The seeds are especially for Nina Raj, which is a field in the natural and founding Iton Canyon center The Library of the Seed Padina In southern California. So when Raj and her partner fled the Eiton fire on January 7, her first thought was not to fill out clothes or important papers. Instead, Matilija Poppe, Buckyye, Sage, and Bucky wheat seeds grabbed her greenhouse – part of the seed bank began to gather with a team of volunteers.
Raj’s house escaped from the fire safely. But the rest of the Tadina, known as a prosperous center for a multi -generations process black and Latin Families were not fortunate. Etone fire Burning At least 9400 structures killing 17 people there; The highest coast, Palisades fire Destroy More than 6800 structures and killing 12. Both fire were fueled by the dry circumstances and the winds of the power of the hurricane. Climate It helped put the theater for very dry fuel and the uninstallized rain: a study published last month found that these hot and dry conditions are 35 percent more likely due to climate change.
Recovery is still emerging. People Re -enter Burning neighborhoods in late January. But Altadena residents say that when time comes, they are ready to carefully regret their community, full of lush trees, vegetable landscapes, and vegetable gardens in the backyard.
The Altadena Seed Library, a network of seed exchange boxes, is driven. The Raj project began in 2021, with many small seed libraries stationed throughout the community. Seed libraries mimic regular libraries, but instead of books, check (and use) for free seed envelopes. Now, Raj and other volunteers are working on a games plan to re -equip the promoters, gardens and urban spaces that fight inequality in the shadows and increase the sovereignty of food in their neighborhood – and look forward to learning from other societies that also witnessed its natural scenery through destroyed forest fires.
The seeds and tools donated from the locals and places throughout the country, as well as organic fertilizer, utensils, trees and personal protection equipment for people who clean the remains of dangerous waste from burned houses and melted cars. “We have received a very overwhelming response,” said Raj. “People were so, very generous.” Individual volunteers and organizations such as Club Gay Gardens, a non -profit organization in the nearby Glendale, help sorting the donated seeds.
The clockwise direction from the top of the left: Nina Raj, founder of the Cadenina Separation Library; A sample of the seeds that are sorted to the library last year; Raj started the seed library in 2021 to expand access to green and green spaces, increase food sovereignty, connect neighbors, and restore local ecosystems. With the permission of the Nina Raj Bookstore / Al -Tadina seeds
Forest fires that leak into the neighborhoods, known as urban front fires, burning cars and homes full of dangerous chemicals, from thinner paint and lithium -ion batteries to fertilizers. Breathing in asbestos, lead and other heavy metals is one of the most Urgent interests When the residents return to the broken neighborhoods ash. The landscape tends to occur at the end of the reconstruction process, when the houses are rebuilt and heavy machinery works.
When the time comes, Raj and other community leaders will need appropriate permits for cultivation in public places outside private squares and gardens. But before the residents can cultivate anything, they must think about the soil test for toxins and treat it accordingly. This can be expensive – about $ 100 to test one soil sample for heavy metals.
Meanwhile, the Altadena seed library specifically requires the seed donations for the original plants that are known to help treat soil by absorbing toxins, including black wheat in California, telegraph herbs, salbush, PULE PULE, and sunflower in the bush . “It is good to know the pollutants you deal with, then look at what the plants will help “If you can, the original plants are great, as they help rebuild the habitats that were lost too.”
Ultimately, urban and umbrellas in Altadena may mean how to serve pre -served plants – such as ornamental herbs, eucalyptus, and palm trees – in spreading fire, and not cultivating them. “This common palm in southern California has this dead frond at the bottom,” said Alexandra Sevard, chief research scientist at the Preservation Biology Institute. “This is the opposite of what you want to do to get a landscape of the recovery.” Los Angeles Province Fire Department Calls Palm is a “known danger” and its transplant in the areas exposed to calm.
Plants that carry more moisture, such as oak trees, are likely to be more flexible in the wild clients than other plants. Many conifers, including rice and pine, Survive Los Angeles fires, as some original oak did. “People have an opportunity now to create landscapes, gardens and characteristics from scratch, and they have an opportunity to create something beautiful and safe as well,” said Cepegard.
Reconsted the efforts made in Heaven, California, where the camp’s fire killed 85 people in 2018, and Lahaina, Hawaii, where the Hashim fires killed 102 people in 2023, an inspiration for what the responsible re -sale seems after the fire seems to be. The survivors of the wildfire from the top and bottom arrived to the West Coast to Raj, where they provided the help of the hands. Raj said: “It is unfortunate that you are linked in this way,” Raj said. “It is also good that these links can grow from a very tragic thing.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency helped test the soil toxicity in heaven, eventually ignoring the polluted upper layers away. But the declining efforts were left for the residents. “None of this happened if these societal groups did not all met,” said Jennifer Peterson, a local in the paradise that saw her home, as well as the Library of Seed and Community Gardens on which she worked on.
Peterson and other members of society worked hard to re -establish old food sources safely. In 2020, several groups and 300 volunteers joined the reconstruction – in one day – a center for non -profit art and culture that provide its public parks, fertilizers, seeds and products for free. Granting money allowed organizations such as the local food network in Bot County to prepare 150 garden boxes and deliver them to people’s homes, with the completion of new soils and plants.
With the permission of Jennifer Peterson
Being part of the efforts to re -grow people’s food – and its front square, which is now filled with the original wild flowers whose seeds have survived – helped Peterson to recover. “It was somewhat similar to everyone,” she said.
In The Hagina, in Maui, where it is estimated at 150,000 trees BurningDuan Sparcman, Chairman of the Maui Province Committee, founder of the Maui County Committee, founder of the Maui Province Committee, founder of the Maui Province Committee, founder of the Maui Province Committee, founder of the Maui Provincial Committee, founder of the Maui District District Paradise, founder of the Mao District Paradise, founder of the Maui District Committee, founder of the Maui District Committee and the founder of the District Committee Maui and founder of the Maui County Committee and ultimately founder Treecovery HawaiiA non -profit organization focuses on the cultivation of Lahina.
To date, Treecovery Hawaii has raised half a million dollars to buy trees at a full price of local nursery and give them to families to rebuild. The organization has created several axes of cultivating more trees, and Sparsman said it wanted to buy a larger nursery in the middle of Mao. detailed Agriculture plan Maui’s province places that the types of trees that should be grown on the island, as well as the care they need.
More than 200 trees or utensils are planted on site, ready to put them on the ground. This includes a delicious group of fruit trees – mango, jackfruit, stars, avocado, citrus, banana – fragrant Bloomria trees, orchids, and local species such as, Yuili, Milo, Koa and Lauhala. “Knowing that we will be part of what will be in the end is the umbrella for our grandchildren is tremendous for us,” said Sparsman.
From the door
As in Heaven, Fema removed polluted surface soil from the Hagina. Otherwise, Sparsman said, federal agencies have not provided any instructions for how societies are returned in their neighborhoods. Sparkman suggests that new fruit trees wait for a few years so that crops can through any remaining toxins that may still be in the soil.
ULU trees, or bread, were of particular importance to maintain abundance. Bread is essential food in the Pacific South and all over Hawaii. “I planted next to the homes, as it gives people food security, especially in urban areas,” said Kaitu Erasito, director of the Bredfruit Group in Kahanu Garden in Hana, Maui.
Some fruits of bread survived fire, growing new buds after nine months after the shooting. But more will need to be cultivated in the coming years. The roots of three varieties that grew in the burning scar were drilled in Louthena to preserve it, spread in the end, and re -cultivation, in the national tropical garden on Kaway.
The Hagina’s approach to the cultivation of neighborhood trees was so successful that people who were affected by dicks in northern California in 2021 contacted Sparsman to obtain advice and ideas. Now, there Dixie Tree umbrella regain project Again on the main land that cultivates the trees for the survivors of the wildfire for free. “Every society has the ability to create their own recovery,” said Sparsman.
This recovery is already in Altadena. Recently, the woman who was burning in the garden of the house and society in the fire was looking to start again. Thanks to the donations, Raj managed to provide her neighbor with all the same seeds that she lost.
