Practicing the Three Acts of Goodness to Protect the Earth BLIA Los Angeles Plants Trees to Green Local School Campuses
By Zhen Yu, The Life News Agency, Los Angeles, USA.
In support of environmental sustainability and to put the principles of Humanistic Buddhism into practice by caring for the planet, BLIA Los Angeles Chapter President Echo Tsai, accompanied by board members David Qian and Carolyn Chen, White Pagoda Subchapter I President Daniel Hu, and a delegation of seven members, visited two schools in the Walnut Valley Unified School District on the morning of February 27, 2026, to hold tree donation ceremonies. Led by Venerable Huize of the Department of Social Education and Outreach at Hsi Lai Temple, the group demonstrated their commitment to protecting the environment while bringing new greenery and hope to the local community.
The tree donation initiative served as a prelude to the April Earth Day celebration and the annual VegRun event. VegRun (Vegan Run) is a Fo Guang initiative that promotes vegetarianism and environmental protection by encouraging participants to care for the Earth through healthy walking or running while adopting a plant-based lifestyle to reduce carbon emissions. During the 2025 VegRun campaign, members of BLIA Los Angeles collectively logged 820 kilometers, earning enough mileage to sponsor the planting of 41 trees. Through this effort, they hope to give back to local communities, parks, and school campuses while putting into practice the spirit of the Three Acts of Goodnessand the Four Givings.
A total of four Fruitless Mulberry trees were donated to Collegewood Elementary School, and two Brisbane Boxtrees were presented to Chaparral Middle School. During the donation ceremony, Walnut Valley Unified School District Board President Tony Torng expressed his appreciation for BLIA Los Angeles’ longstanding support of education and environmental stewardship. On behalf of the school district, he presented a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of the organization’s ongoing commitment to serving the community and benefiting future generations through meaningful action.
Mr. Torng noted that greening school campuses not only enhances the environment but also helps instill in students a lifelong respect for nature and an appreciation for conserving resources, making the initiative especially meaningful.
In his Dharma remarks, Venerable Huize shared that Venerable Master Hsing Yun emphasized the importance of protecting both the environment and the human mind. By reducing waste, cherishing life, and caring for the Earth in our daily lives, everyone can help create a more peaceful and harmonious world.
Photo Captions
Photos 1–6 by Jonathan Thang
