“We believe all people are TreePeople. Anyone can plant a tree in their neighborhood, school or park. It’s truly an opportunity to bring people, including those who don’t all speak the same language, together to be a part of the solution.” — Cindy Montañez
Cindy Montañez grew up in the Northeast region of the San Fernando Valley. Though her family didn’t have a lot of money, her childhood memories are rich with trips to local lakes, parks and open spaces. “My parents would load the six of us into a van any chance they could,” remarks Cindy. “They had such a love for and commitment to connecting us with nature.”
As Chief Executive Officer at TreePeople, Cindy carries on that legacy of connecting people in Los Angeles to their local environment. Over the last 50 years, the organization has planted millions of trees in forests, parks, schools and neighborhoods. “We believe in organizing communities,” says Cindy. “It’s important for people to connect with nature and feel a responsibility to the earth, but there are many communities where there aren’t enough open spaces to do so.”
Most recently, TreePeople assumed leadership of the Calabasas-based Mountains Restoration Trust, about 3,000 acres in the Santa Monica mountains. This new affiliation positions TreePeople as the largest environmental non-profit in the region. “We see this as a launching pad for getting people outside and mobilizing them to push for more open space in the region,” says Cindy. “Ultimately, we hope to engage both mountain and urban communities on the common goal of creating a diverse, healthy and climate resilient environment for all.”
Cindy is thrilled she gets to help create a movement that enables people to plant, care for and reconnect with trees. “I’ve always felt a strong kinship to trees, from the 2,000-year old Sequoias to a small mesquite tree in my dad’s front yard in Northern Mexico,” says Cindy. She recounts hearing stories from her dad’s childhood centered around the tree, playing by it and seeing countless family photos taken in front of the mesquite tree. “For me, all of this goes back to my parents, who are such strong supporters of what I do. They volunteer with us often, in fact everyone who works with me has definitely met my parents at some point,” laughs Cindy. “It’s because of them that I do what I do.”
To learn more about Cindy and the work TreePeople is doing to support a healthy, thriving Los Angeles, visit https://www.treepeople.org/