03 . 07 . 25
9 am – 5 pm
NewStart Housing Corporation
3355 E. Gage Ave, Huntington Park, CA
Presented By:
Are you ready for a climate- and human-centric approach to landscaping?
Join TreePeople and partners in-person for Climate Gardening, the 4th Los Angeles Urban Soil Symposium on Friday, March 7th from 9 am – 5 pm. The symposium series remains rooted in urban soils, and through this lens, extends towards navigating the complex social-ecological systems underpinning Los Angeles’ future.
Climate Gardening is advanced as a multi-disciplinary approach for personal and societal decision-making around landscapes, harnessing both a climate- and human- focus. It is intended as an evolution upon existing frameworks and an antidote for their shortcomings – developed for a new era increasingly defined by climate change and our subsequent responses.
Presentations will feature recent and emerging work from many partners that are laying the scientific and conceptual groundwork for advancing Climate Gardening, including discussions on wildfire resilience and recovery.
The intended audience is those active in the Los Angeles region professionally or otherwise that are invested in how our urban ecosystems and the policy and practices affecting them impact human well-being and climate adaptation.
Agenda at a Glance
Format & Special Features
Discussion-focused Sessions
Sessions feature extended Q&A segments for in-depth discussion between contributors and participants.
The day will be thematically divided into three components:
Urban Landscapes in the Climate Era Morning Session
Recovery & Resilience: Landscape Evolution in the Climate Era
Afternoon Session
Where Do We Go From Here?
Panel Discussion
Research Dispatch
Project leaders deliver a series of brief recitations highlighting the many interwoven threads of research, development, education, planning, and practice across the last few years
Action-oriented Environment
Audience is composed of local, regional and international experts, practicioners, creatives, and leaders actively working towards advancing environmental research and projects
The Mosaic Machine
Along with fellow participants, co-create your own watershed through the interactive art installation titled The Mosaic Machine, by CommonStudio
Poster, Networking & Catered Lunch
Poster session presented by project developers to spark collaborative efforts. Enjoy a delicious lunch and bites from Alonti Catering Kitchen
Free Parking
Free parking is available at the venue.
There is a small parking lot along Gage Ave. and a much larger parking lot behind the venue along Benedict way. This area looks very industrial – look for wayfinding signs posted at the corners and at the lot entrances.
Please keep in mind that the larger parking lot is shared between several entities, and looks very industrial. You may park in any spot that isn’t designated as reserved.
In the event that both lots fill up, there is a public parking lot at Salt Lake Park which is a short walk away, as well as plentiful street parking in the neighborhood at the time of the event (watch for street-sweeping info).
Contributors
As of Feb. 20, 2024 – more contributors will be announced as we get closer to the event – Stay Tuned!
Hoori Ajami, PhD
Associate Professor of Groundwater Hydrology, UC-Riverside
Igor Bronz
Research Senior Coordinator, TreePeople
John D. Bunzel, CFP
Board Chair, TreePeople; Global Sports & Entertainment Director, Insurance Planning Director, Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley
Valeria Velazquez Duenas
Director of Programs and Innovation, Los Angeles Food Policy Council
Francisco J. Escobedo, PhD
Research Social Scientist - USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station
Kate Forester, PLA
Associate Landscape Architect, Herrera Environmental Consultants
Dustin Herrmann, PhD
Principal Scientist, TreePeople
Mary Hillemeier
Policy Associate, TreePeople
Daniel Hirmas, PhD
Professor & B.L. Allen Endowed Chair in Pedology, Texas Tech University
Kim Karlsrud
Director of Creative Practice, COMMONStudio
Andy Lipkis
Founder & Executive Director, Accelerate Resilience L.A.; Founder, TreePeople
Daniel Phillips
Co-Director, COMMONStudio; Assistant Professor of Landscape Design, University of Oregon
Michele Romolini, PhD
Managing Director, Loyola Marymount University Center for Urban Resilience
Kirsten Schwarz, PhD
Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Health Sciences
Monika Shankar
PhD Candidate, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health; Non-profit Consultant
Lindsey Slaughter, PhD
Associate Professor Soil Microbial Ecology/Biochemistry, Texas Tech University
Melani Smith, AICP
Director of Regional Development, Gateway Cities Council of Governments
Danielle Stevenson, PhD
Multi-disciplinary Scientist; Mycologist
Matthew R. Teutimez
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Laboratory for Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Melanie Winter
Executive Director & Founder, The River Project
Eric Wood, PhD
Associate Professor of Ecology, California State University - Los Angeles
Conference Posters
Adam Berland, PhD ¹
Dustin L. Herrmann, PhD ²
Dexter Locke, PhD ³
Kirsten Schwarz, PhD ⁴
1: Department of Geography and Meteorology, Ball State University
2: TreePeople
3: Northern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service
4: Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California – Los Angeles
Soil access is an equity issue for urban climate resilience: Uneven access to unsealed soil surfaces in LA County’s residential areas
Maria Bronnikova, PhD¹
Taylor McDowell, PhD¹
1. Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University
Soil Profiles in Bell Gardens: A review and interpretation of select local soil profiles excavated as part of the SCWP Ground Truth Study
Iona Cich
Policy & Research Intern
TreePeople
Cool Soil LA: Planning a Clean Soil Network for Los Angeles
Dustin Herrmann, PhD ¹
Daniel Hirmas, PhD ²
Hoori Ajami, PhD ³
1: TreePeople
2: Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University
3. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California – Riverside
Ground Truth: Guiding a Soils-Based Strategy for Impactful Nature-Based Solutions in the Lower Los Angeles River Watershed
Bella Jahrmarkt
Policy & Research Intern
TreePeople
How do Soil Protection Mechanisms (SPMs) impact soil health in residential spaces? – The Protection Levels of Urban Soils (PLUS) Framework
Cielo Vivian Munoz
Policy & Research Intern
TreePeople
Positive Futures Through Climate Gardening: The Potential for More Robust Residential Landscapes and Climate Engagement in
Los Angeles Through a Sociological and Human Health Behavioral Approach
Aileen Qin
Associate Planner
Gateway Cities Council of Governments
Gateway Cities Regional Climate Collaborative: Building Capacity to Drive and Sustain Climate Action
Monika Shankar ¹
Melody Ng ²
Morgan Rogers ²
Elizabeth M. Cook ³
Dustin Herrmann ⁴
Kirsten Schwarz, PhD ¹,²
1: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles
2: Department of Urban Planning, Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles
3: Environmental Science Department, Barnard College
4: TreePeople
Unearthing the Role of Soils in Urban Climate Resilience Planning: A commentary
Taylor Smith ¹
Lindsey C. Slaughter, PhD ¹
Daniel Hirmas, PhD ¹
Igor Bronz ²
Dustin Herrmann, PhD ²
1: Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University
2: TreePeople
How does urban residential landscape diversity impact soil microbial functional diversity?
USDA-NRCS Special Projects Team¹ and TreePeople
1: Soil and Plant Science Divison, USDA – Natural Resources Conseration Service
Urban Soil Survey: Exploring Dynamic Soil Properties in Los Angeles, California