Volunteer at Our Plots

We welcome volunteers at all our plots. Check out our calendar of upcoming events to get involved. To be prepared for our workdays please consider the following recommendations: 

  • Wear closed-toe shoes, layers, and clothes you don't mind getting dirty 

  • Hats and sun protection are highly recommended

  • Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own gardening gloves

  • Please bring a reusable water bottle and snacks to keep yourself fueled

Bonus: download the iNaturalist app on your phone and help us make observations. All our plots are iNat projects which you can view under Test Plot Umbrella. Please join our projects and add to the observations so that we can continue document the diversity of flora and fauna.

Upcoming Events

Rainbow Canyon Workday
Jan
10

Rainbow Canyon Workday

Join us for community workdays the second Saturday of each month. This Saturday we’ll be focused on cleaning up after the winter storms, and weeding, weeding weeding. It’s beautiful and green in the canyon, please join us!

RSVP and SIGN VOLUNTEER WAIVER HERE

Address: Closest address is 310 W Ave 45, Los Angeles, CA 90065

The pedestrian entrance to Rainbow Canyon is off Ave 45. It is easily accessible from the "Southwest Museum" Metro A Line Stop. The plots are distributed along different areas of the lower canyon. 

Partners: Test Plot, USC, Community Nature Connection, the Mt. Washington Alliance, CD1, and the Council for Watershed Health. Our work is funded by the Safe Clean Water Program, The Water Foundation, The Rose Foundation and Los Angeles Water Keepers.

View Event →
Starr King Community Workday
Jan
10

Starr King Community Workday

Address: Starr King Open Space. Closest address to the plot is 1261 Carolina St, San Francisco, CA 94107

The Starr King plots are located in the “annex” space. Look for the green painted sign that says “This is a land care project.” Things you will get to learn and practice:
—identify native and introduced species
—weeding through the “bradley method”
—adding to the community science project iNaturalist
—regenerative and reciprocal landcare methods such propagating and planting from the extant plant community
—urban coyote sightings if you’re lucky!

The Starr King Test Plot sits on a serpentinite hilltop in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco.  This site is part of an intermittent strip of serpentinite bedrock that stretches across the city to the northwest and ends in the Presidio. Starr King, a little patch of neighborhood open space, and meadows in the Presidio, are the only extant serpentine grasslands in the city.

RSVP to: evita@terremoto.la


View Event →
Elephant Hill Work Day
Jan
10

Elephant Hill Work Day

RSVP and SIGN VOLUNTEER WAIVER HERE

Join us for our next volunteer day after the rains! We will be checking out all the new growth now that the plants have soaked in much needed water. We will also be weeding out black mustard Brassica nigra, horehound Marrubium vulgare, and castor bean Ricinus communis before they take over.

Bring your basic garden tools like gloves, a shovel, and a trowel.

Address: 5009 Lathrop St, Los Angeles, CA 90032

Lathrop St. is a dead end street with ample street parking. Walk up the dirt path 20’ and the plot is directly in front of you.

View Event →
Community Work day at Puente Hills Test Plot
Jan
17

Community Work day at Puente Hills Test Plot

  • 3301 Workman Mill Road South El Monte, CA 91733 (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Address: 3301 Workman Mill Rd, South El Monte, CA 91733

Community Workday! Help us weed, water, and maintain our native plant plots.

Partners: The event is made possible by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation in collaboration with Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis (First District), the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, Southern California Edison, Puente Hills Youth@Work Cohort, Studio-MLA, and Test Plot.

LIMIT 5 PPL - PLS RSVP to siddhi@studio-mla.com

View Event →
La Esquinita Work Day
Jan
24

La Esquinita Work Day

Address: Los Angeles Center River and Gardens, 570 W Ave 26, Los Angeles, CA 90065

Enter the LA River Center & Gardens off of Ave 26. Park in the main lot. When facing the main building, walk to the right 300’ and around the corner.

Join us for a day of weeding, watering, and mulching to give our young plants the best start possible. Each plant here carries a rich ethnobotanical heritage—stories of food, medicine, and culture—so your hands-on care is also a way of honoring their history.  This project is a collaboration between Test Plot, Mujeres de la Tierra, LA Works, and MRCA. For more information, contact: vanessa.alonzo@mrca.ca.gov

RSVP HERE WITH LAWORKS.

View Event →
Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot
Feb
6

Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot

Address: Audubon Center at Debs Park, 4700 Griffin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031

From the Audubon Center walk to the parking lot entrance and up to the right along a dirt trail (look to the right of the wider Walnut Forest Trail). The plot is 200’ up the path.

Please join us for native habitat gardening with Test Plot, Terremoto and the Audubon Center at Debs. We meet the first Friday of the month 8:30-10:30am.

RSVP HERE

View Event →
Planting Day at Puente Hills Test Plot
Feb
7

Planting Day at Puente Hills Test Plot

  • 3301 Workman Mill Road South El Monte, CA 91733 (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Address: 3301 Workman Mill Rd, South El Monte, CA 91733

Celebrate the 1 year of Puente Hills Test Plot by joining us for planting and cake.

Partners: The event is made possible by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation in collaboration with Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis (First District), the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, Southern California Edison, Puente Hills Youth@Work Cohort, Studio-MLA, and Test Plot.

RSVP COMING

View Event →
Rainbow Canyon Workday
Feb
14

Rainbow Canyon Workday

Join us for community workdays the second Saturday of each month.

Partners: Test Plot, USC, Community Nature Connection, the Mt. Washington Alliance, CD1, and the Council for Watershed Health. Our work is funded by the Safe Clean Water Program, The Water Foundation, The Rose Foundation and Los Angeles Water Keepers.

RSVP COMING SOON

Address: Closest address is 310 W Ave 45, Los Angeles, CA 90065

The pedestrian entrance to Rainbow Canyon is off Ave 45. It is easily accessible from the "Southwest Museum" Metro A Line Stop. The plots are distributed along different areas of the lower canyon. 

View Event →
Community Work day at Puente Hills Test Plot
Feb
21

Community Work day at Puente Hills Test Plot

  • 3301 Workman Mill Road South El Monte, CA 91733 (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Address: 3301 Workman Mill Rd, South El Monte, CA 91733

Community Workday! Help us weed, water, and maintain our native plant plots.

Partners: The event is made possible by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation in collaboration with Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis (First District), the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, Southern California Edison, Puente Hills Youth@Work Cohort, Studio-MLA, and Test Plot.

LIMIT 5 PPL - PLS RSVP to siddhi@studio-mla.com

View Event →
Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot
Mar
6

Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot

Address: Audubon Center at Debs Park, 4700 Griffin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031

From the Audubon Center walk to the parking lot entrance and up to the right along a dirt trail (look to the right of the wider Walnut Forest Trail). The plot is 200’ up the path.

Please join us for native habitat gardening with Test Plot, Terremoto and the Audubon Center at Debs. We meet the first Friday of the month 8:30-10:30am.

RSVP HERE

View Event →
Rainbow Canyon Workday
Mar
14

Rainbow Canyon Workday

Join us for community workdays the second Saturday of each month.

Partners: Test Plot, USC, Community Nature Connection, the Mt. Washington Alliance, CD1, and the Council for Watershed Health. Our work is funded by the Safe Clean Water Program, The Water Foundation, The Rose Foundation and Los Angeles Water Keepers.

RSVP COMING SOON

Address: Closest address is 310 W Ave 45, Los Angeles, CA 90065

The pedestrian entrance to Rainbow Canyon is off Ave 45. It is easily accessible from the "Southwest Museum" Metro A Line Stop. The plots are distributed along different areas of the lower canyon. 

View Event →

Community Work day at Puente Hills Test Plot
Jan
3

Community Work day at Puente Hills Test Plot

  • 3301 Workman Mill Road South El Monte, CA 91733 (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Address: 3301 Workman Mill Rd, South El Monte, CA 91733

Community Workday! Help us weed, water, and maintain our native plant plots.

Partners: The event is made possible by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation in collaboration with Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis (First District), the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, Southern California Edison, Puente Hills Youth@Work Cohort, Studio-MLA, and Test Plot.

LIMIT 5 PPL - PLS RSVP to siddhi@studio-mla.com

View Event →
Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot
Jan
2

Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot

Address: Audubon Center at Debs Park, 4700 Griffin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031

From the Audubon Center walk to the parking lot entrance and up to the right along a dirt trail (look to the right of the wider Walnut Forest Trail). The plot is 200’ up the path.

Please join us for native habitat gardening with Test Plot, Terremoto and the Audubon Center at Debs. We meet the first Friday of the month 8:30-10:30am.

RSVP HERE

View Event →
Community Work day at Puente Hills Test Plot
Dec
20

Community Work day at Puente Hills Test Plot

  • 3301 Workman Mill Road South El Monte, CA 91733 (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Address: 3301 Workman Mill Rd, South El Monte, CA 91733

Community Workday! Help us weed, water, and maintain our native plant plots.

Partners: The event is made possible by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation in collaboration with Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis (First District), the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, Southern California Edison, Puente Hills Youth@Work Cohort, Studio-MLA, and Test Plot.

LIMIT 5 PPL - PLS RSVP to siddhi@studio-mla.com

View Event →
Starr King Community Workday
Dec
13

Starr King Community Workday

Address: Starr King Open Space. Closest address to the plot is 1261 Carolina St, San Francisco, CA 94107

The Starr King plots are located in the “annex” space. Look for the green painted sign that says “This is a land care project.”

Please join us for our upcoming community workday and look out for monthly workdays through the winter and spring. Things you will get to learn and practice:
—identify native and introduced species
—weeding through the “bradley method”
—adding to the community science project iNaturalist
—regenerative and reciprocal landcare methods such propagating and planting from the extant plant community
—urban coyote sightings if you’re lucky!

The Starr King Test Plot sits on a serpentinite hilltop in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco.  This site is part of an intermittent strip of serpentinite bedrock that stretches across the city to the northwest and ends in the Presidio. Starr King, a little patch of neighborhood open space, and meadows in the Presidio, are the only extant serpentine grasslands in the city.

RSVP to: evita@terremoto.la


View Event →
Rainbow Canyon Planting and Planning for Stormwater Resiliency
Dec
7

Rainbow Canyon Planting and Planning for Stormwater Resiliency

Address: Closest address is 310 W Ave 45, Los Angeles, CA 90065

The pedestrian entrance to Rainbow Canyon is off Ave 45. It is easily accessible from the "Southwest Museum" Metro A Line Stop. The plots are distributed along different areas of the lower canyon. 

Join us for a planting day and fun activities on the future of Rainbow Canyon with partners Test Plot, USC, Community Nature Connection, the Mt. Washington Alliance, CD1, and the Council for Watershed Health. Our work is funded by the Safe Clean Water Program, The Water Foundation, The Rose Foundation and Los Angeles Water Keepers.

RSVP HERE

View Event →
La Esquinita Planting Day
Dec
6

La Esquinita Planting Day

Address: Los Angeles Center River and Gardens, 570 W Ave 26, Los Angeles, CA 90065

Enter the LA River Center & Gardens off of Ave 26. Park in the main lot. When facing the main building, walk to the right 300’ and around the corner.

Join us for a day of planting and expanding our garden. Each plant here carries a rich ethnobotanical heritage—stories of food, medicine, and culture—so your hands-on care is also a way of honoring their history.  This project is a collaboration between Test Plot, Mujeres de la Tierra, LA Works, and MRCA. For more information, contact: vanessa.alonzo@mrca.ca.gov

RSVP HERE WITH LAWORKS.

View Event →
Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot
Dec
5

Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot

Address: Audubon Center at Debs Park, 4700 Griffin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031

From the Audubon Center walk to the parking lot entrance and up to the right along a dirt trail (look to the right of the wider Walnut Forest Trail). The plot is 200’ up the path.

Please join us for native habitat gardening with Test Plot, Terremoto and the Audubon Center at Debs. We meet the first Friday of the month 8:30-10:30am.

RSVP HERE

View Event →
Starr King Community Workday
Nov
14

Starr King Community Workday

Address: Starr King Open Space. Closest address to the plot is 1261 Carolina St, San Francisco, CA 94107

The Starr King plots are located in the “annex” space. Look for the green painted sign that says “This is a land care project.”

Please join us for our upcoming community workday and look out for monthly workdays through the winter and spring. Things you will get to learn and practice:
—identify native and introduced species
—weeding through the “bradley method”
—adding to the community science project iNaturalist
—regenerative and reciprocal landcare methods such propagating and planting from the extant plant community
—urban coyote sightings if you’re lucky!

The Starr King Test Plot sits on a serpentinite hilltop in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco.  This site is part of an intermittent strip of serpentinite bedrock that stretches across the city to the northwest and ends in the Presidio. Starr King, a little patch of neighborhood open space, and meadows in the Presidio, are the only extant serpentine grasslands in the city.

RSVP to: evita@terremoto.la


View Event →
La Esquinita Work Day
Nov
8

La Esquinita Work Day

Address: Los Angeles Center River and Gardens, 570 W Ave 26, Los Angeles, CA 90065

Enter the LA River Center & Gardens off of Ave 26. Park in the main lot. When facing the main building, walk to the right 300’ and around the corner.

Join us for a day of weeding, watering, and mulching to give our young plants the best start possible. Each plant here carries a rich ethnobotanical heritage—stories of food, medicine, and culture—so your hands-on care is also a way of honoring their history.  This project is a collaboration between Test Plot, Mujeres de la Tierra, LA Works, and MRCA. For more information, contact: vanessa.alonzo@mrca.ca.gov

RSVP HERE WITH LAWORKS.

View Event →
Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot
Nov
7

Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot

Address: Audubon Center at Debs Park, 4700 Griffin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031

From the Audubon Center walk to the parking lot entrance and up to the right along a dirt trail (look to the right of the wider Walnut Forest Trail). The plot is 200’ up the path.

Please join us for native habitat gardening with Test Plot, Terremoto and the Audubon Center at Debs. We meet the first Friday of the month 8-10am.

RSVP HERE

View Event →
Mural it up! with Arturo Gonzales at the Puente Hills Test Plot
Oct
4

Mural it up! with Arturo Gonzales at the Puente Hills Test Plot

  • 3301 Workman Mill Road South El Monte, CA 91733 (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Address: 3301 Workman Mill Rd, South El Monte, CA 91733

Help us bring some color to the Puente Hills Test Plot with an awesome community mural designed by students and muralist, Arturo Gonzales!

Partners: The event is made possible by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation in collaboration with Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis (First District), the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, Southern California Edison, Puente Hills Youth@Work Cohort, Studio-MLA, and Test Plot.

RSVP HERE

View Event →
“Deep Looking, Listening and Landcare” Rainbow Canyon Workday
Oct
4

“Deep Looking, Listening and Landcare” Rainbow Canyon Workday

  • 310 West Avenue 45 Los Angeles, CA, 90065 United States (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Address: Closest address is 310 W Ave 45, Los Angeles, CA 90065

The pedestrian entrance to Rainbow Canyon is off Ave 45. It is easily accessible from the "Southwest Museum" Metro A Line Stop. The plots are distributed along different areas of the lower canyon. 

Join us for a workday featuring some “deep listening” site exercises. In addition to land care, volunteers will be guided in simple activities to deeply engage with the canyon’s landscape.

Partners: Test Plot, USC, Community Nature Connection and the Mt. Washington Alliance. For more information, contact alexander.robinson@usc.edu

RSVP HERE

View Event →
Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot
Oct
3

Native Plant Gardening at Debs Test Plot

Address: Audubon Center at Debs Park, 4700 Griffin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031

From the Audubon Center walk to the parking lot entrance and up to the right along a dirt trail (look to the right of the wider Walnut Forest Trail). The plot is 200’ up the path.

Please join us for native habitat gardening with Test Plot, Terremoto and the Audubon Center at Debs. We meet the first Friday of the month 8-10am.

RSVP forthcoming.

View Event →