Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your tax-deductible donation now.
Boyle Heights' Hollenbeck Park Gets A Forest Of New Trees
Hollenbeck Park just got a bunch of new trees on Thursday morning.
(
L.A. Parks Department
)
Hollenbeck Park is a beautiful place for people in Boyle Heights to enjoy nature, but it's lost a bunch of its trees to disease lately. In response, L.A. planted 20 Jacaranda, Tipuana Tipu and Brisbane Box trees at the park Thursday in partnership with the nonprofit Los Angeles Parks Foundation.
The trees will help alleviate pollution from the neighboring 5 freeway, said Carolyn Ramsay, the foundation's executive director.
"We're planting the trees along the freeway side of the park to reduce the pollution and exhaust from all the cars and trucks that go by, but also reduce the noise and provide a habitat for the wildlife that live here," she said.
The trees are native to continents like South America and Australia. They were chosen because of their ability to withstand climate change in L.A.
Thursday's planting is part of the foundation's L.A. Park Forest initiative, which aims to restore the tree canopy in city parks. The L.A. Parks Foundation has planted seven forests so far and plans on three more this year. Its goal is to install 100 park forests in the next 10 years.
A city forest officer was hired in 2019 to plant 90,000 of them by the end of this year.
Corrected September 30, 2021 at 5:29 PM PDT
A previous version of this story stated that the agency was looking to hire a city forest officer. In fact, the officer was hired in 2019. LAist regrets the error, but we're happy that this project is in progress.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
