City Celebrates California Clean Air Day with Ceremonial Tree Planting at Muir Academy in West Long Beach

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PRESS RELEASE

Above: John Muir TK-8 Academy Student Councilmembers and Principal Maria Calimquim Yepez
(center right) pose alongside City of Long Beach Vice Mayor and Seventh District Councilmember Roberto Uranga (center) with partners Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero (center left) and Bonnie Nixon, Director of Sustainability, Long Beach Container Terminal (center far left) and school faculty and staff.
In recognition of California Clean Air Day, 21 trees were planted at Muir Academy.

Long Beach, CA - On Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, the City of Long Beach Office of Climate Action and Sustainability, in partnership with the Port of Long Beach and the Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT), hosted a ceremonial planting of 21 trees at John Muir TK-8 Academy, part of the Long Beach Unified School District, in celebration of the Eighth Annual California Clean Air Day and in recognition of the valuable role that trees play in improving air quality in the community. This event supported the City's Westside Promise Initiative, a 10-year community investment plan that aligns existing City efforts and leverages partnerships to address current and historic challenges facing West Long Beach.

"We are committed to enhancing our urban forest, especially in areas that have historically faced the most significant impacts of air quality like our Westside," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "By engaging with our community, especially our young residents, we're not only investing in clean air and cooler streets-we're building stronger, more resilient communities. I want to thank our partners at the Port and the Long Beach Container Terminal for funding 100 new trees in West Long Beach this year that will help us fulfill our Westside Promise and climate equity goals."

The new trees at Muir Academy include 15 Chinese Elm trees and six drought-tolerant Crape Myrtle trees. Trees were planted by Muir Academy Student Councilmembers, faculty and staff and in collaboration with Vice Mayor and Seventh District Councilmember Roberto Uranga and other City officials, as well as Port of Long Beach and Long Beach Container Terminal representatives. Trees were planted along the academy's parkway at the front of the school and will offer ample shade and help cool the sidewalk and playground.

This event, which also served as a kickoff for the City's 2025-26 tree planting season, was supported by the Port of Long Beach's Community Grants Program and the Long Beach Container Terminal, which together have funded nearly $97,000 for the planting of 737 trees throughout Long Beach, including at least 100 trees in West Long Beach during the season as part of the Westside Promise. In the coming months, the program will plant approximately 40 additional trees in the area around West Wardlow Road and Caspian Avenue. West Long Beach residents are also encouraged to request a free tree to be planted in the parkways in front of their homes by visiting lbcity.info/treeplanting.

"Clean Air Day is a reminder that the choices we make today shape the health and wellbeing of our neighborhoods tomorrow," said Vice Mayor and Seventh District Councilmember Roberto Uranga. "Our Westside Promise continues to show what's possible when the City brings partners together with a unified vision for change to deliver real, lasting improvements for families in West Long Beach."

The City's Tree Planting Program began in 2011 and averaged just over 150 trees planted per year through the 2022-23 season. In recent years, the program has significantly expanded its impact, planting 745 trees during the 2023-24 season and 1,200 trees last season. The program is funded by a combination of federal, state and local grant funding including funds from AB 32 and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This grant funding helps the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability continue to offer free parkway trees to residents and businesses by request, in addition to hosting monthly community tree planting events in coordination with neighborhood associations.

"At Long Beach Unified, we know that a healthy environment is directly connected to student success," said Dr. Jill Baker, Superintendent of Schools for Long Beach Unified School District. "By planting trees and investing in clean air, we're greening our campuses and neighborhoods and creating spaces where children can thrive, learn and play. We are proud to stand alongside the City of Long Beach and our community partners to build a brighter, healthier future for West Long Beach families."

"Today's tree planting event is a perfect example of how the Port is fulfilling our commitment to be the Green Port, by being the best neighbor and member of this community that we can be," said Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Officer Mario Cordero. "Through our Community Sponsorships Program and a generous donation from Long Beach Container Terminal, we're able to help worthy causes like expanding the city's urban tree canopy and bringing more greenery to communities that need it most."

"On behalf of our many dedicated employees, Long Beach Container Terminal is extremely proud to do our part to expand the tree canopy within our home base-the west side of Long Beach. In addition to our tree contributions, LBCT continues our own march toward net zero operations, which already are creating significant regional benefits," said Anthony Otto, Chief Executive Officer of Long Beach Container Terminal. "LBCT truly appreciates working with the City of Long Beach and the Port of Long Beach to advance our mutual sustainability goals."

In August, the City launched a community survey seeking community input to develop an Urban Forest Plan (UFP). The UFP survey aims to gather feedback on residents' experiences with trees, their priorities for future investments and their ideas for improving access to green spaces citywide. The survey closes on Oct. 31 and can be accessed online or in-person at any open Long Beach Public Library location. For more information, please visit lbcity.info/forest.

Public trees offer a number of benefits to the surrounding community such as improving air quality, urban cooling, reducing stormwater runoff, increasing property values and many more. Residents can request a tree, sign up to volunteer at a community planting, or follow the program's progress at lbcity.info/treeplanting.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

About the Port of Long Beach
The Port of Long Beach is a global leader in green port initiatives and top-notch customer service, moving cargo with reliability, speed and efficiency. As the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade, the Port handles trade valued at more than $300 billion annually and supports 2.7 million jobs across the United States, including 691,000 in Southern California. It is one of 18 commercial strategic seaports in the United States, with a duty to support force deployment during contingencies and other national defense emergencies. In 2025, the Port is celebrating "20 Years of Leading Green," marking two decades of its landmark Green Port Policy that has dramatically reduced environmental impacts from operations. Industry leaders named Long Beach "The Best West Coast Seaport in North America" for a seventh consecutive year and "The Best Green Seaport" in 2025. During the next 10 years, the Port is planning $3.2 billion in capital improvements aimed at enhancing capacity, competitiveness and sustainability.

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