Andy Lipkis began planting trees to rehabilitate smog and fire-damaged forests when he was 15 years old. He founded TreePeople and has served as its president since 1973. For over three decades, the Los Angeles-based organization has served as a guiding light for the Citizen Forestry Movement. Lipkis’ latest venture, the T.R.E.E.S. program (Transagency Resources for Environmental and Economic Sustainability), is a public-private partnership aimed at managing the greater Los Angeles area as an urban ecosystem. Lipkis inspired the planting of one million trees in Los Angeles preceding the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Lipkis and his wife Kate were named to the United Nations Environment Program’s Global 500 Roll of Honor, and hold American Forests’ Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1998, Andy was honored as Founder of the Year at National Philanthropy Day, and two years later, he and Kate authored “The Simple Act of Planting A Tree.” In 2005, Andy wrote the call to action for the 20th anniversary release of the Jean Giono book “The Man Who Planted Trees.”

“Dirt! The Movie opens our eyes to the science and healing power of a world right beneath our feet. It inspires us to engage and enjoy getting our hands dirty, while providing real hope in perilous times.” – Andy Lipkis