A free online program exploring the cultural significance of trees in Pacific Palisades will examine how the community's horticultural heritage is inspiring recovery efforts following the devastating January wildfire.
The Santa Monica Conservancy will present "A Cultural Landscape: The Treasured Trees of Pacific Palisades" on Sunday, July 27, at 5 p.m. as part of its Santa Monica Mosaic series. The 75-minute program will trace the community's relationship with trees from its Methodist founding through current replanting initiatives.
The January Palisades wildfire destroyed tens of thousands of trees that had defined the community's character for decades. The online event will showcase how residents and organizations are drawing on the area's arboreal history to guide restoration efforts.
"We'll seek to convey how the town's historic love affair with trees is at the very heart of its rebirth and future promise," said Steve Loeper, Mosaic co-producer.
The program will explore how Pacific Palisades' fascination with trees began with its Methodist founders and was later cultivated by visionaries including developer Abbot Kinney and entertainer Will Rogers. These early residents supplemented native California species with trees from around the world, creating the suburban forest that became central to the community's identity.
Six panelists will participate in the discussion, moderated by Palisades community journalist Libby Motika. Participants include landscape designer David Card, who is involved with current replanting efforts, and Suzanne Goode, who is leading historic reforestation at Will Rogers State Historic Park.
Randy Young, curator of the Palisades Historical Society, will provide historical context alongside Kaitlin Drisko, executive director of the Santa Monica Conservancy, and Kathleen Rawson, interim executive director of the Santa Monica History Museum.
The presentation promises to be photo-rich, documenting both the community's tree heritage and current recovery efforts. Organizers say the program will demonstrate how devoted rescue, rehabilitation and replanting initiatives rooted in the area's history will help much of the suburban forest survive as a source of strength for the community's regrowth.
Registration is required for the free event and is available at https://smc.givecloud.co/mosaic-cultural-landscape.
The program represents the second installment of the Santa Monica Mosaic's 2025 season. The first episode, "The Way We Were: Shared Memories of a Village Lost," became the series' most-watched program and received recognition from state Sen. Ben Allen. That episode is available in the Santa Monica Mosaic archive.
The Santa Monica Mosaic is described as a livestream series celebrating the preservation of historic cultures. Like a mosaic artwork, organizers say the program brings together diverse stories, perspectives and legacies that have shaped modern Santa Monica.
The Pacific Palisades episode is jointly presented by the Santa Monica History Museum. The Santa Monica Conservancy, which produces the series, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to heritage conservation, from preserving cultural narratives to revitalizing historic places.
The conservancy provides free and low-cost place-based experiences, including tours, exhibitions and listening sessions about local heritage conservation issues.
Pacific Palisades, a community west of Los Angeles, has been home to numerous celebrities and notable figures throughout its history. The January wildfire was among several that devastated parts of Southern California, destroying homes and natural landscapes that had taken decades to develop.
The community's recovery efforts have focused not only on rebuilding structures but also on restoring the natural environment that helped define its character. Trees have been central to this identity since the area's early development in the 1920s.
The program aims to show how understanding this historical relationship with trees can inform current restoration efforts and help ensure the community's forest legacy continues into the future.