Two dozen trees planted in Cherry Park as part of beautification for 2028 Olympics

TreePeople, in collaboration with Delta Air Lines, kicked off an initiative to plant 100 trees in Long Beach ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with an event at Cherry Park on Oct. 16.

Delta Air Lines has partnered with TreePeople for 2 1/2 years and donated funding to plant 1,000 trees throughout the Los Angeles area. The initiative, called Rooting for LA, is part of efforts to prepare the region for the 2028 Olympics.

The Rooting for LA initiative hopes to plant 28,000 trees by 2028 as part of its mission to cool neighborhoods, restore habitats, support biodiversity and create a greener community.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, Councilmember Megan Kerr, representatives from the Conservation Corps of Long Beach,  LA28 Chief Operating Officer John Harper, Delta Air ines Managing Director Dana Debel and TreePeople CEO Cassie Rauser attended the kickoff giving their respective speeches for the event. 

While the Olympic partnership was not the main focus for many attendees, Long Beach residents were in attendance for the fruit tree giveaway on the other side of the park.

A total of 128 fruit trees were distributed, including pomegranate, guava and Granny Smith apple trees.

The giveaway ran out of trees, with some attendees lining up as early as two hours before the distribution began.

“The fact that we have this many people in attendance means the Long Beach Community does have an interest and wants more trees.” said Loren Feder, a development engagement manager who’s been with TreePeople for five years.

The trees were cultivated for around two years in order to get to their size with a mature fruit tree being able to produce around 800 pounds of fruit depending on the season.

^{TreePeople volunteers plant trees across Cherry Park during the fruit tree giveaway on Oct. 16. The TreePeople program partners with communities to transform urban landscapes into greener, healthier spaces. (Steve Gonzalez)}

TreePeople works with cities to identify areas in Los Angeles County with the greatest need for shade and greenery, with Long Beach residents in the organization pitching for the area due to its high foot traffic.

“Tree planting depends on the areas that needed shade, canopies for benches and such,” said Ojani Castillas, a TreePeople community forestry associate and LBCC alumnus.

As part of its mission, TreePeople also works to educate young people about connecting with nature and caring for their environment. 

“I want my kids to be able to enjoy it as they grow up too,” said Kalami Kukahiko, a South Los Angeles community forestry coordinator with TreePeople and LBCC alumnus.

TreePeople has worked to create a greener California since its founding in 1973.