Rebuilding Hope: Students Create Mini-Ecosystems After the Eaton Fire

After the Eaton Fire stripped the hillsides of Altadena and Pasadena, Sierra Madre Middle School teacher Ravi Dev Anandhan (Mr. Dev) noticed how the loss of nature affected his students’ emotional well-being. With support from a PEF Teacher Grant, he launched a restorative project: having 8th graders build their own miniature terrariums filled with moss, ferns, stones, and even ʻōpaeʻula shrimp.

A classroom reflection corner became a peaceful space for journaling, mindfulness, and daily check-ins with the terrariums. Students wrote heartfelt notes about healing, resilience, and gratitude – many of which have been saved as a record of their journey.

Mr. Dev shared that caring for these small ecosystems brought comfort, calm, and hope while teaching students how interconnected life is, especially in times of disruption.

About Pasadena Educational Foundation

Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for public education, engages the community, and develops resources to support excellence and equity for all Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) students. Whether it be through the arts, music, health centers, gardens, or STEM programs they support, PEF is dedicated to creating a better future for the public school students of Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre.

Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF), 351 South Hudson Ave. RM 153, Pasadena, (626) 396-3625 or visit pasedfoundation.org.