Before the city of Los Angles was veiled in a thick blanket of smoke from the Bobcat and other countless regional fires our daily walks would take us through the urban forest that beautifies this densely populated city. The rich variety and density of the tree population provides more than aesthetic relief but is a powerful tool in the fight against green-house gas pollution and rising temperatures.
The urban forest in Los Angeles is estimated at over 1 million trees, many are in the parks in and around the city but an increasing percentage are being planted and nurtured in streets within neighborhoods.
Organizations like our local Tree People work with tree deprived neighborhoods in planting and maintaining young trees during the first few years of their growth and the trees planted around our studio over 15 years ago are now vibrant and mature.
The well-being and continued growth of this forest benefits all who live here as the trees absorb carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and ground level ozone converting them through photosynthesis into oxygen making the air breathable at least some of the time. In Los Angeles County from Los Angeles city to Pasadena our current level for these pollutants is running from 165 to 279 on the AQI index or from poor air to hazardous air depending on proximity to the burn zone.
The tree canopy of our urban forest also helps mitigate some of the heat gains of global warming by providing shade and thereby reducing our energy consumption.
The Jacaranda tree we planted on our sidewalk and the succulents that surround it were one of our earlier investments into creating a small drought sensitive and shady sidewalk space.
The vertical wall that separates our studio from our neighbor became a vertical garden when we planted a ficus vine. This rampant plant has clung to the face of the concrete wall adding color to a boring grey backdrop as well as filtering the surrounding air.
Hedgerow Bronze Trees using the Ficus Vine at our studio as a canvas
The Camphor tree has powerful roots but a more creative approach to sidewalk repairs and new sidewalk planning can incorporate tree roots through with sidewalks that meander around the trees root berm.
A fifteen year old Jacaranda tree helps provide shade