A student-led initiative aimed at planting trees in the Eaton and Pacific Palisades communities following the devastating wildfires kicked off on Wednesday morning.
The initiative named TREEAMS (Trees + Dreams) launched at the EF Academy campus in Pasadena in partnership with the Dr. Jane Goodall Institute.
During the event, organizers announced that they learned of Dr. Jane Goodall’s passing earlier Wednesday morning. The Jane Goodall Institute also released a statement saying she died of natural causes while on a speaking tour in California.
“Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” the statement said.
Pasadena Councilmember Rick Cole described Goodall as a “giant of the human race and a giant of our planet.” He said the trees will be planted in her honor to continue her legacy.
The TREEAMS initiative follows one of Goodall’s many philosophies, empowering the youth to participate in meaningful change. The initiative will include several schools across the Los Angeles area that will be working together to plant more than 5,000 trees over the next three to five years. Students will engage in tree mapping, large-scale tree planting and environmental education.
“I am very concerned about the depression among young people. We want to provide the scaffolding for students across Los Angeles to lead the way in turning loss into a vision for a brighter and greener future, and we are honored to stand beside them,” said Margarita Pagliai, Head of School at Seven Arrows Elementary School and Founder of both Seven Arrows Elementary and Little Dolphins by the Sea Preschool.
Over the next few months, the TREEAMS leadership team will focus on fundraising and organizing participating schools before planting officially kicks off on Earth Day 2026.