A Letter to Altadena
From Bryson Reaume, Founder of The Green Fenix
Altadena has always felt close to home for me. I grew up in Arcadia, went to Hugo Reid, spent my childhood hiking these foothills, and I’ve lived most of my adult life in the neighboring mountain communities. I’m in Sierra Madre now, and the mountains, trails, and people here have shaped my family’s life in ways I’m grateful for every day.
When the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena, the devastation was overwhelming. Losing homes was heartbreaking, but losing the identity of entire neighborhoods was just as painful. Overnight, the mature canopy that defined so many streets was gone. The shade, the character, the sense of place built over a century… erased in a single weekend.
As someone who has spent my life in Construction & Development, my phone started ringing immediately, friends, neighbors, community leaders all asking the same questions: What’s next? How do we rebuild? How do we bring back Altadena the right way?
And to be honest, my first reaction wasn’t hopeful. I kept thinking, The Altadena you knew is gone. Burned. You can’t just recreate 100 years of growth. It felt almost naïve to think otherwise. But I got to work, compartmentalizing the emotions, focusing on supporting the County and helping families understand the path to rebuilding.
But I kept repeating a sentence that finally stopped me in my tracks:
“Altadena was 100 years of beautiful canopy and growth… and that’s gone, and it’s not coming back anytime soon.” And then I had a wild thought: What if that wasn’t true? What if it could come back? What if this once-in-a-lifetime community and climate disaster could become a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore what was lost?
So I made some calls. In our industry, we work with incredible nurseries, and I quickly learned that many nurseries in California have hundreds of fully grown, mature trees, 20–30 years old, ready to plant today. Then I ran the numbers. Six thousand burned lots. Mature trees cost around $30k installed. That’s roughly $180 million. Damn, that’s A LOT.
But I also believe in this community. I’ve seen the wealth, generosity, and heart that surrounds these foothills. I watched people step up instantly during the fires. So, I set a target: $90 million. Easy peasy, we got this! The foundation for a true endowment that can restore 100 years of lost canopy in the next five years.
That’s the mission of The Green Fenix.
Our purpose is simple:
We’re restoring mature, canopy-level trees alongside rebuilding homes, not saplings that take decades to matter. Real trees, real shade, real identity the day they’re planted. We’re working directly with the County, with homeowners, and with partners like Moon Valley Nurseries to bring trees back one lot at a time. One family at a time. Until the canopy begins to return.
My hope is that this letter gives the community something real: A sense that Altadena can recover, physically, emotionally, and environmentally, and that together, we can rally the resources to make it happen.
This is the work I’ve committed to for the next five years. I care deeply about these mountains and the people who call the foothills home. When one community hurts, we all feel it.
To the families rebuilding, and to the neighbors who stayed:
You are not alone. We’re with you. And together, we can bring the canopy back.
With hope,
Bryson Reaume
Founder, The Green Fenix