ILLUSTRATIONS BY RAMIAH CHU

Recovering from the Eaton Fire is a long road and one that will take years of dedication, collaboration and resilience. There’s no denying the disruption and loss, but the true strength of this journey lies in how we come together and rebuild. Two local organizations—the Altadena Seed Library and Honey Girl Grows—are playing a vital role in this recovery by helping neighbors connect and restore the ecosystems impacted by the fire.

ALTADENA SEED LIBRARY

The Altadena Seed Library, founded by Nina Raj, offers a unique way to help the community regrow its roots—through seed libraries. These mini libraries placed in front yards encourage neighbors to share seeds to plant in their gardens. It’s like a book library, but for plants.

“We hosted a seed donation drive directly after the Eaton Fire to gather seeds to regrow urban yards and developed green spaces across Altadena,” says Raj. “We received an overwhelming response.”

Though they’re not collecting seeds now, the libraries are still growing strong. What makes these seed libraries even more special is their connection to the Eaton Fire. Angel City Lumber in Los Angeles crafts the libraries using lumber from local trees that fell during the fire, bringing a piece of the community’s history full circle.

“I believe strongly in restoring native ecosystems,” says Raj. “Focusing on seeds native to Southern California is a way to give back to our environment.”

The seed libraries are installed in front yards, schools, community gardens, recovery houses and urban green spaces in Altadena, Glendale, Little Tokyo and South LA.

The best part? The libraries are self-sustaining and free to use, ensuring everyone can access this vital resource. “It’s amazing to see neighbors using them and sharing seeds,” Raj says. “It’s a wonderful way to connect with your community.”

HONEY GIRL GROWS

Robin Jones, founder of Honey Girl Grows, is a multi-hyphenate who’s an organic culinary garden and pollinator projects designer, Master Gardener and beekeeper. She’s working on the first book about regenerative beekeeping practices. Jones started her business in 2016 and quickly became known for creating regenerative habitats and edible gardens for Michelin-star chefs and corporations like Red Bull and Snapchat. But when the Woolsey Fire hit in 2018 and the farm that hosted their commercial greenhouse burned to the ground, Jones felt compelled to get involved in fire recovery efforts.

Her mission is to help rebuild communities affected by fires. With the recent Palisades and Eaton fires, Jones has been collecting seeds and distributing them to local schools and community gardens. Donations are greatly appreciated, and seed companies have been extremely generous, she says.

Jones is also planning to host seed swaps to help rebuild the ecosystem with distribution starting spring 2026. Rebuilds take time, she says.

In addition to collecting seeds, Jones has teamed up with her archaeologist partner, Justin Walsh, and Daniel Richter, PhD, a fire soil expert from Duke University, to study the long-term effects of fire on soil. Together they’re testing soil samples to better understand the impact of fires on contaminants and metals in the ground, with results expected soon.

A GREENER, STRONGER FUTURE

For people living adjacent to the burn area, rejuvenating the soil and bringing back the pollinators is extremely important to balance the ecosystem. But, she cautions, soil should not be remediated until it’s tested to ensure it’s safe. Planting more flowers will help revive the ecosystem. “Right plant, right place, right climate,” Jones says. “Everything blooms in spring,” she adds.

“Southern California pollinators are no longer getting a winter diapause (rest).” She recommends strategically planting drought-tolerant native and non-native flowers that bloom August through January to help pollinators survive year-round with climate warming.

Raj and Jones are stepping up, building our communities and growing our hope one seed at a time for a greener future. There is no better way to honor Mother Nature than to plant new life— a tree, flowers or a vegetable garden.

ALTADENA SEED LIBRARY
AltadenaSeedLibrary.com

HONEY GIRL GROWS
HoneyGirlGrows.com
@HoneyGirlGrows

PLANT A POLLINATOR BUFFET OF BLOOMS

Consider adding these drought-tolerant plants to your garden so pollinators have critical blooms from August through January. Many natives that bloom in these months are too large with too few flowers for their space demands, says Robin Jones, founder of Honey Girl Grows. These are all smaller pollinator-friendly plants, so they’re easy to fit into apartment patios and urban yards:

Mexican mint marigold • Lavender • Rudbeckia • Echinacea • Verbena • Yarrow Native sunflowers • Monkey flower • Seaside daisy

Jones adds one more plant to consider: Madia elegans, which is pineapple scented and blooms mid-summer through fall. Its flowers are large enough to support large butterflies like monarchs and swallowtails.

For more gardening information, read “Spring To Life: Gardening Gurus Share Post-Wildfire Tips” in Edible San Fernando Valley’s winter issue.