Join Me at Once Upon A Canyon Night TONIGHT 8pm

It’s Saturday morning at 8am. The streets are quiet, as most of the city sleeps off another busy work week. Outside, the air is crisp, the birds are singing, and the morning sunlight streams through the trees that surround me. A crowd of people, dressed in t-shirts and sneakers, gathers around a table filled with bagels and fruit. There is a sense of nervous excitement in the air. I’m reminded of the atmosphere before a race. Only, instead of a race number, I’m given a name-tag when I check in. I write my name in big, bold marker, then set out to mingle with the 50 or so other volunteers who have shown up at Coldwater Canyon Park for TreePeople’s Park Work Day.

I’m surprised to find that nearly every person I talk to, outside of the TreePeople staff, is a first-time TreePeople volunteer. Some, like me, heard about the event directly through TreePeople. Others are here through LA Works, a non-profit that coordinates and promotes different community service projects in the Los Angeles area (their Volunteer Calendar highlights over 60 different team-oriented volunteer activities that you can sign up for each month). When I ask my fellow volunteers why they’ve chosen to spend their Saturday morning helping out at the park, the general consensus seems to be that it is a more productive and fulfilling way to spend their time than just being at home. And, of course, everyone is inspired by the work that TreePeople does and excited to get involved.

After a welcoming speech by the Director of Park Operations, Jim Hardie, we’re split into groups to help out in different areas of the park. Some people head down to the amphitheater to prepare for the “Once Upon A Canyon Night” summer series; some weed; some plant trees; some clean out sheds and clean off tools. I’m assigned, along with three other women, to the task of cleaning the trucks that are used to transport supplies to and from the tree planting events. We spend the next three hours giving some TLC to six very dirty trucks. We sweep out the truck beds, scrub down the exteriors (using eco-friendly soap, of course), vacuum and polish the interiors, and somehow manage to continually drench each other in the process (which actually becomes a welcome relief, as the sun gets higher in the sky and the temperature rises to scorching). And, through it all, we laugh…a lot.

The last, smallest and most beat up truck that we wash is nicknamed “Champ,” which feels appropriate – first, because it is clear that it’s been put to good use and, yet, keeps truckin’ along (excuse the pun – I couldn’t help myself). And, second, because I think we all feel like champs when we finish, knowing that we put ourselves – and our morning – to good use. We worked hard, but we also managed to have a lot of fun and make new friends in the process.

I leave the park with a sense of satisfaction in a job done well…and done for a greater cause. I also leave with quite an appetite, so I stop for lunch on my way home, and as I look at the broccoli on my plate, I’m reminded of how my mom used to call them “baby trees” when I was a kid…and I can’t help but smile at this oddly fitting end to my morning. I will definitely be TAKING PART in future TreePeople events.

If you’re interested in getting involved with TreePeople, check out their calendar of upcoming events. And join me TONIGHT, Saturday, July 18th, at 8pm, as they kick off their “Once Upon A Canyon Night” summer series with comedian Paula Poundstone.