Schoolyard greening projects hit milestone as advocates see the 'most impact ever'

California lawmakers approved $150 million in 2022 to be given out as grants for public school projects. Now, work by about a dozen groups in Southern California funded by that money is starting to bear fruit.

It could not come at a more critical moment.

“It is extremely urgent. Kids continue to go to schools in areas that have less access to playgrounds that have a tree canopy and they spend the majority of their days in areas that are hot,” said Juan Altamirano,  director of government affairs for the Trust for Public Land.

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The group has helped complete four schoolyard greening projects and is shepherding 10 others.

The cool shade provided by the tree canopy is nice, but these efforts are also about safety on school campuses. The asphalt in and around San Fernando Valley schools has hit 142 degrees, and that can burn skin after a couple minutes of contact.

For years before the state offered new funding, organizations like North East Trees in L.A. have been greening campuses by planting trees. The group has eight greening projects in the works, some funded by grants separate from the 2022 funds. The most recent is Buchanan Elementary in Highland Park. The group removed 400 tons of asphalt and recently finished planting 150 trees, including peach and avocado.

Schoolyard greening groups, such as North East Trees, call on school staff and students to help plant trees.

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Courtesy North East Trees

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“The more asphalt we remove, the more trees and nature that we bring into schools, the better that school is going to be able to absorb and collect water,” and provide places for students to cool down, said Carlos Moran, executive director of North East Trees.

And the company SLA Inc. posted that it has taken out a half million square feet of asphalt in projects to green schoolyards.

About a dozen groups are helping green schools in Southern California. Some are tapping into philanthropic funds and expect to receive money from local bonds like Los Angeles Unified School District's Measure US and the state bond Proposition 2.

“There are so many schools that need greening still, thousands of schools, and there's a lot more work to be done,” said Emily Tyrer, who leads the effort for TreePeople.

Her group has 28 active school greening projects in L.A. County. The organization began focusing on projects to rip up campus asphalt and replace it with vegetation under the leadership of Cindy Montañez, the group’s CEO who died in 2023.

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North East Trees

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Tyrer said the projects have never been more impactful.

“The students deserve it, the students want it,” Tyrer said. “This is a really good start and we can feel the momentum building up around this. The projects are getting easier and easier to accomplish and get funding for, and that's what the students of L.A. deserve.”