Theodore Payne Foundation

Our California Native Plant Landscaper Certificate Program (CNPLC) is a bilingual (English and Spanish) job-training program for landscape professionals developed and taught by California’s leading native plant experts. By providing this training to landscapers, we help grow independent businesses while enabling residents of Los Angeles County to save water, restore habitats, and bring the unique beauty of the natural world into our towns, cities, and homes.

Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF) will create open-source nature networks via free classes about native plant care and propagation and giveaways of locally native species in under-resourced communities. With native plants and know-how, communities can be their own change makers for increasing shade, green space, biodiversity and wildfire-resilience. Rather than concentrated in privileged places, native plants will be widespread and accessible to all.

Our California Native Plant Landscaper Certificate Program is a bilingual (English and Spanish) job-training program for working and aspiring landscape professionals developed and taught by California’s leading native plant experts. This training provides landscapers with career advancement skills, grows independent businesses, and supports climate-resilient communities through water and energy conservation, wildfire defense, and wildlife habitat creation, while bringing the unique beauty of LA’s local ecology into our communities and homes.

Theodore Payne Foundation's Teacher Toolkit will consist of teaching materials for K-12 students, to promote CA native plants in schools across the city. This program will support enhanced STEAM education and utilize experiential learning (both indoors and outdoors) to meaningful develop students' relationship with the natural world. By providing this programming, we empower young Angelenos to make choices that directly impact conservation of water, biodiversity and the overall health of Los Angeles.

City of Butterflies / Cuidad de Mariposas empowers children to become environmental stewards who make their communities safer, more life sustaining, and playful by planting butterfly gardens to enjoy with their families and neighbors. Youth will develop a relationship with the natural world while learning how native California plants support butterflies and activate vacant space with color, fragrance, and life.

Grow Local: Plant Native! Theodore Payne Foundation, LA Housing Authority and Boys & Girls Clubs of the LA Harbor partner to reshape LA for a sustainable future, lush with native plants for all.

Landscaping for Resilience brings people together to change their neighborhoods through installing and maintaining public native plant gardens. People connect over their shared desire for pubic green space and a richer and more rewarding urban environment. LFR provides environmental and social benefits, demonstrating how communities, government agencies, and non-profits can work together to enhance green space and create skill sets for positive environmental change within Los Angeles County.