Thursday, March 12, 2026

Native Plants Take Root at New Eaton Canyon Center Built to Restore Altadena’s Parks

Members of the Gabrielino Tongva Indian Tribe during opening ceremonies on Saturday, March 9, for a nursery and restoration center at Eaton Canyon. [Eddie Rivera/Pasadena Now]

The nursery hub, funded by nearly $3 million in grants, will grow trees and shrubs for seven fire-damaged sites across the community

Los Angeles County opened a nursery and restoration center at Eaton Canyon on Saturday dedicated to growing the native plants that will restore seven parks destroyed or damaged by the Eaton Fire.

The Landscape Recovery Center at Eaton Canyon, located at 1456 East Mendocino Street near Altadena Golf Course, will cultivate native trees and shrubs to support long-term habitat regeneration across six Altadena parks and Castaic Lake State Recreation Area, county officials said at a ceremony marking the facility’s launch.

Assemblymember John Harabedian, D-Pasadena, announced a total of $21.7 million in state investment in Altadena’s park and green-space recovery at the event, according to his office.

The center itself is funded by nearly $3 million in grants — $1 million from the Regional Park and Open Space District, governed by the LA County Board of Supervisors, and $1.87 million from the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, a state agency, according to a county news release.

County officials credited Harabedian, who represents Pasadena in the California Assembly, with playing a key role in securing state funding for Eaton Canyon’s recovery.

“For Altadena and nearby communities devastated by the wildfires, this Landscape Recovery Center is a promise fulfilled to help Altadena, its parks and its residents rebuild back with the lasting benefits of native trees and shrubs,” Harabedian said. “I fought to secure funding for this project in the state budget because rebuilding these neighborhoods matters.”

Workers at the center have already purchased 200 native trees and 1,000 native shrubs and understory plants. Species were selected for their ecological value and cultural significance to the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrielino Tongva, officials said.

Some plants at the center will be grown from seeds collected through an Altadena seed library before the wildfires, according to LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

“Plants grown from an Altadena seed library created before the wildfires will take root here and flourish once again,” Barger said in a news release. “This effort transforms a site of loss into a local hub for regeneration and stewardship.”

The plants will restore six Altadena parks — Charles S. Farnsworth Park, Charles White Park, Eaton Canyon Natural Area, Loma Alta Park, Altadena Golf Course, and Triangle Park — along with Castaic Lake State Recreation Area.

The center is Phase 1 of a multi-phase recovery at Eaton Canyon, a county-designated Significant Ecological Area, said Norma E. García-González, director of the LA County Department of Parks and Recreation.

“This is just phase one of a multi-phase recovery of a critical habitat, beloved recreation landmark, and county-designated Significant Ecological Area,” García-González said. “With additional support we can grow more trees and expand our nursery capacity.”

Volunteers contributed hundreds of hours toward clearing invasive plants and preparing soil for native restoration over several months, led by the Eaton Canyon Nature Center Associates conservation team, according to the county.

The facility features a modular building with offices, storage, and equipment space, along with electricity, lighting, Wi-Fi, water access, irrigation systems, plumbing, and restrooms. Nine staff members — five full-time and four part-time — will operate it.

The opening is part of a broader effort to rebuild Altadena’s parks. In November 2025, Supervisor Barger announced that more than $60 million had been secured for Altadena park restoration from state, county, and private sources.

“This has always been about making sure Altadena is not left behind,” Harabedian said, according to his office. “These dollars are going directly into rebuilding our parks, restoring green space, and helping families see their community come back to life.”