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
Rio de Los Angeles Work Day
Address: Rio de Los Angeles State Park, 1900 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Join our bi-weekly community workdays to care for our various Test Plot projects at Rio. We meet every other Sunday and will be weeding, watering, and trimming our various habitat plots. Meet at the flagpole.
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.
“Deep Looking, Listening and Landcare” Rainbow Canyon Workday
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
Mural it up! with Arturo Gonzales at the Puente Hills Test Plot
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
La Esquinita: Workshop with Matthew Teutimez
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. This project is a collaboration between Test Plot, Mujeres de la Tierra, LA Works, and MRCA.
RSVP HERE
Elephant Hill Work Day
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.
RSVP HERE
Rio de Los Angeles Work Day
Address: Rio de Los Angeles State Park, 1900 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Join our bi-weekly community workdays to care for our various Test Plot projects at Rio. We meet every other Sunday and will be weeding, watering, and trimming our various habitat plots. Meet at the flagpole.
Burn Scar Work Day
Address: Elysian Park Trail, Elysian Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Join Terremoto for a community workday at our Burn Plot in Elysian Park. Park at the small lot at the Elysian Park Trailhead, cross the street and head northeast on the Elysian Park Trail for 500’. The Burn Scar Test Plot will be on the left. No RSVP needed.
For more info contact: hannah@terremoto.la
Elysian Park Work Day
Address: Elysian Park Trail Entrance, closest address is 2221 Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90026
The plots are located around the Marian Harlow Memorial Grove. Park along Park Dr. and walk north along the Elysian Park trail for 3-5 mins. The plots are spread out around multiple hillsides. No RSVP needed.
For more info, contact: jenny@terremoto.la
Rio de Los Angeles Work Day
Address: Rio de Los Angeles State Park, 1900 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Join our bi-weekly community workdays to care for our various Test Plot projects at Rio. We meet every other Sunday and will be weeding, watering, and trimming our various habitat plots. Meet at the flagpole.
Santa Catalina Island Work Day
Join us for a day on Catalina island maintaining and monitoring native plants in the Green Ravine. Time commitment is 8-5pm and we will be taking the Miss Christi ferry that departs from San Pedro. Bring a bag lunch. Spots Limited.
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.
Rio de Los Angeles Work Day
Address: Rio de Los Angeles State Park, 1900 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Join our bi-weekly community workdays to care for our various Test Plot projects at Rio. We meet every other Sunday and will be weeding, watering, and trimming our various habitat plots. Meet at the flagpole.
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
Burn Scar Work Day
Address: Elysian Park Trail, Elysian Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Join Terremoto for a community workday at our Burn Plot in Elysian Park. Park at the small lot at the Elysian Park Trailhead, cross the street and head northeast on the Elysian Park Trail for 500’. The Burn Scar Test Plot will be on the left. No RSVP needed.
For more info contact: hannah@terremoto.la
Elysian Park Workday
Address: Elysian Park Trail Entrance, closest address is 2221 Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90026
The plots are located around the Marian Harlow Memorial Grove. Park along Park Dr. and walk north along the Elysian Park trail for 3-5 mins. The plots are spread out around multiple hillsides. No RSVP needed.
For more info, contact: jenny@terremoto.la
Rio de Los Angeles Work Day
Address: Rio de Los Angeles State Park, 1900 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Join our bi-weekly community workdays to care for our various Test Plot projects at Rio. We meet every other Sunday and will be weeding, watering, and trimming our various habitat plots. Meet at the flagpole.
Rainbow Canyon Workday
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 workshop on the future of Rainbow Canyon with partners Test Plot, USC, Community Nature Connection and the Mt. Washington Alliance. For more information, contact alexander.robinson@usc.edu
RSVP forthcoming.
Rio de Los Angeles Work Day
Address: Rio de Los Angeles State Park, 1900 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Join our bi-weekly community workdays to care for our various Test Plot projects at Rio. We meet every other Sunday and will be weeding, watering, and trimming our various habitat plots. Meet at the flagpole.
Burn Scar Work Day
Address: Elysian Park Trail, Elysian Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Join Terremoto for a community workday at our Burn Plot in Elysian Park. Park at the small lot at the Elysian Park Trailhead, cross the street and head northeast on the Elysian Park Trail for 500’. The Burn Scar Test Plot will be on the left. No RSVP needed.
For more info contact: hannah@terremoto.la
Elysian Park Workday
Address: Elysian Park Trail Entrance, closest address is 2221 Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90026
The plots are located around the Marian Harlow Memorial Grove. Park along Park Dr. and walk north along the Elysian Park trail for 3-5 mins. The plots are spread out around multiple hillsides. No RSVP needed.
For more info, contact: jenny@terremoto.la
Rio de Los Angeles Work Day
Address: Rio de Los Angeles State Park, 1900 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Join our bi-weekly community workdays to care for our various Test Plot projects at Rio. We meet every other Sunday and will be weeding, watering, and trimming our various habitat plots. Meet at the flagpole.
Elysian Park Work Day
Address: Elysian Park Trail Entrance, closest address is 2221 Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90026
The plots are located around the Marian Harlow Memorial Grove. Park along Park Dr. and walk north along the Elysian Park trail for 3-5 mins. The plots are spread out around multiple hillsides. No RSVP needed.
For more info, contact: jenny@terremoto.la
Burn Scar Work Day
Address: Elysian Park Trail, Elysian Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Join Terremoto for a community workday at our Burn Plot in Elysian Park. Park at the small lot at the Elysian Park Trailhead, cross the street and head northeast on the Elysian Park Trail for 500’. The Burn Scar Test Plot will be on the left. No RSVP needed.
For more info contact: hannah@terremoto.la
Rio de Los Angeles Work Day
Address: Rio de Los Angeles State Park, 1900 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Join our bi-weekly community workdays to care for our various Test Plot projects at Rio. We meet every other Sunday and will be weeding, watering, and trimming our various habitat plots. Meet at the flagpole. No RSVP needed.
For more info contact Tom: tom.ec.hurst@gmail.com
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.
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.
Rio de Los Angeles Work Day
Address: Rio de Los Angeles State Park, 1900 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Join our bi-weekly community workdays to care for our various Test Plot projects at Rio. We meet every other Sunday and will be weeding, watering, and trimming our various habitat plots. Meet at the flagpole. No RSVP needed.
For more info contact Tom: tom.ec.hurst@gmail.com
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
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 third Thursday of the month 8-10am.
RSVP HERE.
Rio de Los Angeles Work Day
Address: Rio de Los Angeles State Park, 1900 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Tom leads bi-weekly community workdays to care for our various Test Plot projects at Rio. We meet every other Sunday and will be weeding, watering, and trimming our various habitat plots. Meet at the flagpole. No RSVP needed.
For more info contact Tom: tom.ec.hurst@gmail.com
Elysian Park Work Day
Address: Elysian Park Trail Entrance, closest address is 2221 Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90026
The plots are located around the Marian Harlow Memorial Grove. Park along Park Dr. and walk north along the Elysian Park trail for 3-5 mins. The plots are spread out around multiple hillsides. No RSVP needed.
For more info, contact: jenny@terremoto.la
Burn Scar Work Day
Address: Elysian Park Trail, Elysian Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Join Terremoto for a community workday at our Burn Plot in Elysian Park. Park at the small lot at the Elysian Park Trailhead, cross the street and head northeast on the Elysian Park Trail for 500’. The Burn Scar Test Plot will be on the left. No RSVP needed.
For more info contact: hannah@terremoto.la
River Garden Park Community Workday
Join us as L.A. Works hosts a hands-on work day at the River Center Park to assist in weeding, mulching, and tending to the Test Plot's newly established ethnobotanical garden.