{"id":22176,"date":"2024-11-13T16:52:32","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T00:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=22176"},"modified":"2026-04-03T12:16:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T19:16:37","slug":"public-exchange-urban-trees-initiative-plants-first-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/public-exchange-urban-trees-initiative-plants-first-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"A tree grows in LA: Urban Trees Initiative achieves its first planting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/11\/PX_Trees_Top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/11\/PX_Trees_Top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/11\/PX_Trees_Top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/11\/PX_Trees_Top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Two women hoist a young tree into a hole as city and community workers assist and observe\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Public Exchange\u2019s Monica Dean (wearing USC hat) and Carling Monder plant a tree in L.A.\u2019s West Adams neighborhood with help from staff and volunteers from the Koreatown Youth and Community Center and L.A. Sanitation and Environment. (Photo: Stephen Gee.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=social-impact\">Social Impact<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>A tree grows in LA: Urban Trees Initiative achieves its first planting<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  USC Dornsife Public Exchange program is now bringing much needed shade to Los Angeles neighborhoods in need of greenery.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Margaret Crable<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">November 13, 2024<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.usc.edu\/assignment-earth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-16067\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-150x150.png\" alt=\"On a gold background, &quot;Asgmt Earth&quot; appears inside a black circle and &quot;USC&quot; inside a small, white circle that slightly overlaps the black circle.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-500x500.png 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-320x320.png 320w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric.png 1250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>Waiting for the bus on a 100-degree day in Los Angeles can be a major endurance test. Move under the shade of a nearby tree, however, and you could feel a refreshing temperature drop of up to 15 degrees. That difference makes a scorching summer day more tolerable, and it can even prevent heat stroke.<\/p>\n<p>Trees also help lower a city\u2019s overall temperature, boost air flow and filter out pollutants. Unfortunately, some L.A. neighborhoods, particularly low-income communities, have very little greenery, if any at all.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/publicexchange.usc.edu\/\">Public Exchange<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/public-exchange-urban-trees-initiative-eastside-los-angeles\/\">launched<\/a> the <a href=\"https:\/\/publicexchange.usc.edu\/urban-trees-initiative\/\">USC Urban Trees Initiative<\/a> to identify areas of L.A. most in need of trees and to help facilitate their planting and maintenance. The initiative has received support from the <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/where-urban-tree-canopies-and-environmental-justice-meet\/\">Bezos Earth Fund<\/a> and recently convened a meeting with the <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/public-exchange-and-white-house-tackle-nature-based-climate-change-solutions\/\">White House Office of Science and Technology Policy<\/a> and local tree practitioners to discuss urban greening efforts in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>On Nov. 9, the very first round of trees were planted in the West Adams neighborhood, in partnership with the Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC) and L.A. Sanitation and Environment. A total of 250 trees will eventually be installed. They\u2019ll be cared for by KYCC for three years as they grow to maturity.<\/p>\n<p>The tree planting demonstrates the efficacy of the Public Exchange program, which uses academic scholarship to solve complex social challenges. \u201cToday\u2019s event is a great example of what we can do when we work together \u2014 and just the beginning of our work to protect residents from rising temperatures and improve quality of life,\u201d says Kate Weber, executive director of Public Exchange.<\/p>\n<p>For local resident Dakota Maysonet, the new trees are bringing more than just cooler temperatures. \u201cTrees \u2026 give a sense of calmness. It\u2019s not just the oxygen and the shade, but this really great experience when you see the greenery and the birds and other wildlife. It really brings a great value to people\u2019s lives,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dVvmm1LcINo?si=2PxJRxeekxivfFJd\" title=\"Planting Trees in South LA | Milestone Reached for USC Urban Trees Initiative\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>In addition to the Urban Trees Initiative, Public Exchange is leading a project to revitalize the L.A. River, water conservation efforts in the Santa Clarita Valley north of Los Angeles, and a variety of other efforts related to <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/climate-and-sustainability-practice\/\">climate and sustainability<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/public-exchange-health-and-wellbeing-practice\/\">health and well-being<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The tree planting event was a milestone for the <a href=\"https:\/\/today.usc.edu\/tag\/sustainability\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sustainability \u201cmoonshot,\u201d<\/a> developed by USC President Carol Folt in 2022 to promote green research, education, policymaking and practice.<\/p>\n<p><em>For more on the tree planting, see <a href=\"https:\/\/today.usc.edu\/usc-urban-trees-initiative-expands-green-spaces-in-south-los-angeles-neighborhoods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USC News &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/where-urban-tree-canopies-and-environmental-justice-meet\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Where urban tree canopies and environmental justice meet<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/public-exchange-health-and-wellbeing-practice\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >USC Dornsife\u2019s\u00a0Public Exchange launches practice to tackle health and well-being challenges<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/food-insecurity-worsens-among-low-income-angelenos\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Food insecurity worsens among low-income Angelenos as emergency boost to CalFresh program expires<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>USC Dornsife Public Exchange program brings shade trees to neighborhoods across the city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":22180,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,15],"tags":[63,1919,181,80],"class_list":["post-22176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-impact","category-sustainability","tag-community-engagement","tag-enviornment","tag-los-angeles","tag-public-exchange"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A tree grows in LA: Urban Trees Initiative achieves its first planting<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"USC Dornsife Public Exchange program is now bringing much needed shade to Los Angeles neighborhoods lacking greenery\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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