Events Calendar - Los Angeles Parks Foundation

MAR 29, 2022

LA Weekly: The Hidden Franklin Canyon Orange Grove Moves Food Forward

In a hidden canyon in the heart of Beverly Hills, just a stone’s throw from where little Ronnie Howard skipped barefoot in the opening credits of The Andy Griffith Show, one of L.A.’s oldest existing orange groves has provided 180,000 pounds of free produce to local service organizations since 2010. The Los Angeles Parks Foundation (LAPF) together with Food Forward has begun the seasonal process of harvesting oranges from about 246 trees in the Franklin Canyon Orange Grove, which will then be distributed to the community via local agencies and food banks, including MEND, Mutual Aid Action Los Angeles, Seeds of Hope, Project Angel Food, and North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry. Read more here.

MAR 24, 2022

Spectrum News 1: How Micro Forests Combat Climate Change in LA

California’s latest climate assessment projects that heatwaves will become more intense, last longer and will happen more frequently in the years ahead. From 1980 to 2000, there were an average of six annual extreme heat days in Los Angeles. By 2050, that number is predicted to increase to 22 days. This is just one of the many reasons the LA Parks Foundation recently launched the Park Forest Initiative. It is aimed at installing micro forests throughout Los Angeles to combat the urban heat island effect, close the climate gap, and grow our urban canopy. At a recent planting at Harbor Regional Park, crews planted 12 trees. Tree Surgeon Supervisor Leon Boroditsky explained how the trees will benefit the space. “We have a large exercise area inside Harbor Regional Park. We would like to bring shade to the people using the equipment. Also, there are walkways that go through. We like to shade the walkways. That’s really important,” Boroditsky said. Carolyn Ramsay, the executive director of the LA Parks Foundation, talked about the long-term goals the organization has for the micro forest program. “We’ve installed eight forests in the first year and our goal is to plant 10 forests a year for the next 10 years. We actually stole the idea from Paris. They launched a micro forest initiative a few years ago, and I read about it and instantly vacuumed up all the information I could get on it. Then, we created and adapted our LA Park Forest Initiative to LA city parks,” Ramsay said. Climate change was the key motivator for the initiative. Read more here.

MAR 16, 2022

LA This Week: Muscle Beach Reopens

After undergoing an amazing renovation, the LA Department of Recreation and Parks cut the ribbon on Muscle Beach in Venice. The outdoor/indoor gym has all new equipment and is open to everyone. Watch the full video here.

DEC 9, 2021

LA Daily News: Environment-Boosting ‘Microforest’ Takes Root in Pacoima

Creating a new “microforest,” the Los Angeles Parks Foundation planted 12 24-inch box trees — six Tipuana tipu trees and six Quercus lobata trees — at Devonshire Arleta Park in Pacoima on Tuesday, Dec. 7. The installation was part of the foundation’s Park Forest Initiative, which adds small forests to city parks throughout L.A. to “combat the urban heat island effect, close the climate gap, and grow the urban canopy” according to a statement from the group. Such mini-forests help offset carbon footprints, improve air quality, cool surface temperatures and educate the public about climate change, foundation officials said Tuesday. The foundation has installed seven other micro park forests in the area. The group hopes to plant thousands more new trees citywide, including 10 park forests a year. Read more here.

DEC 3, 2021

ChicagoNow: Los Angeles Parks Foundation to Plant "LA Park Forest" at Devonshire Arleta Park on Tuesday, December 7th

With the generous funding and support of Wells Fargo, the Los Angeles Parks Foundation (www.laparksfoundation.org) will be planting twelve 24-inch box tress – six Tipuana tipu trees and six Quercus lobata trees – at LA’s Devonshire Arleta Park in Pacoima (14215 West Devonshire St., Pacoima, CA 91331) on Tuesday, December 7th at 8:30am. The Devonshire Arleta Park Installation is part of the Los Angeles Park Foundation’s Park Forest initiative, which adds micro forests to city parks throughout Los Angeles to combat the urban heat island effect, close the climate gap, and grow the urban canopy. LA Parks Foundation’s Executive Director Carolyn Ramsay conceptualized the micro forests for LA Parks with the hope that it will inspire other cities throughout the U.S.A to take similar action. This activation is incredibly timely given the urgent need to combat the national heat crisis, especially given the disproportionate effects of heat on low-income communities. The Devonshire Arleta Park planting follows on the heels of LA Parks Foundation’s installation of seven other micro park forests at Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights district, Lemon Grove Park in Hollywood, Mar Vista Recreation Center, the Miyiwaki Forest at Bette Davis Picnic Area, Robert Burns Park Forest, 29 Canary Island Pines in Griffith Park, and Ross Snyder Recreation Center in South LA. Read more here.

NOV 16, 2021

Larchmont Buzz: Native Micro-Forest at Griffith Park Appears Promising

On Saturday we visited the newest addition to Griffith Park, a native micro-forest at the Bette Davis Picnic area. While the park just celebrated its 125th anniversary this past weekend, the micro-forest is just three months old and already it’s showing promising signs, according to LA Parks Foundation Executive Director Carolyn Ramsay, whose organization planted the experimental forest using dense planting known as the Miyawaki Method. The practice has proved successful in tropical environments, but this is the first test of native plants in a Mediterranean climate. The planting was funded by the Los Angeles Parks Foundation with a grant from the Hancock Park Garden Club. The Miyawaki Method of afforestation involves using strictly local, indigenous species and planting them very densely, with various layers of vegetation (e.g. understory, shrub, tree, and overstory trees) planted side by side to provide a thick, impenetrable quality over time. The resulting self-managing forest is said to require zero maintenance after two years and will be a treasure for local wildlife, children, students and the landscape design community. Currently, the plants are being watered but the hope is to gradually wean them off any additional irrigation. Read more here.

OCT 29, 2021

Wunderman Thompson: Insights - Microforests

A rising focus on urban biodiversity sees communities around the world planting native forests in public spaces, uniting people behind the planet’s wellbeing. Bringing nature to urban areas, these mini forests are rewilding cities and providing cooperative places for interaction. Microforests popped up in L.A.’s urban parks in October 2021 as part of the L.A. Park Forest Initiative by the Los Angeles Parks Foundation. Mature trees, including tipa and blue jacaranda, were strategically selected and planted due to their ability to withstand intense, warmer temperatures in the area. These trees are currently providing lush shade in urban neighborhoods, including Lemon Grove Park, Mar Vista Recreation Center, Robert Burns Park, and Ross Snyder Recreation Area. Read more here.

OCT 28, 2021

Larchmont Chronicle: Parks Foundation works to improve Robert Burns trail

The Los Angeles Parks Foundation soon will begin work on an improvement project within Robert Burns Park, thanks, in part, to the generous support of a local resident. “We are thrilled to do this project,” said Parks Foundation Executive Director (and Windsor Square resident) Carolyn Ramsay last month as she gave the Chronicle a preview of the project to come. “We just got approval from the Commission last week, so we hope to start work on the project soon,” she explained. In October, the city’s Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners approved the project, which will consist of the refurbishment and renovation of a walking trail around the perimeter of the park. The proposal, valued at $50,000, was accepted as a donation to the city from the Parks Foundation. Project details include the removal of landscape edging around the existing walkway, installation of more than 1,000 linear feet of permanent concrete mow-curb to be flush with the ground, and the installation of a decomposed granite walkway surface material. Read more here.

OCT 25, 2021

Spectrum News 1: In the face of a huge climate crisis, can micro forests be the answer?

Protecting the earth starts underground. All across Los Angeles, hundreds of trees are being planted — an arboreous army designed to fight the effects of climate change. Katherine Pakradouni is a project and program manager with Los Angeles Parks Foundation. She recently oversaw the planting of 20 trees in Hollenbeck Park, which is located in an area of Boyle Heights that has little tree cover and lots of exposure to the I-5 Freeway. “The heating effects of all the concrete and all the urban infrastructure that we put around us really creates a negative impact to the community,” she said. “Just by putting shade trees of any kind, we're helping to mitigate some of that effect.” Read more here.

OCT 7, 2021

LA Times: Where to find L.A.’s newest micro forests

How many trees does it take to make a forest? Not as many as you’d think at L.A.'s newest micro forests. On September 30th, 20 trees — including Brisbane box, Tipa, and Blue Jacaranda — were planted in a corner of Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights. These were no little saplings; trees 6 to 7 feet tall were planted to instantly provide a leafy shade canopy in a neighborhood where little shade exists. The L.A. Park Forest Initiative, as it’s called, “was really inspired by the fact that so many of our parks desperately need more trees, especially the ones that are around the urban core of downtown,” said Carolyn Ramsay, executive director of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation. Read more here.

SEP 30, 2021

LAist: Boyle Heights' Hollenbeck Park Gets A Forest Of New Trees

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. Read more here.

JUL 1, 2021

Larchmont Chronicle: As in Paris, a micro-forest sprouts in Griffith Park

There is a Chinese proverb that posits, “When is the best time to plant a tree?” And it answers, “20 years ago. Or today.” Volunteers with the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and the conservation committee of the Los Angeles Zoo took the proverb to heart on June 19, planting 145 indigenous trees and shrubs to establish a micro-forest in Griffith Park, the plan for which was first reported in the June issue of the Larchmont Chronicle. The 1,000-square-foot circular future forest, planted in the dense Miyawaki Method that encourages rapid growth, is located in the Bette Davis Picnic Area of the park. After two years of care, the forest should be self-sustaining. A number of factors planted the seed for the micro-forest project, and it took three dynamic women to sprout the idea. They are: Carolyn Ramsay, executive director of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation (and a Windsor Square resident), Michaela Burschinger, then-vice president, now president, of the Hancock Park Garden Club (HPGC) (and a Brookside resident), and Katherine Pakradouni, the project and program manager of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation. Read more here.

JUN 15, 2021

Spectrum News 1: Historic Olive Grove at Barnsdall Art Park is Getting Some Love

It is a green oasis in the middle of the city, and now the historic olive grove at Barnsdall Art Park is being restored. LA Parks Foundation project manager Katherine Pakradouni is part of the team that is caring for the 333 trees on the site which also includes Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House, now celebrating its 100^th anniversary. “There are a lot of challenges to doing any kind of ecological work in a city that's so concreted and asphalted over,” Pakradouni said. “If you take a Google Earth image of this park in particular, you’ll see it’s one of the only green spaces in a sea of concrete.” They are calling it The Olive Grove Initiative and the first part of the project assessed the health of the site and the trees in order to determine the continued viability of the grove. “It's one thing to plant trees. It's another thing to really understand why the trees that are here might be succeeding or failing,” Pakradouni said. Read more here.

MAY 24, 2021

LA's Daily News: New Los Angeles Park Forest planted at Ross Snyder Recreation Center

The Los Angeles Parks Foundation, partnering with Thomas Safran and Associates, dug in on Monday, May 24, to create the region’s fourth Los Angeles Park Forest, this one at the Ross Snyder Recreation Center in South L.A. Read more here.

MAY 11, 2021

Chicago Now: Restoration of Barnsdall Park's Historic Olive Grove

The City of Los Angeles, Barnsdall Art Park Foundation, and Los Angeles Parks Foundation are excited to announce an ambitious community initiative to restore and sustain the historic olive grove of Barnsdall Art Park in East Hollywood. Read more here.

MAY 8, 2021

KTLA5: L.A. Parks Foundation Pushes Against Proposed Park Budget Cut

Park advocates helped LAPF lobby the LA City Council to keep our parks well-funded and it worked! One hundred forty park staff positions that were originally cut from the 2021-22 City budget have been restored - and 40 more park positions were added! Thank you Councilmembers Krekorian, Blumenfield, DeLeon, Price and Rodriguez for supporting our 450 city parks as they reopen this summer. Read more here.

FEB 10, 2021

Beverly Press: ‘Orange’ you glad they are helping?

The Franklin Canyon Orange Grove, located in the 90210 zip code just south of the similarly named reservoir and park and just a couple minutes’ drive from the bustling Sunset Strip, is a reminder of what Los Angeles County used to be, said Carolyn Ramsay, executive director of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation, which operates the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power-owned grove. Read more here.

JAN 14, 2021

Los Feliz Ledger: Tom LaBonge Memorial Fund for Griffith Park Established

A memorial fund has been established by the L.A. Parks Foundation, in the memory of former Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge, city officials announced today. “This special fund will celebrate Tom’s enduring leadership and legacy in the park he visited nearly every day. Plans are underway to establish a memorial site and plant new trees,” in LaBonge’s honor, officials said, “among other park enhancements.” Read more here.

DEC 23, 2020

Larchmont Buzz: LAPF Funded to Install Four Mini Forests in LA Parks

The LA Parks Foundation has begun implementation of its LA Parks Forest initiative with the installation of two mini forests; one at Lemon Grove Park in Hollywood and another at Mar Vista Recreation Center in Mar Vista. “The Park Forest Initiative adds small “forests” to city parks throughout L.A. to offset our carbon footprint, cool surface air temperatures, and educate the public about climate change. Read more here.

NOV 6, 2019

NBC-LA: This Free Harvest Fest Is a Griffith Park Gem

Autumn doesn't end on Halloween night, though a glance around might seem to indicate otherwise. But we're still falling for fall, especially since we're only at the season's halfway point. And helping us jump into the proverbial pile of leaves? It's the Los Angeles Parks Foundation, which will host a family-festive Harvest Festival on Sunday, Nov. 10. Read more here.

SEP 24, 2019

LA Magazine: 8 Fall Festivals in L.A. That Are Sure to Put You in a Gourd Mood

Breathe in some not-quite-crisp fall air at Griffith Park’s annual fall extravaganza, which has a beer garden for adults, a kids zone for children, and lots of food trucks and live music, including legit Bavarian polka purveyors, Hammerstein Band. The day of fun culminates in an outdoor, after-dark screening of Disney-Pixar’s heartstring tugger, Coco. Read more here.

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JUN 27, 2019

LA Downtown News: New Basketball Court, Other Upgrades Made to Skid Row Parks

A pair of Skid Row parks is in the process of receiving a much-needed facelift thanks to efforts by the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation and the Los Angeles Clippers Foundation. Both Gladys Park and San Julian Park are in the process of a slate of renovations including upgraded permanent bathrooms, improvements to the landscaping, and the inclusion of exercise equipment, new benches, solar-powered charging stations and new water fountains. Gladys Park also received an upgraded basketball court, part of a $10 million citywide effort by the Los Angeles Clippers Foundation to refurbish basketball courts at all of the city’s 350 parks. Read more here.

APR 3, 2019

NBC News: Middle School in Watts Gets 9 New Basketball Courts Courtesy of Clippers

Students at Charles Drew Middle School near Watts were treated Tuesday to the unveiling of nine new basketball courts and other upgrades to their athletic facilities that were funded by the Los Angeles Clippers and American Airlines. The Clippers last year opened the first of hundreds of planned public basketball courts across Los Angeles to be renovated over the next three years through a $10 million gift to the Los Angeles Parks Foundation. The Charles Drew Middle School renovations happened because rapper Stix, who grew up in Watts, persuaded the Clippers to also renovate the facilities at the school, Councilman Joe Buscaino's office said. Read more here.

APR 1, 2019

OC Register: Steve Ballmer, Clippers fixing L.A.’s neighborhood basketball courts

“This is so far and away the largest corporate donation to the city in many, many years, and certainly to the Rec and Parks Department altogether,” said Judith Kieffer, co-founder, special projects for the L.A. Parks Foundation, which is coordinating the multi-stage projects around the busy schedules at each community center, from Van Nuys to Sunland to South L.A. “And it’s been seamless working with the Clippers,” Kieffer added. “They knew their niche – its basketball, obviously – and we have all the public facilities in the city, so why not? Let’s make a match.” Read more here.

MAR 6, 2019

Forbes: As a New MLS Season Kicks Off, How Can We Have More Soccer Fields for Kids?

In 2015, the LA Parks Foundation spearheaded a $10.5 million effort to renovate the 26-acres Ferraro Fields soccer complex. This project – funded heavily by the LA84 Foundation and others – resulted in 171,000 youth having access to the soccer fields year-round, an increase from 7,500 from before the project was completed. Read more here.

FEB 27, 2019

104.3 MyFM: Lisa Foxx discusses 5th Annual Griffith Park Run

On her weekly public affairs radio show, on-air host Lisa Foxx profiles the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and talks to Executive Director Carolyn Ramsay about the upcoming Griffith Park Run and everything that makes Los Angeles' city parks so special. Listen to the story here.

FEB 12, 2019

Marymount High: Community Welcomes "Inspiring Boldness" Speaker Carolyn Ramsay

On Monday, Feb. 11, Marymount welcomed Los Angeles Parks Foundation Executive Director Carolyn Ramsay as a featured lecturer as part of our Inspiring Boldness Speaker Series. Ms. Ramsay oversees the Foundation, a not-for-profit created in 2008 to support the Los Angeles City Department of Recreation and Parks’ efforts to improve urban parks for all Angelenos. Under her leadership, the Foundation has raised over $33 million to fund park projects including Adopt-A-Park, Friends of the Parks, and Donate-A-Bench initiatives. Read more here.

DEC 21, 2018

LA Sentinel: A Christmas Story—What Does Christmas Mean to You?

As we unwind from a politically-charged year, what is everybody up to this Christmas 2018? Recently, the Los Angeles Parks Foundation announced the awardees of its 9th annual Holiday in the Parks Program, which provided $10,000 to parks throughout the city of Los Angeles to put on special end-of-the-year programs. Nearly 40 recreation centers from every corner of Los Angeles applied for the grant this year. The winning events featured a variety of fun activities, performances and food. Read more here.

NOV 29, 2018

Larchmont Chronicle: Parks Foundation to begin second decade with Ramsay at reins

After a career in journalism, environmental advocacy and public service, Carolyn Ramsay has found her niche as executive director of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation. Her office amidst the oak trees in Griffith Park is a perfect setting for the Windsor Square resident, who has strived to bring greenery to her neighborhood and adopted city since she came here. Read more here.

NOV 4, 2018

NBC: Frolic at a Free Harvest Festival at Griffith Park

No news flash is required for what we're about to reveal next, however: November is still a month that sits squarely within autumn, at least in this hemisphere, and it, too, can possess harvest-y pleasures. And one such good time is going to pop up, for free, near the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, on Crystal Springs Drive, on Sunday, Nov. 4. So cheers to you, dear Harvest Festival at Griffith Park, as you enter your second annual go-around. Read more here.

OCT 12, 2018

Video: Something for everyone in LA City Parks

See how parks are integrated in our daily lives, 365 days of the year. Watch video here.

OCT 10, 2018

KTLA: SWIM LA helps young boy conquer fear of water

The SWIM LA program offers low-cost swimming lessons to kids around the city. KTLA tells the story of one young boy who was afraid of the water before his lessons, and now he can't get enough of the pool. The story is a heartwarming example of the impact of our community initiatives. Watch the video here.

OCT 8, 2018

Press Release: New Fitness Equipment in Sunland Park

We are so proud to have joined Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez and our many partners in dedicating new outdoor fitness equipment in Sunland Park. This will be a fantastic resource for senior citizens and park visitors of all ages. See photos and more on Councilwoman Monica Rodriquez's Facebook page. Read more here.

OCT 6, 2018

NBC: Clippers, LA Open 1st of Hundreds of Basketball Courts Set for Renovations

Los Angeles Clippers team Chairman Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, Friday helped open the first of hundreds of planned public basketball courts across Los Angeles to be renovated over the next three years. Roughly 350 courts will be renovated through a $10 million gift to the Los Angeles Parks Foundation. Read more here.

APR 2, 2018

LA Times: Clippers Foundation to donate $10 million

Ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and in an effort to improve youth fitness and access to sports, the Clippers Foundation will announce Monday a $10-million donation to the L.A. Parks Foundation to renovate all indoor and outdoor basketball courts in city parks. Read more here.

MAR 26, 2018

Press Release: Airbnb Teams up with LA Parks Foundation to Offer Unique Hollywood 'Experiences'

The Los Angeles Parks Foundation announced today that it has joined forces with Airbnb to host a limited number of exclusive events as part of its 10-year anniversary. Two of the City’s Recreation and Park sites, Wattles Mansion and Mt. Hollywood, promise to be engaging and unique for locals and visitors alike heightening enjoyment of these iconic sites. Hosted by LA Parks Foundation, guests can select from multiple dates from April through June to either join hikes in Griffith Park led by former councilmember Tom LaBonge or take a private tour and enjoy tea with a family member of the Wattles Mansion estate in the hills of Hollywood. Read more here.

MAR 8, 2018

LA Sentinel: Leimert Plaza Park To Be Enhanced and Restored

Leimert Plaza Park – located in the heart of the Crenshaw District – will undergo a series of enhancements this month as part of a partnership with the Office of Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson, city of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, the LA Parks Foundation and City National Bank. The enhancements will include construction and installation of an enclosure around the perimeter; restoration of the central fountain; new grass, flowers and plants, a state-of-the-art irrigation system; and general beautification and clean-up amenities. Read more here.

SEP 23, 2017

Press Release: L.A. Unveils State-Of-The-Art Archery Facility To Serve 2028 Olympics

The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks today unveiled a new, state-of-the-art archery range for the city's archery enthusiasts and future Olympic athletes as L.A. prepares to host the Olympic Games in 2028. The Easton Rancho Park Archery Range underwent an extensive $2 million renovation to replace a smaller, outdated facility with soaring pavilions and four levels of shooting lanes. Read more here.

JAN 7, 2017

Inside Philanthropy: What Has the Los Angeles Parks Foundation Been Up to Lately?

Parks are an essential part of any great city, and there’s an organization in Los Angeles that is solely focused on enhancing, expanding, preserving, and promoting them. The Los Angeles Parks Foundation has recently had a few major successes recently, which is impressive considering that it only employs three full-time staff members. The foundation recently created four new youth artificial turf soccer fields in Griffith Park that have been wildly popular. It also just completed a major overhaul of the formerly gang-controlled Hazard Park in East LA. Read more here.

NOV 3, 2015

CBS: Athletes Dedicate 4 Soccer Fields To Youth Players

On Saturday, October 31st, the John Ferraro Youth Synthetic Soccer Fields were open to the public. LAPF has partnered with LA84 Foundation on this project which will significantly increase player usage and decrease water consumption. Read more & watch video here.

AUG 21, 2015

Curbed LA: Here's Los Angeles's Plan For Running the Greek Theatre Itself

The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks will be running the Greek Theater with the help of a venue manager in 2016. This is great news for Los Angeles, as our City parks will benefit from proceeds. Read more here.

JUL 23, 2015

KCET: Imagining a Network of Native Plant Nurseries for the L.A. River

The drought is at the forefront of every Californian's mind at the moment. KCET Departures piece on native plant nurseries for the LA River explores approaches and solutions for LA's water crisis. Among them is the Griffith Park Nature Conservancy, a project LAPF has embarked on with its partner, the Nature Conservancy. Read more here.

JUL 7, 2015

LA Weekly: Los Angeles Is Replacing Nearly All Its 100 Grass Soccer Fields With Artificial Turf

In an effort to save water and improve the quality of soccer games in Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks is replacing nearly all of its grass soccer fields with synthetic turf. Read more here.

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