The Tree Care + Mapping event invites high school students, community college students, and neighbors from the surrounding neighborhood to nurture the unique urban forest at the Los Angeles Valley College(LAVC.) The Tree Care requires participants to nurture the arbor population on campus by adding mulch to trees, watering the trees, adjusting the berms, and pruning the leaves. Participants will also have a chance to use TreeMapLA, a smartphone mapping application that accounts for trees in a system that is like a GPS for trees. The application measures eco-benefits like, environmental benefits and monetary savings of the trees services in energy, storm-water drainage, carbon dioxide, and air quality.
The Tree Care + Mapping event will bring a community together for one purpose- the appreciation of the neighborhood urban forest. I organized the Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) Facility Department, the LAVC Sustainability Department, the LAVC Associated Student Union, the Eco Advocates Club, TreePeople, Grant High School and Trader Joe's all in an effort to raise awareness of LAVC's campus sustainability. I reached out to TreePeople, a local tree organization, to help us complete the project effectively. TreePeople offered to provide tools and proper training for the Eco Advocates, a school club. The Eco Advocates club created publicity with flyers and posters which were posted across campus. Flyers were also posted around the neighborhood. The event was made into a Service Learning Program at LAVC. College students who participate at the event gain extra credit and service learning experience that could later be used on a resume. - See more at: https://rootsandshoots.org/project/community-tree-care-mapping#sthash.mIpvgIi5.dpuf