Amid the charred remnants of a community devastated by fire, the lush green of regrowth and the sound of birds fill the air, heralding nature’s resilient return.
In the Eaton Fire burn area, wildlife is making a comeback just four months after wildfires swept through the Angeles National Forest near Los Angeles, ravaging homes and businesses in Altadena. A group of volunteers using trail cameras caught sight of a mountain lion entering the area again on March 26, with sightings continuing just days ago.
Kristen Ochoa, a medical school professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, has been spearheading efforts to monitor this recovery. She expressed a desire to share these hopeful signs of nature’s resilience with the afflicted Altadena community.
Ochoa, who has deep roots in Southern California, began her work in July 2024 in the Chaney Trail Corridor area. Founding the Chaney Trail Corridor Project, she documented the area’s flora and fauna on iNaturalist, a global network that shares biodiversity documentation.
Neighboring Angeles National Forest and proposed for a sports complex development, the Chaney Trail Corridor rises behind Altadena. Volunteers, including Ochoa, installed trail cameras to capture the unique biodiversity in hopes of preserving its natural value.
The destructive fires left the landscape scorched and void, even causing the group to lose its cameras — though not before capturing dramatic images of encroaching flames. Yet undeterred, Ochoa replaced the cameras less than two months post-fire to document burgeoning recovery.
What struck Ochoa after the blaze was the notable presence of birdsong amid destruction. Nearby residents who joined her project, even those who lost their homes, have found solace and hope in witnessing the steady return of nature.
The fires, despite their fierce spread, left untouched patches of trees and verdant areas by a stream, allowing wildlife to take sanctuary during the inferno. Fortunately, no deceased animals have been discovered, although there were reports of an injured bear and deer.
The landscape’s quick resurgence owes much to heavy rains that followed the fires, facilitating growth. During one visit, Ochoa observed charred San Gabriel oak trees, unique to the region, already pushing out new green growth from their bases.
This process, known as “crown sprouting,” highlights the survival capacity of these trees through their robust root systems. Conversely, invasive yellow mustard flowers have aggressively colonized hillsides, threatening native plants like California sagebrush and wild cucumber, which are vital food sources for creatures like ground squirrels.
Collaborating with UCLA scientists, Ochoa’s group is also studying the post-fire status of local bat and bird populations. While setting up a newly donated camera, Ochoa noticed bobcat scat and fresh deer tracks on recently burned ridges.
Above, two red-tailed hawks engaged in a courtship ritual, signaling the seasonal renewal of life in the region.