Last year, the city of Las Vegas reached a record 120 degrees during the peak of summer. The Clark County Coroner's Office found that heat was a factor in more than 500 deaths. Now, city, county and local advocates are planting thousands of trees to help bring down temperatures in the hottest neighborhoods. Trees can have a significant impact on mitigating heat.
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Climate change is driving more dangerous summer heat across the U.S. Las Vegas, which reached 120 degrees last summer, is planting thousands of trees to help cool its hottest neighborhoods.
Why it matters: Climate change is driving up peak temperatures in cities across the country, and last summer, Las Vegas reached a record high of 120 degrees. Temperatures hit 100 degrees or higher for more than two months straight. That summer heat contributed to more than 500 deaths, according to the Clark County Coroner's Office. Experts say heat-related deaths are likely undercounted across the country.
What Vegas is doing: The city, county and nonprofits are all stepping up efforts to plant more trees and provide more shade — especially in the hottest neighborhoods. "Our 2050 goal is to plant 60,000 trees within the city of Las Vegas, and that breaks down to a little over 2,000 trees a year," said Brad Daseler, the city's urban forester.
Read on ... to learn how the effort is going.
Trees in the desert are like oxygen at high altitude — scarce and precious.
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Climate change shapes where and how we live. That's why NPR is dedicating a week to stories about solutions for building and living on a hotter planet.
During a recent spring tree giveaway sponsored by Nevada's Clark County, the team had a couple of hundred young trees ready and lined up for residents. All the trees disappeared within an hour.
Lulu Banks was eligible for two free trees. That's because her neighborhood in North Las Vegas is a designated "urban heat island" — a specific area that's hotter than other neighborhoods, in part because of lack of shade.
Urban forester Brad Daseler walks through a tree nursery in Las Vegas. The city has a goal of planting 60,000 trees by 2050.
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"I don't have any trees on my property," Banks said.
She knew exactly where she was going to plant the new trees: one close to her front window and another outside her bedroom. She hopes the shade will help lower her air conditioning bill in the summer.
Research has shown that trees can lower the temperature in the area around them significantly, by at least 10 degrees. And Las Vegas needs all the cooling it can get.
Climate change is driving up peak temperatures in cities across the country, and last summer, Las Vegas reached a record high of 120 degrees. Temperatures hit 100 degrees or higher for more than two months straight.
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That summer heat contributed to more than 500 deaths, according to the Clark County Coroner's Office. Experts say heat-related deaths are likely undercounted across the country.
It prompted an increased focus on finding ways to help keep people safe from the heat.
In May, state lawmakers passed a bill requiring the state's biggest cities and counties to create heat mitigation plans by next summer; it was signed into law this month.
In Las Vegas, the city, county and nonprofits are all stepping up efforts to plant more trees and provide more shade — especially in the hottest neighborhoods.
The lack of tree canopy in many Las Vegas neighborhoods is an important issue. Research has shown trees can lower the temperature in the area around them by at least 10 degrees. Temperatures can range significantly more depending on the surroundings, but even 10 degrees can make a big difference.
Choinard leads the Southern Nevada Heat Resilience Lab, which studies how heat affects people and communities and then recommends data-based solutions. The lab was created in 2023 and is funded primarily by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a federal agency.
Studies show heat disproportionately affects lower-income neighborhoods. This has a ripple effect, according to Ariel Choinard of the Southern Nevada Heat Resilience Lab. People in these neighborhoods end up paying more to cool their homes. And they may have to choose between keeping their home at a livable temperature and other necessities like food or medication.
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In April, Choinard visited several urban heat island neighborhoods to demonstrate how the built environment can dramatically increase surface temperatures, and the significant difference trees can make.
A 2022 heat mapping project found that several areas, including East Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, can experience temperatures up to 11 degrees hotter than other parts of the region. Each of these neighborhoods is relatively poorer than other parts of Las Vegas.
"Folks here have to work harder and longer to afford to cool their homes," Choinard said. "And we know that people make really tough trade-offs when it's superhot."
That can mean choosing between keeping their homes at a safe and comfortable temperature and paying for groceries, or limiting medication.
Choinard pointed out a mature tree providing plenty of shade in a neighborhood without many others.
"It's this tree that's doing really great work here," she said.
On this day in April, it was 95 degrees out. But under the tree, it was much cooler. Choinard measured the temperature on the ground with an infrared thermometer: 87 degrees.
Trees help cool the air through a process known as transpiration cooling. Essentially, trees release water into the atmosphere from their leaves, cooling the air around them. Tree cover also provides shade, keeping sidewalks, roads and buildings from absorbing and trapping as much of the sun's heat.
At the Desert Inn Estates, a mobile home community with few trees in East Las Vegas, Choinard pointed the infrared thermometer at a picnic table sitting directly in the sun.
Many older neighborhoods and mobile home communities, such as the Desert Inn Estates, still have palm trees and cactuses, which provide a particular visual aesthetic but little shade. Local leaders are moving toward nonnative, drought-tolerant trees that can provide shade.
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"130 degrees on a bench next to a table," she said, reading the device.
Asphalt can get even hotter: The asphalt parking space near the picnic table registered 144 degrees.
That's hot enough that Las Vegas has seen an increase in burns — among people and pets — from hot pavement during the summer.
Mike Michel is a resident at Desert Inn Estates. Just about every afternoon he and his dog Suzy take advantage of the small park's relative shade.
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Planting 2,000 trees a year
That's why the county, the city and nonprofits are all increasing efforts to plant more trees in the desert.
"Our 2050 goal is to plant 60,000 trees within the city of Las Vegas, and that breaks down to a little over 2,000 trees a year," said Brad Daseler, the city's urban forester.
Daseler is bringing in mostly nonnative plants that provide shade and are drought tolerant, like oak trees from northern Mexico and eucalyptus trees from Australia.
"Las Vegas is a pretty challenging environment for plant material in general because we do get so warm, but we also have the ability to freeze," Daseler said. "So finding trees that can survive in both of those climate extremes absolutely is a challenge."
And you can't just plant any tree in any place, Daseler says. There's nuance and strategy to what kind of trees are chosen for what areas.
Walking through the city tree nursery, he pointed out a young bur oak.
"Those would be trees that we would use more in our park spaces," he said. Other trees, like the Indian rosewood, can better withstand the harshness of being planted in a median, surrounded by asphalt and concrete, with a "high heat load."
The region is currently in a drought that the U.S. Drought Monitor has classified as "exceptional" — its severest category.
So there's a delicate balancing act, Daseler said, in maximizing both trees and water.
That's a constant challenge in the desert, says Choinard.
"There's always that question of, what is the highest use of a gallon of water?" she said. "But when we're talking about the long-term viability of our communities, I think a tree is a great thing to put water on."
Teaching the next generation
The tree-planting effort has also spread to some schools, which are starting garden clubs.
On a weekend this spring, students and parents gathered in the garden at Booker Elementary School. Students planted trees, fruits and vegetables in beds — each with its own letter, spelling out S-T-E-M (for science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
"Don't give plants too much water, but you need it to have some water so it can grow," said third-grader Donovan Pantoja.
His mom, Natalie Hernandez, said the project instills positive life lessons, and teaches kids to be environmentally conscious.
"And then they may teach their kids," she said. "And hopefully that trickles [down], to try to conserve and help the planet."
Aaron Schrank
has been on the ground, reporting on homelessness and other issues in L.A. for more than a decade.
Published April 2, 2026 4:23 PM
Supervisor Holly Mitchell, L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer, actor Danny Trejo and others gathered at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Wilmington.
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A new private foundation called The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA launched Thursday, aiming to raise $2 million to shore up county health services this year. It comes after the Department of Public Health closed seven clinics following $50 million in funding cuts since early 2025.
Who's behind it: The foundation's board includes Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, the CEOs of Blue Shield of California Foundation and LA Care Health Plan, actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo and more. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 at the launch. Ferrer acknowledged it's "a hard day" when a public agency has to turn to private donors to fund basic services.
Deeper cuts ahead: The federal "Big Beautiful Bill" slashes Medi-Cal funding, and the department anticipates losing up to $300 million over the next three years. Federal dollars account for nearly half the public health budget.
Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.
A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.
“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.
She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.
Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.
The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.
More cuts expected
L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.
“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”
Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.
The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.
Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.
If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez
is an arts and general assignment reporter on LAist's Explore LA team.
Published April 2, 2026 4:20 PM
Water infrastructure such as pipes that feed water to drinking fountains and toilets at the Rose Bowl Stadium are getting an infusion of $1 million for fixes.
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Rep. Laura Friedman today announced that she secured $1 million for improvements to the water infrastructure at the aging Rose Bowl Stadium as it prepares for a global starring role in the LA28 Olympics.
Why it matters: The pipes may be working fine — for now — but the fear of backed-up toilets as the world watches is an ongoing worry at the venue.
Why now: Public officials have been pushing for spending to improve Olympic venues and surrounding areas as L.A. and other municipalities roll out the red carpet for the world to attend the Olympics. But they’ve hit road bumps and detours.
The backstory: The Rose Bowl is 103 years old and public officials have committed to spending $200 million to upgrade the Pasadena venue over the next two decades.
The Rose Bowl in Pasadena may be a centenarian, but it’s holding up pretty well as it continues to host events on its way to a starring role in the LA28 Olympics.
But before it can host the soccer final, it needs fixes, especially to the infrastructure serving the bathrooms and drinking fountains. Fears of a toilet backup while in the world’s spotlight led Rep. Laura Friedman to seek federal funds for upgrades. On Thursday she announced she secured just over $1 million.
“Two years from now, athletes around the world are going to compete for gold right where we are standing. This is not the time to find out whether or not these pipes are up to the task,” Friedman said.
The planned work, she added, will lead to improved water flow capacity and water drainage, eliminating the risk of backups and emergency maintenance.
The funds came from the House of Representatives Interior and Environment subcommittee. The fixes, an official said, will be completed by the LA28 Olympics.
The funds, however, are a drop in the bucket when it comes to what’s needed to make needed improvements to the Pasadena venue.
Officials, including (left to right) Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation President Dedan Brozino, Deputy Fire Chief of the City of Pasadena Tim Sell, Congresswoman Laura Friedman, and Rose Bowl Stadium CEO Jens Weiden announced infrastructure funding for the 103-year old Rose Bowl.
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“Over the next 20 years there's about $200 million that we need to put in and that's everything from updating light fixtures to updating gas, water, wastewater lines, etc.,” said Dedan Brozino, president of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the Rose Bowl stadium's preservation and enhancement.
Getting venues ready will be expensive
The money is a much-needed win at a time when elected officials in city, county, state and federal offices have been struggling to find the funds to get L.A.-area venues ready for the global Olympic stage in two years.
The entrance to a men's bathroom at the Rose Bowl.
Additionally, to save money, LA28 organizers moved Olympic diving to the Rose Bowl complex last year because it has two Olympic-sized pools, while the Exposition Park complex doesn't and would need expensive upgrades.
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Kevin Tidmarsh
is a producer for LAist, covering news and culture. He’s been an audio/web journalist for about a decade.
Published April 2, 2026 3:39 PM
This Cape vulture chick hatched March 14 at the L.A. Zoo.
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The zoo said it’s the first major breeding success in its Cape vulture habitat, which opened up last year. The chick now joins the zoo’s committee — that’s the name for a group of vultures.
About the chick: The chick hatched on March 14. The zoo opened its Cape vulture enclosure in February 2025 after years of planning to encourage the birds to roost and nest, welcoming a new breeding pair that year. When it grows to be an adult, it’ll have a wingspan of eight and a half feet.
About the enclosure: The L.A. Zoo said it spent years developing the vulture habitat, which was designed to mimic the vultures’ natural environment in South Africa. Dominick Dorsa II, the zoo’s director of animal care, said in a statement the successful hatching is “a testament to the design and construction” of the habitat.
How to see the chick: You can’t for the time being. Zoo officials are keeping it away from visitors until the chick matures, though you can still see adult Cape vultures at the zoo’s enclosure.
Though visitors will have to wait until the chick matures to see it in the enclosure, you can still take in the impressive eight and a half foot wingspan of the adult Cape vultures.
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What zoo officials are saying: “Welcoming a Cape vulture chick is a thrilling moment for our team and a beacon of hope for African vultures,” the L.A. Zoo’s curator of birds Rose Legato said in a statement. “Vultures are one of nature's most misunderstood marvels, and I cannot wait for our guests to eventually watch this chick grow and learn just how vital they are to our ecosystems.”
About the species: Cape vultures are listed as a vulnerable species due to human activities and encroachment. According to the L.A. Zoo, African vultures are more closely related to eagles and hawks than vultures native to the Americas, like the California condors that just hatched last year at the L.A. Zoo.
Topline:
The Los Angeles Zoo said it’s the first major breeding success in its Cape vulture habitat, which opened up last year. The chick now joins the zoo’s committee — that’s the name for a group of vultures.
About the chick: The chick hatched March 14. The zoo opened its Cape vulture enclosure in February 2025 after years of planning to encourage the birds to roost and nest, welcoming a new breeding pair that year. When it grows to be an adult, it’ll have a wingspan of 8 1/2 feet.
About the enclosure: The L.A. Zoo said it spent years developing the vulture habitat, which was designed to mimic the vultures’ natural environment in South Africa and nearby countries. Dominick Dorsa II, the zoo’s director of animal care, said in a statement the successful hatching is “a testament to the design and construction” of the habitat.
How to see the chick: You can’t for the time being. Zoo officials are keeping it away from visitors until the chick matures, though you can still see adult Cape vultures at the zoo’s enclosure.
Though visitors will have to wait until the chick matures to see it in the enclosure, you can still take in the impressive eight and a half foot wingspan of the adult Cape vultures.
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Courtesy Jamie Pham/L.A. Zoo
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What zoo officials are saying: “Welcoming a Cape vulture chick is a thrilling moment for our team and a beacon of hope for African vultures,” the L.A. Zoo’s curator of birds Rose Legato said in a statement. “Vultures are one of nature's most misunderstood marvels, and I cannot wait for our guests to eventually watch this chick grow and learn just how vital they are to our ecosystems.”
About the species: Cape vultures are listed as a vulnerable species due to human activities and encroachment. According to the L.A. Zoo, African vultures are more closely related to eagles and hawks than vultures native to the Americas, like the zoo's California condors that hatched last year.
What should have been a celebration for formerly incarcerated youth completing a reentry program at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) last week instead ended with seven students and two staff members detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to witnesses.
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Last week, seven students and two staff members from the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) were detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to witnesses. Now, BHAC staff and city officials are demanding answers from the LAPD, with some accusing officers of racial profiling.
What happened: According to the LAPD, officers observed a large group gathered on the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Mott Street around 4:16 p.m. on March 26. The group, classified by police as an “aggressive gang group,” consisted of seven 18-year-old students from the BHAC’s Bridge Academy Movement (BAM) program and two BHAC staff members.
Allegations of racial profiling: In total, seven 18-year-old students and two staff members were detained. BHAC staff said one student and one staff member were taken to Hollenbeck Community Police Station and released less than two hours later after advocacy from community members and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado. According to Rene Weber, a teaching artist at the BHAC, the students had gone to coffee across the street at Milpa Kitchen as they often did. After Weber told the officers that all of the students were 18, they said they would investigate whether the group had any gang affiliation.
What is BAM? The BAM program pays formerly incarcerated youth to complete 200-250 hours in media and visual arts training to prepare them for creative careers. That day, students were set to showcase their work at the BAM program graduation for families and community members.
What should have been a celebration for formerly incarcerated youth completing a reentry program at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) last week instead ended with seven students and two staff members detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to witnesses.
Now, nearly a week later, BHAC staff and city officials are demanding answers from the LAPD, with some accusing officers of racial profiling.
According to the LAPD, officers observed a large group gathered on the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Mott Street around 4:16 p.m. on March 26. Authorities then requested backup for what they described as “a large group surrounding officers,” LAPD Public Information Officer Tony Im said.
The group, classified by police as an “aggressive gang group,” consisted of seven 18-year-old students from the BHAC’s Bridge Academy Movement (BAM) program and two BHAC staff members.
The BAM program pays formerly incarcerated youth to complete 200-250 hours in media and visual arts training to prepare them for creative careers. That day, students were set to showcase their work at the BAM program graduation for families and community members.
Rene Weber, a teaching artist at the BHAC, had been with the students setting up for the ceremony minutes before the incident occurred.
According to Weber, the students had gone to coffee across the street at Milpa Kitchen as they often did, when staff were alerted that they were being detained.
Weber said he arrived to find students and a staff member pressed against the wall in handcuffs.
Video from the scene, taken by a staff member at the BHAC, shows multiple officers surrounding the group. At one point, an officer orders a person to “get on the wall” and displays a stun gun.
“No, none of that, these are kids right here,” the staff member replies.
Another staff member, Teotl Veliz, recorded a large police response.
“I counted 12 cop cars, that’s at least 25 cops, and they had a helicopter,” Veliz said. “It was just so comedic, tragically comedic, that it was on their graduation day too.”
Officers established a perimeter with yellow tape along the side of Ashley’s Beauty Salon as local business owners and witnesses gathered around the students.
“I was just incredibly disappointed in LAPD… because it became so apparent to everybody, all at the same time, that it was racial profiling and nothing else,” Veliz said.
Weber said officers gave shifting explanations for the stop at the scene, including blocking the sidewalk and possible underage vaping. After Weber told the officers that all of the students were 18, they said they would investigate whether the group had any gang affiliation.
Police have not responded to questions about what led officers to believe that the group was gang-affiliated.
Weber recalled pleading with the officers to let the group go and explaining to them that they worked across the street. Community members and local business owners also stepped in to vouch for the students.
“Our job is to help them gain a new perspective on life,” Weber said. “They’re coming out of juvenile detention and they’re turning their lives around. We can do our part in keeping them off the streets and keeping them doing better but what does it mean if they’re going to be profiled and treated exactly the same way?”
In total, seven 18-year-old students and two staff members were detained. BHAC staff said one student and one staff member were taken to Hollenbeck Community Police Station and released less than two hours later after advocacy from community members and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.
The incident ultimately resulted in an infraction for smoking a cannabis e-vape on a public sidewalk, according to a photo of the infraction shared with the Beat. LAPD did not provide details about the people taken to Hollenbeck Station or the infraction.
The graduation ceremony was cancelled that night and is expected to be rescheduled in April.
“Graduation should be a moment of pride and possibility — not fear,” Jurado said in a statement. “I’m seeking answers about what occurred, and this underscores the need for stronger relationships between law enforcement and community organizations so moments like these are protected, not disrupted.”
Carmelita Ramirez‑Sanchez, the conservatory’s executive director, said she was grateful to the community and Jurado for advocating for the students’ release. Jurado met her at Hollenbeck Station within 20 minutes of being alerted to the incident, she said.
“They had store owners, señoras, barbers, that ran out and were trying to explain to the police who our kids were,” Ramirez‑Sanchez said.
Still, she said the incident tarnished what should have been a joyous celebration.
“I imagine that what this does is derail this entire idea that you can be an active participant in your own restorative growth,” she said.
