Environmental News

A curated set of environmental news stories brought to you by the Gottlieb Native Garden team.

Inside the grassroots ‘plant rescue ops’ to save Florida’s native species

For 30 years, developers and conservationists fought over the flowered sand banks of Castle Hill in Lake County. As construction crews move in, a driven group of plant experts and retirees races to salvage the area’s native plants.

Citizen scientists sought for L.A. BioBlitz Challenge

Residents are encouraged to join the fourth annual L.A. BioBlitz Challenge running through Oct. 31 to protect and support biodiversity using the iNaturalist mobile app to observe and photograph wildlife such as animals, insects and plants.

Extreme fire seasons are looming — science can help us adapt

Not all wildfires can be averted, but data, models and collaborations can help to chart a course to a fire-resilient future.

Flourishing Los Angeles: Activists reclaim urban spaces through guerrilla gardening

Amid the barren patches of dirt scattered throughout Los Angeles’ bustling streets, a movement for social change is taking root. Community gardens and local plants flourish in underused land, bringing much-needed green to the city’s concrete jungle.

Her family swapped their lawn for a backyard mini-farm and valuable life lessons

Angel Black dreamed of growing food in her Culver City backyard, but her gardens always failed.

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument project gets boost to improve access and water quality

Governor Gavin Newsom today highlighted a $3.5 million federal investment to improve access to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and enhance a key Southern California water source that provides Los Angeles County with one-third of its water supply.

Commission to Consider Planting Native Tree Species on East Anapamu Street

City advisory group recommends that all future plantings on the 300 to 800 blocks are California native coast live oaks rather than Italian stone pines.

Lawsuit Seeks Better Protections for California’s 13,000-Year-Old Oak

Conservation groups sued the city of Jurupa Valley today for approving a development near the world’s oldest known living oak without properly analyzing the potential threats.

Volunteers Plant Trees for Pacoima Middle School’s New ‘Living Schoolyard’

Eight years after Principal Simer Garcha expressed her desire to green and beautify her campus at Pacoima Middle School, the “living schoolyard” was unveiled as volunteers from the school and community gathered to celebrate the final planting of native trees.

We need more street shade in L.A. Why aren’t we planting native trees?

As our average temperatures steadily increase, planting more shade trees is a priority for SoCal cities, “but there are differing opinions about what tree species are best, and being a native tree isn’t the highest ranking criteria,” said Michael King, coordinator of Pasadena’s forestry program. “In our industry we call it, ‘Right tree, right place’ — is the tree appropriate for where we want to put it?”