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Sunday, February 5th, 2023
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2023 Griffith Park Half Marathon & 5K
Half Marathon and 5K road race through iconic Griffith Park, plus an expo with music, local vendors and fun for the whole family! All proceeds benefit Los Angeles City Parks.
4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
July 9th & 10th, 2022
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2022 Lotus Festival in Echo Park
The Lotus Festival celebrates Asian Pacific cultures with two days of attractions and entertainment in scenic Echo Lake Park. The festivities take place in July when the eponymous flower is in bloom, and the weekend kick offs with an opening ceremony, continuing with live music, a film screening, cultural performances and more.
751 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90026
LAPF in the News
MAR 16, 2023
LA This Week: Griffith Park Lovers Just Got 10 More Green Acres to Enjoy
Los Angeles city officials and park enthusiasts gathered at Griffith Park on Thursday, March 9, for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the purchase and donation of nearly 10 acres to the city — one of the last remaining privately-owned parcels within the park — to preserve as open space for Angelenos to enjoy.
A 9.7-acre parcel once owned by Hollywood studio magnate Howard Hughes was purchased by the nonprofit Los Angeles Parks Foundation and donated to the city’s recreation and parks department.
FEB 24, 2023
LA This Week: Laurel Canyon Dog Park Gets a Makeover
Laurel Canyon Dog Park, the oldest off-leash dog park in LA, has received a much needed makeover. This work was made possible by the LA Department of Rec and Parks, the LA Parks Foundation and City National Bank. To find a dog park closest to you, visit LAParks.org/DogParks.
FEB 22, 2023
Beverly Press – Pan Pacific Park Playground Rises From the Ashes
Families are enjoying a new play structure for tots and toddlers that was erected in Pan Pacific Park in place of one destroyed by an arsonist on July 12.
The new play structure was installed by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks through a collaboration with the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and Hackman Capital Partners, owner of Television City. Hackman donated $236,000 for the play structure, and the L.A. Parks Foundation helped guide the installation process.
FEB 9, 2023
LA CityView 35: Griffith Park Run 2023
LA Parks Foundation and the City of Los Angeles Department of Rec and Parks teamed up to host the Griffith Park Run. This event is held at the historic Griffith Park, where runners decide whether they would like to run the half marathon or the 5k. Proceeds from the event benefit parks all over the city.
JAN 9, 2023
Larchmont Buzz: New Griffith Park Forest Dedicated to Tom LaBonge
On Saturday, January 7, the Los Angeles Parks Foundation dedicated the new Tom LaBonge Memorial Park Forest, a native plant landscape area atop Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, in honor of the former City Councilmember, who passed away exactly two years earlier, on January 7, 2021.
The official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project – an installation of 200 native plants and 17 unique species – was attended by a large gathering of LaBonge’s extended family, friends, and co-workers, most of whom hiked the seasonally verdant 1.25-mile trail to the summit location where LaBonge himself hiked almost every day.
Read more here: https://www.larchmontbuzz.com/featured-stories-larchmont-village/new-griffith-park-forest-dedicated-to-tom-labonge/
Read more here: https://www.larchmontbuzz.com/featured-stories-larchmont-village/new-griffith-park-forest-dedicated-to-tom-labonge/
SEP 15, 2022
The Wild (Los Angeles Times): LAPF Native Demonstration Garden
LOS ANGELES — Last month, I wrote about the many microforests around Los Angeles managed by the L.A. Parks Foundation. Last weekend, I visited the group’s offices in Griffith Park, where they have their very own native demonstration garden. The Commonwealth Nursery Garden “not only demonstrates the techniques of native plant gardening but also will hopefully inspire native plant cultivation for parks throughout Los Angeles and beyond,” says L.A. Parks Foundation Executive Director Carolyn Ramsay, who points to sustaining biodiversity and combating climate change.
SEP 15, 2022
Read more here: Television City Donates Funds to Repair Vandalized Pan Pacific Park Play Area
Larchmont Buzz: Television City Donates Funds to Repair Vandalized Pan Pacific Park Play Area
Back in July, we reported on a fire that seriously damaged a toddler playground at Pan Pacific Park. At the time, there was no word yet on whether or not the vandalized equipment would be repaired or replaced, but the Buzz learned this week that the LA Parks Foundation has received a donation of $236,000 from Hackman Capital Partners, owners of nearby Television City, to rebuild the damaged playground.
Read more here: Television City Donates Funds to Repair Vandalized Pan Pacific Park Play Area
SEP 14, 2022
KTLA5: LA Parks Foundation Rebuilds Pan Pacific Playground
LOS ANGELES — The LA Parks Foundation received a $236,000 donation to rebuild a playground at Pan Pacific Park which was recently damaged by a fire.
SEP 6, 2022
Spectrum News 1: Griffith Park Garden Focuses on Native SoCal Plants
LOS ANGELES — A collaboration of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Recreation and Parks and funded by The Nature Conservancy and The Griffith J. Griffith Charitable Trust, the Commonwealth Nursery Demonstration Garden was designed using native plants from seeds sourced directly from Griffith Park itself.
Read the full article here: Griffith park garden focuses on native SoCal plants
Read the full article here: Griffith park garden focuses on native SoCal plants
JUL 5, 2022
Spectrum News 1: Barnsdall Art Park’s Historic Olive Grove Restoration Continues
Recent efforts to restore the Barnsdall Art Park’s historic olive grove, which was established in the 1890s, have been successful. The grove is now expanding, with forty new trees being added to the grid.
The trees are being included in the city’s Green New Deal, which seeks to plant 90,000 new trees.
The new trees are not fruit-bearing species, which are drought tolerant.
Watch the full interview here: Barnsdall Art Park’s Historic Olive Grove Restoration Continues
Watch the full interview here: Barnsdall Art Park’s Historic Olive Grove Restoration Continues
JUL 5, 2022
LA Weekly: Restoration of Historic Olive Grove at Barnsdall Art Park Takes Root
On June 16, Barnsdall Art Park Foundation in partnership with the Los Angeles Parks Foundation, the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and the Department of Cultural Affairs planted 40 olive trees currently missing from the Historic Olive Grove at Barnsdall Park.
The planting and a ceremony marked the next phase of an ambitious collaborative effort to restore and sustain Barnsdall Art Park’s historic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed landscape, the cornerstone of which is the grove of olive trees that first gave Olive Hill its name back in the 1890s.
Read the full article here: Restoration of Historic Olive Grove at Barnsdall Art Park Takes Root
Read the full article here: Restoration of Historic Olive Grove at Barnsdall Art Park Takes Root
JUN 28, 2022
Read the full article here: Clippers pledged to renovate Los Angeles' public basketball courts. Four years (and a $10 million donation) later, they've done it.
USA Today: Clippers pledged to renovate Los Angeles' public basketball courts. Four years (and a $10 million donation) later, they've done it.
The Clippers pledged to renovate all Los Angeles area basketball courts in partnership with the Los Angeles Parks Foundation in 2018.
Four years and 350 public basketball courts later, the Clippers fulfilled that vow.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti were on hand to unveil a new basketball court at the Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Center in Los Angeles, the last of 350 Clippers Community Courts refurbished in the city.
Read the full article here: Clippers pledged to renovate Los Angeles' public basketball courts. Four years (and a $10 million donation) later, they've done it.
JUN 23, 2022
LA This Week: Barnsdall Art Park Gets New Olive Trees
Council District 13 along with Parks and Rec joined the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and the Barnsdall Art Park Foundation to plant 40 olive trees. The trees were planted in the historic olive grove, where they will contribute to beautifying the park.
Link to original post: Barnsdall Art Park Gets New Olive Trees
JUN 16, 2022
In an effort to return Barnsdall Park and its once historic olive grove to its former glory, 40 olive trees were planted Thursday morning, joining the more than 450 like trees already planted in the area.
At one time, the olive grove housed more than 1,200 trees, and was used as a commercial orchard, prior to its purchase by Aline Barnsdall, an oil heiress and philanthropist.
"We're planting 40 Wilsonii olive trees today to fill in the gaps in the original olive grove that has been here since the 1890s. So this is a spectacular project for us, for the people of Los Angeles, and it's going to just provide so many benefits to Hollywood. We're right in the middle of a very dense urban area and these trees are going to be a benefit for generations to come," said Carolyn Ramsay, the Director of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation.
Read Full Story: City officials plant trees as part of Barnsdall Park olive grove restoration - CBS Los Angeles (cbsnews.com)
CBS LOS ANGELES: City Officials Plant Trees as Part of Barnsdall Park Olive Grove Restoration
In an effort to return Barnsdall Park and its once historic olive grove to its former glory, 40 olive trees were planted Thursday morning, joining the more than 450 like trees already planted in the area.
At one time, the olive grove housed more than 1,200 trees, and was used as a commercial orchard, prior to its purchase by Aline Barnsdall, an oil heiress and philanthropist.
"We're planting 40 Wilsonii olive trees today to fill in the gaps in the original olive grove that has been here since the 1890s. So this is a spectacular project for us, for the people of Los Angeles, and it's going to just provide so many benefits to Hollywood. We're right in the middle of a very dense urban area and these trees are going to be a benefit for generations to come," said Carolyn Ramsay, the Director of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation.
Read Full Story: City officials plant trees as part of Barnsdall Park olive grove restoration - CBS Los Angeles (cbsnews.com)
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
LA Times Today: 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.
Link to the original video: Muscle Beach Reopens
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 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.
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.
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.
