Seven miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, a once-barren expanse of post-industrial land has been transformed into a lush sanctuary. This land is now Urban Orchard, a vibrant 7-acre park with a grove of 200 fruit trees, walking paths, native landscaping, an educational garden, stormwater infrastructure, and a nature-based playground. What was once a vacant lot sandwiched between the Los Angeles River and Interstate 710 is now a community hub where South Gate residents can connect with the joys of the outdoors.

In Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood, we helped bring a bird-inspired miniature-golf course to life in Douglass Park by supplying critical funding. The real stars of the show, however, were 40 local teenagers who designed the course's 18 unique obstacle holes. Their designs were inspired by the various birds that frequent Douglass Park. Now, community members of all ages can enjoy this newly revived mini-golf course, while the teens carry forward a new sense of pride in their neighborhood and a lifelong connection to the local birdlife they’ve helped protect and celebrate.

For the past three years, we've partnered with pianist Hunter Noack to merge art, land stewardship, and community connection through sound at sites like Story Mill Community Park in Bozeman, Montana. With his 9-foot Steinway grand piano in tow, Hunter travels to public lands, parks, ranches, and cultural sites across North America, transforming each landscape into a magical, open air concert. As Hunter says, "What surprises me at every show are the moments that we could never plan: when the waves seem to flow to the pulse of the music or a flock of geese flies over at just the right time. The synchronicity feels like magic."—and that magic is only possible when the land is protected and open to all.