-party/ Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:17:39 +0000 https://southlatrees.org/?p=340668 Jefferson Park Community Planting Event 2025 - South LA Tree Coalition - Come help us plant street trees around 6th Ave School!Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Roots & Fruits: Greening Jefferson Park – Community Tree Planting & Block Party

Supported by LASAN’s BeLeaf in Equity Grant

LOS ANGELES, CA — October 18, 2025 — The South LA Tree Coalition (SLATC), in partnership with LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN), the Koreatown Youth & Community Center (KYCC), and Council District 10, invites the community to a day of greening, celebration, and neighborhood pride at 6th Avenue Elementary School in Jefferson Park (90018).

The event, Roots & Fruits: Greening Jefferson Park – Community Tree Planting & Block Party, will take place Saturday, October 18, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Volunteers and residents will come together to plant new street trees, enjoy food, music, and family-friendly activities, and learn about local resources that support environmental equity.

This effort is funded in part by LASAN’s BeLeaf in Equity grant, an USDA/IRA program dedicated to increasing tree canopy coverage and advancing climate resilience in communities disproportionately impacted by extreme heat and limited green space.

“Our goal is to bring people together, plant shade for the future, and make sure every neighborhood has the greenery it deserves,” said Theresa Maysonet, Co-Founder of the South LA Tree Coalition. “Thanks to LASAN’s BeLeaf in Equity program and our community partners, we’re able to make Jefferson Park cooler, healthier, and more connected.”

Event Details:
📅 Saturday, October 18, 2025
🕙 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 6th Avenue Elementary, 3109 6th Ave, Jefferson Park 90018
🎉 Free event featuring tree planting, vendors, community resources, food, entertainment, and volunteer opportunities.

For more information or to volunteer, please visit:

2025 Community Planting Event with 100 Fruit Tree Adoptions

 

]]> LA Times article: Study reveals attitudes about lack of trees in South L.A. https://southlatrees.org/lat_article_study_reveals_attitudes/ Sat, 12 Oct 2024 20:27:07 +0000 https://southlatrees.org/?p=340524 Los Angeles Times
‘There is no easy fix’: Study reveals attitudes about lack of trees in South L.A.

Lila Seidman reports for the Los Angeles Times on a new study by USC and the South L.A. Tree Coalition (SLATC) about the unequal distribution of trees in LA. Participants in the study expressed an awareness of the harms caused by tree disparity and the value of a cooling canopy. Theresa Maysonet, SLATC Co-Founder, mentions that interviewing South L.A. community leaders and stakeholders is what makes this study really unique. Ultimately, the article conveys the importance of city funding to achieve tree equity in LA. According to Dan Halden of StreetsLA, partnerships with nonprofit and community organizations are necessary for the city to achieve its “goal of a healthy, maintained tree canopy that provides much-needed shade, particularly in disadvantaged communities.”

Read the article at LATimes.com
or download a PDF version here

]]> SLATC and USC Report Reception Party Oct 2024 https://southlatrees.org/slatc_and_usc_report_reception_party_oct_2024/ Thu, 10 Oct 2024 03:45:53 +0000 https://southlatrees.org/?p=1649

Angelic Perez and Jonathan Diaz with KYCC

CFAC Boardmember Isabelle Duvivier, SLATC Board Member Brent Green, Community members Mark Oberholzer and Leigh Hopper sampling Johnny’s Pastrami’s delicious buffet

Neighborhood Council Leader Dolores Spears and West Adam Avenues Assn Chair Donna Jones

Community members

Guests

Councilwoman Heather Hutt sharing comments about SLATC Co-Founder Theresa Maysonet’s community leadership

South LA Tree Coalition Board Members James Maysonet, Dakota Maysonet and Liza Ameen celebrating release of SLATC/USC Research Study

Jonathan Lopez and Diane Lopez enjoying the evening

City Forest Officer Rachel Malarich and SLATC/USC Research Assistant Zoelli Ortiz

USC’s Steve Wesson, SLATC Co-Founder Theresa Maysonet, Councilwoman Heather Hutt, USC’s Public Exchange Marianna Bobbani

CFAC Board Members Theresa Maysonet and Isabelle Duvivier

South LA Tree Coalition was joined by City Officials and community members as it celebrated the release of its research study with USC: Rooted Connections: Understanding South Los Angeles Community Leaders’ Relationship to the Urban Forest. Lauded by Councilwoman Heather Hutt as a “great community leader” and “a voice that cannot be ignored,” Co-Founder Theresa Maysonet also thanked the Councilwoman, who in 2022 appointed Mrs. Maysonet to the Community Forest Advisory Committee. “Councilwoman Hutt has shown steadfast commitment to the tree canopy in CD10 as evident by securing extra funding for additional tree trimming.” Mrs. Maysonet’s comments continued with thank you’s for the community leaders that participated in the study and gratitude for the partnership with USC Public Exchange and for their commitment to this original research study. “Marianna Babboni and Professor Santina Contreras took a chance on this unique study and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

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