City of Los Angeles, 400 volunteers plant 182 trees in Van Nuys

VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Arbor Day isn't actually until April 26 but for this event, the city of Los Angeles, along with more than 400 volunteers, dug holes and planted 182 trees within a two-block radius from the Van Nuys Recreation Center on Saturday.

"L.A. has been losing thousands of trees due to pests and drought and disease. And it's so important that we make sure that we replace those trees and that we have a health canopy for our kids and our grandkids," said Elizabeth Skrzat, executive director of the nonprofit City Plants, which partnered with the L.A. Department of Water and Power.

The group planted its 100,000th tree on Saturday, and everyone is literally growing a greener future.

Organizers gave away 200 fruit or shade trees.

If in front of your home you have an open space or parkway, you can sign up to have the city plant a tree for you. All you have to do is promise to water it.

Watch Jade Hernandez's full report in the video above.