The weekend of September 29th saw the the annual Tree People gathering take place under a full Harvest Moon in Beverly Hills, California.

Tree People celebrated their 40th Anniversary in late 2013, and was founded by Andy Lipkis, who appears in Dirt! The Movie.  The organization is committed to providing a sustainable future for the greater Los Angeles area, and to:

“…inspire, engage and support people to take personal responsibility for the urban environment, making it healthy, fun, safe and sustainable – and to share the process as a model for the world.”

The event on September 29th hosted the presentation of the annual Evergreen Award, which this year was bestowed upon Laurie Benenson for her continued effort and support of sustainable projects in the Los Angeles area.  Laurie Benenson is spouse to Bill Benenson, who directed Dirt! The Movie along with Gene Rosow.

The event also saw the creation of the Andy Lipkis and Laurie Benenson fund by an anonymous donor who contributed 1 million ($1,000,000) towards the causes and efforts that Tree People represents through its ongoing work.

“This is a tremendous validation of the value of our work over the last 40 years,” said Lipkis. “It is a powerful endorsement of our commitment to accelerate making Los Angeles a climate resilient city.”

The event raised hundred of thousands for Tree People and their cause, and included honorees such as the Main Street Elementary School and Dr. Jonathan Fielding. You can learn more about Tree People and the amazing work they do by visiting their website, or by stopping by their Facebook and Twitter.