LA tree enthusiast shares her love for the city’s canopy: ‘Something we took for granted’

Stephanie Carrie gives tours and educates Angelenos on the importance of the urban forest - and how to improve it

On a recent Sunday morning, 25 Angelenos gathered under a large rusty leaf fig tree for a walking tree tour in a local Culver City park that was also playing host to an outdoor tai chi class as well as a group of yogis.

As we walked past Chinese elm trees, coast live oaks and Brazilian pepper trees, Stephanie Carrie shared the history of the city's celebrated palm trees with a rapt audience. Many of today's trees, planted in the 1930s, are approaching the end of their lives - and while they have become symbols of the city, they also guzzle water, fueling calls to replace them with drought-resistant trees.