Everything is different in Crist Khachikian’s community after the Eaton fire. Thousands of homes in Altadena are gone. Hundreds of businesses were destroyed. More than half of the area’s 28,000 trees burned up or were cleared away. 

“Before the fires, we had massive trees everywhere,” said Khachikian, a CSUN civil engineering professor, who was able to return to his damaged home last month. “Now we can see clear through to Long Beach, to the ocean, like it’s been completely devastated and cleared. We had so many mature oak and other California-native trees that are completely gone.” 

Help will come through a new fundraiser from California State University, Northridge’s Urban Forestry Project — which is led by Khachikian, the co-principal investigator; Daisy Lemus, co-PI and communication studies professor; and project manager Shelly Bedig. Funds raised by Nov. 1 toward the $50,000 goal will go toward planting or giving away 300 trees in Altadena this fall as well as education for students and community members interested in pursuing urban forestry. 

“Altadena was a very green and welcoming place, and it’s not anymore. So what can we do to bring that back?” Crist Khachikian said. “We are bringing the community together and providing them with hands-on, tangible ways to do something meaningful. It’s part of the healing process.”

The funds raised will be used to purchase trees such as coast live oak, California sycamore and willows for people to plant themselves, Lemus said, and provide training for students and community members who want to learn how to plant. The funds cover plant giveaways for homeowners; planting necessities such as shovels, pots and mulch; and workshops for community members about planting for defensible space and fire resilience. Giveaway events and workshops are planned for Nov. 8 in Altadena. They’ll also hold trainings and career development workshops through the spring. 

Students from various majors, including the sustainability master’s program, are expected to participate. About half of the funds raised will go for tuition and fees for learning opportunities, such as certificate programs, for students who want to continue this work.

The project fundraising link is available at the CSUN Funder crowdsourcing site.

If the program in Altadena is successful, the Urban Forestry Project leaders plan to continue the partnership with organizations like AltadenaWILD to scale it up with more plantings and trainees in Altadena next year. 

CSUN’s Urban Forestry Project is funded by a five-year, $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Through academic workshops and workforce development programs, CSUN students and community members gain hands-on experience in sustainable land management, tree care, and environmental restoration. They partner with the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the Tataviam Land Conservancy. For that project, the Tataviam partners handle the tree planting aspect of the program in the San Fernando and Antelope valleys and the three CSUN experts work on the education, community outreach and workforce development pieces. 

The Altadena project is outside the scope of the USDA grant, organizers said. Lemus said the fundraiser and planned efforts in Altadena are just a small way to draw attention to the lost tree canopy and promote arboreal training in a community that has faced so much damage. 

“There’s a cathartic experience with planting your own tree,” Khachikian said. “So, we’re empowering people to have their own cathartic experience.”

To contribute to the Altadena tree planting project, visit CSUN Funder.

Share

The post CSUN Fundraiser Will Restore Burned Trees in Altadena first appeared on CSUN Newsroom.