Andy Lipkis: Plant Life - How a seed(ling) of an idea turned into TreePeople.

1. chat room
by Vivien Santana Hughes
Q
Andy Lipkis: Plant Life
It’s busy being green. Getting ahold of Did your parents support your efforts?
TreePeople president and founder Andy Lipkis They always encouraged me to do my
on the eve of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary best and not accept “no” as a first answer.
proved to be as challenging as getting my 5- When I ran into a problem, they asked,
year-old to eat salad. Success – on both counts. “How are you going to solve that?” and lis-
(But the guru of citizen forestry didn’t require tened patiently to my reply. They lent their
gobs of ranch dressing.) kitchen table as we sorted through the mail
Lipkis, the married father of two, was a kid bags with donation letters, my mom fed my
himself in 1970 when, while attending summer friends and, most of all, my parents trusted
camp in the San Bernardino Mountains, he and believed in me. Even though I was a
learned that smog was killing the forest. He teenager, they treated me and my vision for a
and two-dozen fellow campers got to work better world with respect.
tearing out an unused parking lot and replac-
ing asphalt with smog-tolerant seedlings. What activities and opportunities does
And TreePeople, the 37-year-old organiza- TreePeople offer for children?
tion that summer-camp sojourn inspired, has We have many activities for kids and fam-
planted 2 million trees and educated an equal ilies! Our Eco-tour program is for kinder-
number of kids to date – reaching a level of garten to fifth graders, and we have a
accomplishment that “humbles and inspires Campus Forestry program that helps bring
&
me,” says Lipkis. He’s quick to share credit. trees to L.A. County school campuses. There
“The people, neighborhoods, communities, are weekend tree planting and tree care
schools and businesses who make our work events that are fun volunteer outings for the
A
possible also get to own our success. We’d family. Or even a simple walk in our
be nowhere without them.” Coldwater Canyon Park headquarters. Visit
our online calendar of events at www.treep-
You were 18 when you founded eople.org and see what might be a good fit.
TreePeople. How does a college
freshman end up starting an envi- What type of tree is your favorite?
ronmental organization? (Come on, you must have one!)
I was an environmental studies I really, really like the redwood tree.
major at Sonoma State. I heard that Their seeds are among the smallest of any
the California Department of Forestry known and yet the tree can grow to hun-
had 20,000 sugar-pine seedlings that dreds of feet tall. To me, this symbolizes the
were going to be cast aside and power and potency of our individual actions
mowed under. I was horrified! State – no matter how small – for good in the
law prohibited them from giving trees world. I never dreamt that the first small
away. The seedlings cost two-and-a- seedling I planted as a kid at summer camp
half cents each, and I wanted them would be the start of TreePeople. ✦
all. The Los Angeles Times wrote an
article about my struggle – suddenly Vivien Santana Hughes is a former L.A. Parent
envelopes with cash and checks started editor and the mother of three – two sons in
arriving at my parents’ house. Many contrib- college and (surprise!) a 5-year-old daughter.
TreePeople president and
She lives with her patient husband of 26 years
founder Andy Lipkis takes a utors were L.A. children who sent in 50
cents or a dollar. We were able to raise in La Cañada-Flintridge.
break at the office – their
yurt-village headquarters in $10,000. I had to create a nonprofit organi-
zation to manage the funds. We called it the Who would you like to see profiled in
45-acre Coldwater Canyon
California Conservation Project, but it later Chat Room? Please email your suggestions
Park – with dog, Scarlett.
evolved into TreePeople. to: Christina.Elston@parenthood.com.
PHOTO: MELINDA KELLEY
82 April 2010 / LAParent.com