GreenLatinos’ Urban Greening Initiative Shows Climate Resilience Starts at Home
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/22/26
MEDIA CONTACT: Cumbia Padilla, Communications Coordinator, 707-382-8113, [email protected]
[Los Angeles, California] — April 2026 — In celebration of Earth Month, GreenLatinos is proud to share the growing impact of its Urban Greening Initiative, a community-driven effort advancing climate resilience, environmental justice, and authentic local stewardship across Chicago, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque.
From expanding urban tree canopy and community gardens to bolstering youth workforce development programs and neighborhood compost hubs, the initiative has delivered measurable environmental and community benefits from its launch in August 2025 to this spring.
Over the past six months, the program has:
- Engaged more than 7,600 community members
- Hosted 350+ community events, workshops, and site activations
- Diverted 611,306+ pounds of organic waste from landfills
- Distributed approximately 13,000 pounds of fresh food
- Logged 3,500+ volunteer hours
- Planted 201 trees and 35+ perennial plants since the start of the program
- Reclaimed 7.44 million gallons of water
- Prevented 161.22 tons of CO₂ emissions annually
“During Earth Month, we celebrate the real impact of our urban greening initiatives. When we invest resources directly into the hands of our communities, our planet heals,” said Amanda Pantoja, Urban Greening Initiative Coordinator with GreenLatinos. “Our neighborhoods have been caring for the Earth for generations, and this stewardship continues every day in our Latino households and communities. Seeing our people lead urban greening projects with their own vision and hands shows that climate resilience is not just a goal—it is a reality we are building together.”
Across Los Angeles, GreenLatinos’ grantees planted over 200 trees, opened a community garden in the Pico-Union/Westlake area, provided job training for frontline youth, and built a robust composting infrastructure that has diverted more than 611,000 pounds of organic waste. “Investing in solutions for our most nature-deprived communities unlocks the full potential of both the community and our planet,” said Pedro Hernández, GreenLatinos’ California State Program Director. “These projects demonstrate that nature can heal while cultivating the next generation of frontline leaders to steward our future.”
In Albuquerque, local organizations distributed nearly 12,000 pounds of fresh food, trained 18 BIPOC youth in agriculture and urban forestry, and expanded food forests, compost systems, and irrigation infrastructure. “Urban greening and urban farming have been vital to our communities in Albuquerque. Not only do these projects feed those in need, they build stronger bonds, teach the next generations about our traditional connections with the land, and help mitigate the inequitable effects of climate change," said Carlos Matutes, New Mexico State Program Director.
In Chicago, projects advanced community green spaces, environmental learning areas for children, and restoration planning through partnerships with local institutions and residents. “In Chicago, we’re investing in community-driven projects that are turning some of our most environmentally burdened neighborhoods into healthier, greener spaces,” said Lucy Contreras, Illinois State Program Director with GreenLatinos. “Our awardees are reclaiming land, revitalizing their communities, and expanding access to nature in areas that have long been overburdened by pollution and disinvestment.”
This Earth Month, GreenLatinos reaffirms its commitment to investing in frontline communities and supporting solutions that are community-led, culturally grounded, and built for long-term climate resilience.
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Acerca de GreenLatinos
VerdeLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) es una comunidad activa de líderes latinos, envalentonados por el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unidos para exigir equidad y desmantelar el racismo, con recursos para ganar nuestras batallas ambientales, de conservación y de justicia climática, y motivados para asegurar nuestras políticas, Liberación económica, cultural y ambiental.
VerdeLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) es una comunidad activa de líderes latinos/a/e, envalentonados por el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unidos para exigir equidad y desmantelar el racismo, con recursos para ganar nuestra justicia ambiental, batallas de conservación, climáticas e impulsadas a asegurar nuestra Liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.
