VENICE — Venice is putting down roots—literally. On Saturday, Feb. 22, community members, local organizations, and city officials dug in for a successful planting day near Gold’s Gym, marking the latest expansion of the Venice Pollinator Corridor. With shovels in hand and plenty of enthusiasm, volunteers helped turn patches of concrete-into a budding oasis of native trees, shrubs, and plants.
“This project is about transforming Venice’s concrete spaces into vibrant green corridors,” said Connie Brooks, president of the Venice Beach Business Improvement District (BID). “We’ve expanded our clean team’s responsibilities to include weeding, planting, and mulching, and we’ve added watering to ensure these trees and plants thrive.”
And thrive they will, thanks to the CD11 Foundation, which has been the financial greenhouse, helping to fund the project’s continued growth.
Council District 11 Councilwoman Traci Park, who was all smiles, called the effort a “heartwarming event” for the community.
“It’s just really exciting and heartwarming. It’s been a really hard 46 days for the entire Westside and all of Los Angeles, but days like this, when we’re all out together, working together to make our community better.”
Park noted the deeper roots of this community effort, pointing out that some volunteers included individuals who had recently lost their homes in the Pacific Palisades wildfires were present at the event.
“It warms my heart to see that, no matter what challenges we face, we are in this together, working to make our city better,” she said.
When asked about the team behind the project’s success, Park was quick to credit her Better11 staff.
“You know, we couldn’t do any of the things we do as a council office without the incredible CD11 team,” Park said. “Sean Silva, our Venice deputy, is absolutely one of the most remarkable leaders in CD11. He has worked tirelessly to make this happen, engaging with neighbors and community partners every step of the way.”
Eswein Faena, the Operations Manager for the Venice Beach BID, sees this as more than just a planting project—it’s about growing connections.
“Our mission is to activate spaces and create enjoyable environments for residents and visitors while improving biodiversity,” he said. “This corridor connects local businesses to the beach, creating more foot traffic and a seamless, green pathway.”
Verdant Venice Group’s Isabelle Duvivier, whose nonprofit has been planting trees in Venice for eight years, said she is thrilled to watch the community’s green thumb grow.
“We had about 70 volunteers planting native Catalina cherry trees and understory plants,” Duvivier said. “This event brings together different groups, from BID volunteers to neighbors experiencing this for the first time. It’s inspiring others to see how easy it is to create beautiful public spaces.”
By the end of the day, the team had planted 10 new trees and 100 native plants, each one a little green promise to the neighborhood.
Duvivier also stressed why choosing native species is crucial.
“Native plants are crucial because they sustain our thousands of native insects and bird species,” she said. “The plants we’re introducing today will have significant ecological benefits.”
This is just the beginning of what organizers hope will branch out into even more lush landscapes across Venice. With continued support, they believe this Pollinator Corridor will blossom into something truly special.
For those who want to get involved (or dig a little deeper), donations can be made through the Verdant Venice Group website via the Venice Chamber of Commerce or the CD11 Foundation.