Amigos de los Rios

The first community service event I ever participated in was a tree-planting event organized by Amigos de los Rios. After three grueling hours of planting trees under the blazing sun on a barren field, I swore I would never do it again. Yet somehow, I kept coming back, and I ended up volunteering with Amigos de los Rios for eight years. Among the various types of volunteer work I’ve done, few have provided me with the same sense of physical and emotional fulfillment as their projects.

Amigos de los Rios has long worked to create the Emerald Necklace, a natural infrastructure network of green spaces, green schools, parks, and trails aimed at supporting underserved communities in the Los Angeles Basin, including Altadena, Pasadena, Monrovia, El Monte, and beyond. Many of these areas have been directly affected by the recent wildfires.

Recreational green space made possible through Amigos de los Rios' Emerald Necklace project

Watching once barren local parks or nearby elementary schools transform into vibrant, lush spaces over the years filled me with pride. I learned how to distinguish between native plants and invasive species, and my curiosity about biodiversity deepened as I observed the various insects and other soil organisms in action.

"Since the fire – where we lost 21 years’ worth of project archives in one night -we have been scrambling to set up new office space. We had 18 staff members and 10 California Climate Action Corps members at our Altadena HQ. 3 of us lost our homes the same night our legacy office burned down," says Managing Director Claire Robinson.

The news that their home base was reduced to ashes is a cruel irony. This is the very organization that taught us volunteers about the dangers of climate change and wildfire risks while working to prevent fires by removing invasive species and planting native vegetation. And yet, they themselves have become direct victims of climate change.

The familiar tools we used for every project—pickaxes, trowels, well-worn gloves, and wheelbarrows—are now reduced to mere ashes. In addition, over a hundred designs for urban greening projects, material samples, Emerald Necklace exhibits, awards, reference books, IT equipment, and over 3000 project management and design binders of careful research have been lost.

Managing Director Claire Robinson stands in front of the ruins of the Amigos de los Rios office

As of now, Amigos de Los Rios has set up a new admin office at the Western Center for Justice, and they are currently in search of a new field office.

Now, it is time for all of us to come together and rebuild the Emerald Necklace, connecting the scattered beads into something beautiful once again.

I invite you to visit Amigos de los Rios’ website at https://Inkd.in/gXM35g7W to learn more about how you can help them during this challenging time.

3 Ways You Can Help Amigos de los Rios

1. Donations: Help them resume their vital work and mission.

2. Provide Space: Share meeting spaces or connect them with those who can offer office or studio space.

3. Donate Equipment: Visit their website to view their equipment needs list.