In 1971, the property formerly known as Earthside Nature Center had been adopted by the Girls Club of Pasadena as a site for a community garden project led by naturalist and author Edna S. Bakker. In 1975, Kevin Connelly, also a published author and accomplished restoration ecologist, took over day-to-day responsibilities.  Bakker and Connelly organized volunteers to hand-weed the entirety of the 3-acre property, which had once been used as an illegal dump site.  Over the months and years, they managed to restore the area, building a lovely trail that guided visitors around the different areas of the garden: through a colorful wildflower meadow, past a quaint little pond, and even a small oak-woodland area.  Typing “Earthside Nature Center” into google returns some interesting documents.  There is an LATimes article archived on the subject, which advertises Earthside as a local place to see the California Poppy Superbloom, without having to drive hours outside of LA.  Many Pasadena residents are unaware that prior to development, the city was host to one of the largest wildflower populations in the state!   A recent blog entry from resident Michael Coppess has this quotation from a local historian:

Elizabeth Pomeroy, author of Pasadena: A Natural History, recalls Earthside Nature Center as "inspiring and verdant little oasis of California nature." She says, "I visited there often -- once inside, under the sycamores and beside the pond with its tadpoles, the city seemed far away."

Another quote from one of Coppess’ posts on the subject:

In its heyday, Earthside was a wonderful garden of native plants and wildflowers on grounds shaded by sycamores and oaks and surrounded by grape vines.  Naturalists held guided tours to teach others about native plants. In 1989, Earthside won the American Horticultural Society’s award for Urban Beautification.

Some of the trees and other shrubs that the volunteers planted decades ago survive today, though it has long been neglected, during which time it has largely returned to weeds.  The property currently presents numerous liabilities to the city, namely safety and fire hazards, which would be addressed were it to be restored.  Plant Community believes that while allowing the property to languish is a tremendous disservice to our city, that we are provided with a tremendous opportunity to enrich our community through its restoration.  

Plant Community proposes to restore the garden’s wildflower meadows, woodland paths, and pond to their former glory through engaging the public in volunteer efforts to grow native plants, weed out invasive species, and replanting the area with Pasadena’s beautiful native flora.  The project would create a deeply valuable resource for local residents with respect to education, community-building, and physical and mental health, and one in which local residents are empowered to directly participate in the restoration process, creating a sense of ownership for those residents while strengthening community ties.