Altadena Community Garden Rebuilds After Eaton Fire With Help From California Community Foundation

The Altadena Community Garden, a beloved local institution for more than 50 years, is undergoing a remarkable ecological restoration after being devastated by the Eaton Fire in January. A major grant from the California Community Foundation, along with support from neighbors, small businesses and environmental experts, is helping bring the 2.5-acre site back to life.

The fire leveled the garden’s 84 plots, shed and tools. Toxic ash from nearby burned structures contaminated the soil. Of the garden’s 120 members, 62 lost their homes.

“These people are my community,” said Mary McGilvray, vice president of the nonprofit that runs the Altadena Community Garden. “We need it. We need this place back.”

Restoration began in April after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removed debris and four inches of contaminated topsoil. Volunteers laid down 525 cubic yards of compost—enough to fill 165 Volkswagen Beetles—and mixed in mycelium donated by a Long Beach mushroom grower. Straw was added to retain moisture, and logs from the fire-damaged Pasadena Waldorf School were placed along the northern edge to encourage mushroom growth.

“This is the largest mushroom remediation project I’ve ever been involved in,” said Joe Nagy, president of the Altadena Community Garden nonprofit. Nagy consulted with SoilWise and Metabolic Studio on composting and ecological recovery.

The garden is also using phytoremediation—planting sunflowers, squash and potatoes to absorb and stabilize contaminants. Sunflowers, known for their ability to extract heavy metals, were famously used after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster to remove radioactive cesium and strontium.

“This is therapeutic for me,” said Toni Bailey-Raines, daughter of garden co-founder Al Bailey and co-host of the Altadena Talks podcast. She praised the volunteers’ efforts and shared stories of the garden’s founding.

As mushrooms sprout and seedlings take root, gardeners are preparing to install a new irrigation system and planter boxes. “Our goal is to get our gardeners back to gardening in January,” McGilvray said.