Restoring hope, one wildflower at a time.

Wildfire relief

East LA West LA

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

In 2025, wildfires burned 80,000 acres from Palisades to Altadena, destroying biodiversity and displacing generational communities, while introducing toxins to the soil, air, and water. Ecosystems take a decade to recover, invasive species and erosion delaying regrowth without restoration. Grief mirrors this slow healing. 67% of adults feel unequipped to support grieving loved ones; 50% of teens report confusion processing loss. Yet recovery efforts remain impersonal, politicized, and ecologically incomplete. Without community involvement, grief and ecological damage deepen—25% of displaced residents never return. SBP addresses this dual crisis—reconnecting scattered communities, with each other and the land. SBP sees the environmental tragedy of the 2025 fires as an opportunity to enhance biodiversity in our suburban neighborhoods, strengthening them in the face of future climate disasters.

Having proven impact in workshops at Crossroads School, where founder Rummy Goodyear engaged Middle and Elementary School students in ecological restoration, The Seed Bomb Project is ready to expand. This grant will grow it into a community-wide effort accelerating suburban ecosystem recovery and emotional healing for wildfire-affected residents. Cleared lots will become wildflower meadows, turning ravaged areas into a beacon for displaced birds, bees, and humans alike.
Workshops where volunteers make seed bombs mixing clay, compost, water, and native seeds like CA poppies will expand through partners like Palisades Beautiful, Steadfast LA, LA Strong Sports, Altadena Girls, Altadena Seed Library, Theodore Payne Foundation, and local schools. Volunteers will distribute seed bombs in settled, suburban areas like Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and other wildfire-affected neighborhoods across LA County. Grant support will fund a mobile seed-bomb van to expand seed-bomb workshop and distribution access. A community Seed Bank will collect native seeds for future use, and link to a national network to build resilience beyond LA. Nonprofit funding will grow through fundraising and a new youth-focused product line, “Bomb Shop,” featuring DIY kits, clay masks, and nature-inspired stickers—connecting personal care with environmental healing.
Open to all impacted Angelenos, this grant will scale ecological and emotional recovery, centering teenage “bomberos” fighting fire with flowers.

Introducing native seeds, specifically in suburban areas dominated by non-native species, improves soil health, biodiversity, speeds wildfire recovery, and strengthens land resilience to climate disasters. The flowers are more than symbols of resilience—they literally promote it. If successful, Pacific Palisades and Altadena will show how small communities can heal and grow by restoring burned land. The Seed Bomb Project creates space for residents, especially youth, to reframe burn sites as places of growth. By learning about native plants and actively restoring ecosystems, participants build new knowledge to future-proof human communities amid widespread ecological change. The project helps grieving residents process loss, uniting them around the goal of transforming wasteland into wild meadows. Research shows this community-driven restoration reshapes trauma into growth. What starts as environmental action grows into civic transformation, building a more resilient, connected LA.