I researched, reported, illustrated, and coded this story for the Los Angeles Times. After interviewing the city's tree forester, researchers and a historian, I found that palm trees are on the decline in Los Angeles, a city defined by these sky-scraping plants.

Read the story

I animated the illustrations so the reader can scroll through the page and easily understand key issues. Animating small details like the palm weevil's antennae also help bring the page to life.

My favorite part of this story is the conversations that it started. Readers took to reddit, Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram, debating whether palm trees should stay in Los Angeles because they are iconic or die out because they have few environmental benefits.