Photo Credit: Arroyo Seco Foundation
Thinking of hitting your favorite trails now that the fires are put out? Bummed to see that trail is closed due to the recent burn? Thinking about hiking it anyways? Don’t do it!
But wait! I’m not here to just say what not to do. Here are over 50 orgs and businesses as will as some podcasts, artists, and book recommendations that will get you learning about and moving outdoors while helping our ecosystems recover instead of harming them by hiking on closed trails.
Also if these fires have left you confused about what chaparral is and how our local ecosystems relate to fire then as a bonus you will gain a more thorough understanding of the place you live and how we can make a more resilient city by planting native plants together.
Here are literally over 50 local organizations, learning opportunities, businesses and more to get you outdoors and connected to LA nature!
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS WITH NICOLAS HUMMINGBIRD
Online Classes On Sliding Scale
@california_native_plants
A great way to dive in and start learning right away! Nicholas has this to say on his website, "Some native plants still grow in their traditional lands, but as their homes are taken more and more for buildings and pavement, it is important for us to learn to grow these plants where we live, in our schools, playgrounds, offices, and homes....Maybe you would enjoy learning about the Indigenous people where you live, and their relationships with their traditional plants. And how to keep those relationships alive in your own life."
THEODORE PAYNE FOUNDATION
Sun Valley
@theodorepayne
Don’t want to have to water your lawn in August but still have flowers? Then learn about California Native Plants with Theodore Payne Foundation. Their Native Plant Garden Tour is comes up every April and it is a great way to see how you can garden with native plants at home or apartment. There are plenty of classes for any stage of learning and volunteer opportunities galore. Plus a gorgeous nurserY, demonstration garden, store and art gallery.
SAN GABRIEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS GABRIELENO/TONGVA
Tovaangar
BECOME A CERTIFIED CALIFORNIA NATURALIST WITH UCCALNAT!
Various Locations and Online
@uccalnat and @ucanr
Take a CalNat class!!! Become a Certified California Naturalist! The UC Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources partners with local organizations to host multi week classes where you will start the journey of really knowing where you live. Always wondered what that plant or bird is on your hike? This is a good place to start learning!
COYOTL & MACEHUALLI
El Sereno
ARTEMESIA NATIVE PLANT NURSERY
El Sereno
@artemisia.nursery
Want to take your plant knowledge to the next level? ARTEMESIA in collaboration with Audubon at Deb’s Park and Northeast Trees in Ascott Hills Park offer free workshops on growing plants from seed, propagating, and ethical seed collection. Look for their “Seedy Sunday” workshops and go into their store to buy some plants.
TONGVA TARAXAT
Altadena
ALTADENA SEED LIBRARY
Altadena
@altadenaseedlibrary
A hyper local project by Altadena resident, Nina Raj, to promote seed equity, education, and distribution. In the wake of the Eaton fire this project is collecting seeds and organizing to help distribute them when the time comes to reseed the urban spaces of Altadena. Follow them to learn more about plants, seeds, and how to help when asked moving forward.
ARROYO SECO FOUNDATION AND HAHAMONGNA NATIVE PLANT NURSERY
La Cañada Flintridge
@arroyosecofoundation & @hahamongnanursery
The Arroyo Seco is a major tributary of the LA River. It starts in the Angeles National Forest by Switzer Falls and then exits near La Canada Flintridge passing through Pasadena along the 110 and meets the LA River in Lincoln Heights. Join the Arroyo Seco on an trout scout to learn more about out native trout and the impacts that the Eaton Fire might have on them and the Arroyo. The Hahamongna Nursery is open on Saturdays and there are often events held at the nursery to learn more about these amazing plants. Follow them to learn more about the important work ahead to protect this vital resource from the aftermath of the Eaton Fire. The trail is closed past JPL for the rest of 2025 but you can walk the loop around the wash, which has many native plants and many ways to learn about water capture and watershed health along the way.
THE AUDUBON CENTER IN DEB’S PARK
Glasell Park/ Lincoln Heights
@audubon@debspark
The Center’s mission is to inspire people to experience, understand and care for the local natural world. This beautiful community center is one of the first Audubon orgs to focus on an urban environment. This organization puts on events to volunteer, go on bird walks, and learn about native plants. They have a small nursery that sometimes has volunteer events and as a bonus you can go hear bluegrass music every forth Saturday as well as other music oriented and family friendly events.
PASADENA AUDUBON
Pasadena
@pasadenaaudubon
You don't have to know everything to start birding, you just need to be curious about what you see when you go on walks or hikes. Get outdoors with the Pasadena Audubon to be able to ask questions together with other people. Maybe you think you just like flowers but once you look at flowers enough you start to see bugs and birds and maybe you've started to wonder what kinds of bugs and birds you are seeing. This is a great way to start learning together with other people.
NORTH EAST TREES
Northeast LA
@north_east_trees
TEST PLOT
Elysian Park, Rio De Los Angeles State Park, Debs Park, Elephant Hill, Puente Hills Baldwin Hills, USC, and More
@test_plot
WILDYARDS PROJECT
Eagle Rock
@wildyardsproject
FRIENDS OF THE LA RIVER
Frogtown/ All 51 Miles of River
@folarorg
The organization for all things LA River! The LA River is a 51 mile river that was channelized in the early 1900’s. Despite the concrete this river is a real river that supports all sorts of life. Go with FOLAR to see birds or go on a bat roost walk. Get outdoors for a river cleanup event or make it to their annual Riverfest event in the summer. Whatever you do get out there and spend time with our River!
SEPULVEDA WILDLIFE BASIN RESERVE
Lake Balboa/ 101 & 405 Interchange
@sepulvedabasinwildlifereserve
ARLINGTON GARDENS
Pasadena
@arlingtonpasadena
Started in 2005 by the community, this CalTrans property was supposed to be a staging ground for the now defunct 710 expansion. These 3 acres serve as a demonstration garden for native and climate appropriate places, an orchard, and a meeting place for markets and conservation oriented events. They have volunteer events where you can learn more about the garden and the plants there as well as meet other like minded people. Arlington provides a great service to people, plants, and animals for free! Free means there is a lot of work going in behind the scenes so go out and support the garden on a volunteer day!
ARROYOS AND FOOTHILLS CONSERVENCY
Pasadena, Altadena, The Verdugos, Glendale, LaCrescenta, and More
@arroyosfoothills
Want to help areas burned by the Eaton fire? Don’t throw your own wildflower seeds into wood spaces! Go to an Arroyos and Foothils volunteer event instead! Their goal is to conserve and steward natural open space and provide free environmental education programs. “The San Gabriel Mountains are a vast natural landscape that is healthy and fully functioning. The San Rafael Hills, Verdugo Mountains and Griffith Park are islands of native habitat that need to be reconnected with the San Gabriels if they are to sustain healthy and diverse natural populations of wildlife and native plants.” AFC is working to connect these islands with corridors that will invite wildlife to pass freely from one area to another and allow these special urban habitats to adapt to climate change.
MOUNT WILSON BICYCLING Association
@mwbaorg
AMIGOS DE LOS RIOS
Altadena
@amigosrios
From their website- "Amigos de los Rios is working to create the Emerald Necklace: a natural infrastructure network of green spaces, green schools, parks, and trails throughout under-served communities in the Los Angeles Basin. We are connecting the mountains to the sea, helping to provide equitable access to nature, and protecting our environment and urban communities from the threats of climate change." Like so many others this organization lost their entire office in the Eaton Fire, click here to see how you can donate money or goods to help them get back so that they can continue to help the community.
LA RIVER ARTS
All 51 Miles of the LA River
@lariverarts
Combining art and community, LA River Arts provides ways for artist to make are about the river and for people to experience art and the river in meaningful ways. They host walking tours that go mile by mile along the river bringing in community partners and those who can tell detailed histories of the neighborhoods the river flows through.
TREE PEOPLE
Coldwater Canyon Park
@treepeople_org
FRIENDS OF ELYSIAN PARK
Elysian Park
@elysianparkla
FRIENDS OF GRIFFITH PARK
Griffith Park
@friendsofgriffithpark
LA WATERKEEPER
All Watersheds
@lawaterkeeper
ASCOTT HILLS PARK
Rose Hills/ El Sereno
@ascotthillsparkla
PROJECT MONARCH LA
LA State Historic Park/ Chinatown
@projectmonarchla
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM COMMONS
USC/ West Adams
@natureinla
Both the new wing, The Commons, and the community science program, Nature In LA, aim to show you LA's wild side and where community, sceince, and culture all come together.
EATON CANYON NATURAL AREA
Altadena
@eatoncanyonnaturalarea
SIERRA CLUB
Multiple Chapters
Los Angeles- https://www.sierraclub.org/angeles
Westside- https://sierrawest.us/
@sierraclubangeles
NATURE FOR ALL
Monterey Park
Nature For All's mission is, "Our mission is to build a diverse base of support to ensure that everyone in the Los Angeles area has equitable access to the wide range of benefits which nature provides. We’re committed to building support to protect, create access to our forests, rivers, and parks, and developing a new diverse generation of environmental leaders and stewards who connect to and care for our public lands."
CHANEY TRAIL CORRIDOR
Altadena
@chaney.trail.corridor
EAST YARD COMMUNITIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
East LA
@eycej
100 ACRES PARTNERSHIP
Taylor Yard
@100acrepartnership
SILVERLAKE CONSERVANCY
Silverlake
@silverlakeresconservancy
PLANT MATERIAL
Silverlake, Glassel Park, Altadena (under repair)
@plant_material
ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST VOLUNTEER
Angeles National Forest
HARDY CALIFORNIANS
Sierra Madre
@hardycalifornians
FISHERIES RESOURCE VOLUNTEER CORPS
Angeles and San Bernardino National Forest
@fisheriesresourcevolunteers
SAMO FUND
Santa Monica National Recreation Area
@samofund
MRCA PARKS
Various Locations on Westside
@mrcaparks
BALLONA CREEK RENAISSANCE
Culver City ro Marina Del Rey
@ballonacreekrevaissance
BALLONA FRIENDS
Marina Del Rey
@ballonafriends
This organization is dedicated to championing the restoration and protection of Los Angeles’ last coastal wetland and educating our diverse community as stewards of nature since 1978. The Friends of Balllna Wetlands lead environmental education programs, summer camps, volunteer community habitat restoration events and creek cleanups, volunteer gardening club events, and public events and tours! All their public activities are free with free parking and share their love of the Ballona Wetlands with the public. There are also some public trails for you to explore on your own, so check out their Freshwater Marsh and Ballona Discovery Park pages on their website for more information!
NATURE NEXUS
Kenneth Hahn State Park, Culver City, and More
HEAL THE BAY
Coastal Cleanups & All Watersheds
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
San Gabriel Mountains Chapter
CALTROUT
Various Locations
RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY
Fontana
EAST FORKS GOLDEN PRESERVATION
San Gabriel River
SAN GABRIEL RIVER PARK
San Gabriel River
MINIATURE NATURE PRESERVE
Oxnard
ANTELOPE VALLEY PRESERVE
Antelope Valley
FRIENDS OF THE SANTA CLARA RIVER
Santa Clarita
BOLSA CHICA CONSERVANCY
Huntington Beach
IRBY PARK
Huntington Beach
LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS
Seal Beach
MORE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES-
-CALIFORNIA CHAPARRAL INSTITUTE
Education
-GOLDEN STATE NATURALIST
Podcast
-PLACE AND PURPOSE
Podcast
Greg Sardis and Obi Kauffmann
-WILD LA
Book
By The LA Natural History Museum
THE STATE OF FIRE
Book
By Obi Kaufmann/ @coyotethunder
BONUS! MORE PLANT AND RIVER INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW
@plantsoflacounty
@socalplanthub
@lariverx
@jasonjourneyman
@anarchobotanism
@coyotethunder
@sacramwntodoodforest
@natureisnotmetal
@crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt
EXTRA BONUS! MUSIC THAT LOVES OUR PLANTS AND WATERSHEDS!
Native Sage Against The Machine
Native Plant Punk
@nativesageagainstthemachine
Par Avion
Surf Rock
@vivaparavion
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