Hundreds of volunteers gathered Saturday to aid in re-growth efforts at Paramount Ranch, part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and one of the areas hit hard by the Woolsey Fire, which burned about 97,000 acres in 2018. The event, co-sponsored by The Malibu Foundation and Clairns, had the goal of planting 5,000 trees in one day, while also scattering thousands of more seeds in “seed bombs” prepared and distributed by volunteers. This was the second such volunteer effort organized to re-plant trees in the Santa Monica Mountains, with the last taking place prior to the pandemic in 2019. This year’s event added an additional focus on restoring Monarch butterfly habitat.

Volunteers plant thousands of seedlings at Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains on Saturday, Nov. 20, in an effort to boost restoration in the area following the devastation of the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The effort was sponsored by nonprofit The Malibu Foundation and beauty company Clarins, in coordination with the National Park Service. See more photos on page A12.