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Six months ago, our campus came together for something we will never forget.
More than 1,000 students gathered at EF Academy Pasadena to launch TREEAMS (Trees + Dreams), a student-led initiative inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a UN Messenger of Peace. That day became a tribute to Dr. Goodall and a moment that stayed with all of us.
This week, during Earth Week, that moment turned into action.
Students from EF Academy and Saint Mark’s School planted the first TREEAMS tree nursery on campus, taking a meaningful step in helping communities recover from the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
A way to do something now
Across Altadena, Malibu and Pacific Palisades, rebuilding is still underway. Many properties are not yet ready for replanting.
For students, that has been one of the hardest parts. Waiting.
Instead of waiting, students helped shape a different approach. Grow the trees here first.
These trees will be cared for on EF Academy’s campus over the next one to two years before being planted across fire-impacted areas.
Pasadena Councilmember Rick Cole reflected on what that kind of effort can become:
“In 1984, I planted two sycamore trees in my yard when they were just about this size. Today, they’re more than 50 feet tall. Every day I see how great things come from small beginnings.”
For EF Academy junior Jack Tracey, who is from Altadena, the impact feels closer to home:
“These trees may not be rebuilding homes or solving every challenge we’re facing with recovery, but they’re doing something important. Bringing beauty back and helping us rebuild our community.”
Turning connection into action
Over the past year, EF Academy Pasadena has served as the temporary home of Saint Mark’s School following the Eaton Fire.
What began as a response to crisis has grown into something more. At the TREEAMS nursery planting, high school students and fifth graders worked side by side, planting, learning, and supporting each other.
Learning that lasts
Through partnerships with Seven Arrows Elementary School, UCLA School of Education and EcoRise, students are building on this work through hands-on projects focused on reforestation, soil health, and ecosystem restoration.
These experiences will continue into the fall, connecting classroom learning with real-world impact.
A global community, rooted in one place
EF Academy students come from around the world. Today, they came together around one shared purpose. Helping rebuild the communities around them.
What comes next
This is just the beginning.
More TREEAMS nurseries are planned across Los Angeles, with schools preparing to take part in the coming months.
What started as a moment of reflection is now something tangible. Something growing. And something that will return to the communities that need it most.