Trees not only provide shade, cleaner air, and soothing sounds, they also save energy by diminishing the need for air conditioning; their roots hold in place soil that otherwise would be washed downstream; and they absorb rainwater that could flood basements and streamside neighborhoods.

Among those who have long and successfully advocated for more urban trees and green space, especially in the Los Angeles-San Gabriel River watershed, is Dorothy Green. Her story--like that of the Oakland oaks saved by a handful of downtown workers but on a much larger scale--inspires me and fends off passivity and despair.

Seeds of conservation planted by a scattering of passionate citizens decades ago have borne fruit in many ways. Now not only radical artists and activists but powerful agencies are thinking watershed-wide. In the story of Willow Creek you can read how the range of possibilities can expand when people put aside personal power struggles and turf battles and collaborate. In "The Border Was No Barrier," you will see how the power of delight can overcome archaic, rigid expressions of dominance. Yes, that was just one day, and the fortification and militarization of the border with our friend Mexico continues, but in the long run, delight always overcomes fear. In this issue we give you some hopeful stories, as well as at least one scary one. We figure our readers will appreciate the mix.

To enjoy life, or to work for change in society, we first have to notice what's in front of our eyes. In downtown San Francisco, on a street corner passed daily by thousands of drivers, stands a lone tree. Few people would ever notice it were it not for a huge arrow, like a one-way-street sign, that points to it and reads: "One Tree." You can't help but laugh whenever you see it. The artist, Rigo 06, captures the attention with a sign every driver must heed, then subverts expectations: Hey, a tree! On another building he's painted one arrow that points down: "Cars," and one that points straight up: "Birds." How about that?