Brittany Schiefer waters an 80-year-old Coast Live Oak endangered by the Eaton Fire. Watering is carefully done beneath the outer edge of a tree’s canopy, to mimic natural rainfall. Photo by Barbara Davidson
For the Edwards-Goodman family, their towering 30-foot oak wasn’t just a tree—it was family. Planted more than 80 years ago, the oak was one of the reasons they chose their Altadena home. Its sweeping branches became the backdrop for countless music parties, quiet afternoon reads, and candlelit dinners under the stars. It’s where their children climbed to its highest branches. In the 12 years since they moved to their home, the oak became the centerpiece of their backyard.
When the Eaton Fire swept through their Altadena neighborhood six months ago, reducing their home and belongings to ash, the family was devastated. But amid the heartbreak, they were relieved to find the old oak still standing—scarred, but alive. “On our way home after the fire, we knew the house was gone but we were just hoping against hope that the tree survived,” said Julia Edwards. “We lost 11 trees, but miraculously the oak was still there.”
When the Army Corps of Engineers later recommended the oak for removal, the Edwards-Goodman family fought to save it.
Now, they’re racing against time to make sure the tree survives.
That’s where Amigos de los Ríos—the Emerald Necklace Group—comes in. With support from the California Community Foundation, the Altadena-based nonprofit has mobilized a team of staff and volunteers to water and care for trees like the Edwards-Goodman’s oak—offering a lifeline for beloved trees that have stood through generations.
The goal is to water 6,000 trees this summer.
Claire Robinson, Brittany Schiefer, and Marian Coensgen of Amigos De Los Rios check their map to see which Oak trees stressed by the Eaton Fire need watering. Photo by Barbara Davidson
“Altadena is known for its beautiful mature trees and biodiversity,,” said Claire Robinson, managing director of Amigo de los Ríos. “We need to do everything we can to save what we have remaining. We are desperate for volunteers and funding.”
Robinson and her team are hoping to protect the 10,000 remaining trees in Altadena. There were 28,000 trees in Altadena before the Eaton Fire, about half were destroyed by the fire and another 4,000 were cut down during debris removal.
“Normally, oak trees and other varieties don’t require regular summer waterings, but because they are strained due to the fire, many will die if not watered,” Robinson said.
A handful of Occidental College students are volunteering for the tree watering effort, including Fin Ashenmiller and Graham Luethe, Urban and Environmental Policy major and Seattle native.
Ashenmiller grew up in Eagle Rock and watched the flames roar through the mountains above Altadena on January 7. “It was so terrible to watch,” she said. “It’s nice to help now with watering these amazing trees.”
The crew uses a 300-gallon water tank, which is filled four to five times per day, to nourish up to a dozen trees each day. Some trees—like the Edwards-Goodman’s oak—require as much as 200 gallons per visit, while smaller trees may only need a 10-gallon watering. Watering is carefully done around the drip line, the area directly beneath the outer edge of a tree’s canopy, to mimic natural rainfall and avoid damaging the trunk.
“We are delivering between 1,200 and 1,500 gallons of water per day to about 50 families and we expect that to grow. We’re now nourishing about 50 trees per day, but we need to triple this capacity to reach every tree in need,” said Robinson.
Edwards and her family appreciate the care and commitment that Amigos de los Rios is showing her tree. “They are filling this gap because the to-do lists are so long, and they’re filled with so many complicated procedures that we need to educate ourselves about—from insurance, permitting and finding a contractor, all these things are so complicated. And now that the weather turned hotter, I thought ‘Oh my gosh. What about our trees?’ It’s been hard enough so I’m just so grateful that the trees are taken care of.”
Robinson is desperate for more help. “The presence of nature is so important for Altadena. We are predicting it’ll cost $1.7 million to save the trees, which sounds like a lot of money, but it’s really not when you think of what has been lost and what we need to save.”