nature, art, & community-focused efforts supporting los angeles through the wildfires

a non-exhaustive list

drawn in Procreate

I moved to LA almost exactly two years ago from when the fires broke out. I’m lucky and thankful that I, my loved ones, and our homes are safe — we’re a ways into the city relative to where the fires are. But like many other folks who live here, I’ve been feeling a lot of anxiety, grief, and helplessness.

However. It’s been beautiful and hopeful to witness how people across Los Angeles (and surrounding areas) have been coming together in recovery. There’s, of course, been a ton of mis/disinformation on social media platforms especially, but I’ve also been glad to see social media be used through this time to connect people with resources and ways to help.

There are already great resources being shared via Mutual Aid LA Network, so I’d definitely encourage looking through their pages, starting with their Fire & Wind Storm resources directory that highlights locations for resources as well as up-to-date volunteer needs at each if you’re in LA and looking to plug in.

Here on Filter Feeder, I wanted to additionally highlight a few ongoing efforts to restore native habitats hurt by the fires as well as make more art and media available to the community as everyone heals. Please consider supporting them with a donation and/or sharing their work with your own communities.

The Altadena Seed Library

This community-driven effort to steward, educate about, and distribute native seeds is based out of Altadena, which was hit extremely hard by the Eaton Fire.

If you have any California native seeds on hand, you can mail donations to them at 37 Auburn Ave #8, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. They’ve mentioned they’re specifically “prioritizing seeds that help remediate the soil, including CA Buckwheat, Telegraph Weed, Bush Sunflower, and Mule Fat,” but that if you have any seeds of regionally native plants, you can feel free to send them over.

If you’re like me and don’t have California native seeds, you can also support their work with a donation.

Children’s Books for Altadena

cbforaltadena

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Organized by community members, Children’s Books for Altadena is working with local businesses, school districts, and organizations to raise funds to replenish book collections for youth in the area.

Nova Community Arts

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This nonprofit art studio based in Atwater Village is hosting an art supply drive and print sale to support wildfire relief.

They’re gathering new and gently used art supplies If you’re in the area, they have donation drop-offs open from 5–8pm on Jan 21–23, and 10am–5pm on Jan 25. And they’ll have prints for sale to raise funds on Jan 26!

Support Black & Latine families displaced by the fires

Mutual aid directory for Black families, and one for Latine families. Additional support from orgs/companies: West Coast Craft and Big Bud Press are offering to mail totes to folks who donate $25 or more and share proof with them.

What’s missing from this list?

Please feel free to respond to this email, reach out to seastarya@gmail.com, or leave a comment if there are additional nature/art-related efforts to keep an eye on as we move forward. This is going to be a long road of recovery for LA, so I’m going to be trying to return to and update this list accordingly as time goes on.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed & aren’t sure where to even begin or plug in …

Hey, that’s okay, I am and have been there, too. Community efforts and mutual aid are ongoing efforts that absolutely will not and should not end even after the worst of the damage from these fires is healed.

One last thing I’ll leave you with for now: I recently read the chapters of What If We Get It Right? that feature Dr. Samantha Montano (author of Disasterology) and Colette Pichon Battle, JD (of Taproot Earth), and learning about these two leaders’ work on the frontlines of the climate crisis really helped me get grounded again. I definitely recommend doing the same if you’re feeling lost right now.

Love to LA forever and always.