“Re-Plant Love,” a collaboration between Malibu Foundation, Clarins and the National Park Service (NPS), and various other community groups and agencies, planted over 8,000 native trees and shrubs and dispersed over 50,000 seeds at Paramount Ranch on Nov. 5. Over 500 volunteers showed up from seven different states, ranging in age from 1 to 88 years old, to get their hands dirty and get the job done. This was the third annual such event.
The mission of “Re-Plant Love” is to advance biodiversity and sustainability by replanting native trees and plants lost in the Woolsey Fire in 2018. The event takes place on the closest weekend to the anniversary of the fire. Since 2019, the first year of the event, over 21,000 plants have been planted.
“We want to help restore the Santa Monica Mountain landscape and prevent future fires by planting resilient native plants. Native plants create fire hardened landscapes and encourage pollinator activity,” the Malibu Foundation wrote. “This year, we’re also focused on conserving water as California is in its third year of the mega-drought.”
It all got started when, “after the Woolsey Fire, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area (SMMNRA) became overrun with over 300 non-native, highly flammable, invasive plant species pushing out native vegetation,” according to the the Malibu Foundation. “With the help of park staff and volunteers, an effort is being made to combat their spread to help prevent future fires and preserve the fragile ecosystem in the Malibu region.”
In a press release, Evelyn Weber, chair of the Malibu Foundation, stated “A great impact can be made by a holistic approach of private corporations, public institutions, and government coming together for a common cause.”
The National Park Service provided onsite support to educate volunteers on proper planting techniques. Seedlings are grown in the Native Plant Nursery on NPS property.
All of the event sponsors of “Re-Plant Love” are environmentally responsible companies. Clarins is a family-owned, plant-based beauty company. This year’s official shirts and hats were designed and produced by Malibu Sports Club, a local clothing brand run by two sisters, Isela and Valeria Noire, who also showed up to plant trees. Boxed Water, a company committed to reducing plastic usage, provided water. Local food trucks Tres Compas and Kalamaki provided food. The event was produced by Eventors, a local event production company; and the”hay lounge” was donated by Agoura Feed, a family-run Agoura Hills supply store, with blankets by Sundream, a small coffee and apparel company from Ventura.
Celebrity and other supporters, most with ties to Malibu, included Orlando Bloom, Josh Brolin, Melissa Reidhead, Lucas Petry, Rachel Roberts, Erin Murphy, Linda Thompson, Talia Jackson, Emma Kenney, and Blake Gray.
The Malibu Foundation was created to support the community of Malibu and its neighbors working to rebuild after the Woolsey Fire. To learn more about their initiatives or support their cause, go to https://www.themalibufoundation.org/ or www.replantlove.com .
This is just one project to help protect the fire-damaged Santa Monica Mountains from future fires. The Santa Monica Mountains Fund (SAMO Fund), the fundraising arm of the NPS, is also restoring habitat with the help of The Rewild Project nonprofit, founded by Leonardo DiCaprio with Snapchat, which aims to plant 100,000 native plants in five key areas affected by wildfires by the end of 2023.