About
The Emerald Necklace Mountains to Sea Program – Outdoor Equity Program includes community activity days and trips to natural areas that feature tree indexing, heat island and biodiversity assessment, and urban forestry and natural infrastructure volunteer stewardship. Participants take part in community hiking and bicycling, natural infrastructure curriculum, safety education and skills practice, and trailhead service days, visitor center days, and visually impaired trips in the Angeles National Forest. The program also includes hiking, bicycling, and picnicking in the Santa Monica Mountains and Angeles National Forest, a STEM Discovery Trip to Mount Wilson Observatory, ziplining at Mount Baldy, kayaking on the Los Angeles River, hiking along the San Gabriel River, kayaking and paddle boarding at Castaic Lake, birding at Malibu Lagoon, beach activities with paddle boarding and kayaking at Marina Del Rey, beach sailing at Marina Del Rey, and athletes’ altitude training in the Angeles National Forest, Big Bear, and Mammoth Mountain.
• Schedule: The Emerald Necklace Mountains to Sea Program includes activity days in the community and trips to natural areas during four years of programming.
Amigos de los Rios has served the community since 2003 and is working to create the Emerald Necklace, a natural infrastructure network of green spaces, green schools, parks, and trails throughout under-served communities in the Los Angeles Basin. The organization states that it is connecting the mountains to the sea, providing equitable access to nature, and protecting the environment and urban communities from the threats of climate change. The area of focus for this program is the community of El Monte, and stewards are multi-generational volunteers of all ages, with volunteers from throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area invited to participate in urban forestry and natural infrastructure development events. The program was made possible by the Outdoor Equity Grants Program, created through AB 209 and administered by California State Parks, Office of Grants and Local Services, and it includes an Outdoor Equity Internship Program for youth of the El Monte area, where interns are selected as future environmental leaders to receive training on community leadership and environmental stewardship and learn about urban development, natural infrastructure, and urban forestry. The Emerald Necklace Volunteer Stewardship Program hosts community events that incorporate tree indexing and forest health assessment activities, and nature trips include curated environmental science knowledge about Los Angeles’ natural and cultural history, including fire ecology in chaparral, sage scrub, and forest ecosystems, and how safe use practices can help protect these ecosystems. Transportation, bilingual interpretation, and snacks are included for trips to natural areas, and the Greater Los Angeles Area is acknowledged as the ancestral and traditional homelands of several Tribes that have maintained and continue their connection and relationship with these lands.
Last updated July 7, 2026.
• Schedule: The Emerald Necklace Mountains to Sea Program includes activity days in the community and trips to natural areas during four years of programming.
Amigos de los Rios has served the community since 2003 and is working to create the Emerald Necklace, a natural infrastructure network of green spaces, green schools, parks, and trails throughout under-served communities in the Los Angeles Basin. The organization states that it is connecting the mountains to the sea, providing equitable access to nature, and protecting the environment and urban communities from the threats of climate change. The area of focus for this program is the community of El Monte, and stewards are multi-generational volunteers of all ages, with volunteers from throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area invited to participate in urban forestry and natural infrastructure development events. The program was made possible by the Outdoor Equity Grants Program, created through AB 209 and administered by California State Parks, Office of Grants and Local Services, and it includes an Outdoor Equity Internship Program for youth of the El Monte area, where interns are selected as future environmental leaders to receive training on community leadership and environmental stewardship and learn about urban development, natural infrastructure, and urban forestry. The Emerald Necklace Volunteer Stewardship Program hosts community events that incorporate tree indexing and forest health assessment activities, and nature trips include curated environmental science knowledge about Los Angeles’ natural and cultural history, including fire ecology in chaparral, sage scrub, and forest ecosystems, and how safe use practices can help protect these ecosystems. Transportation, bilingual interpretation, and snacks are included for trips to natural areas, and the Greater Los Angeles Area is acknowledged as the ancestral and traditional homelands of several Tribes that have maintained and continue their connection and relationship with these lands.
Last updated July 7, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.