She lived in a redwood tree for 738 days. Pasadena Unified’s tree removals have her attention
Julia Butterfly Hill, a nationally renowned environmental activist, will be headlining a community fundraiser event, Wednesday, July 8, as local advocates continue to fight the Pasadena Unified School District’s controversial tree removal plan.
Local advocates say more than 70 trees at PUSD sites have been cut down in the first month of what is a summer-long plan to remove trees. Removals are part of the district’s effort to remediate soil contaminated by the Eaton fire. The initial plan to remove 193 trees was reduced after action by the PUSD Board of Education.
However, local organizers say that step was not enough to address the environmental disaster playing out in a region whose tree canopy was comprehensively destroyed by the Eaton fire and subsequent debris removal and rebuild work. A group of advocates have tied themselves to and sat in trees to try and stop the removals.
Arborist Sabine Hoppner, of Altadena Green, and Nina Raj, of the Altadena Seed Library, tie themselves to American sweetgum trees to stop tree trimmers from cutting them down at John Muir High School in Pasadena on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 after Raj found tree trimmers had taken down four trees, including three oaks. PUSD’s plan to remove toxic soil from 11 sites has come under scrutiny from local community advocates as they remove established shade trees. “I think it’s particularly obscene to cut protected tree species at a school named after John Muir,” said Raj. “He would be rolling over in his grave.” (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Arborist Sabine Hoppner, of Altadena Green, ties herself to an American sweetgum tree to stop tree trimmers from cutting it down at John Muir High School in Pasadena on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 after Nina Raj found tree trimmers had taken down four trees, including three oaks. PUSD’s plan to remove toxic soil from 11 sites has come under scrutiny from local community advocates as they remove established shade trees. “I think it’s particularly obscene to cut protected tree species at a school named after John Muir,” said Raj. “He would be rolling over in his grave.” (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Arborist Sabine Hoppner, of Altadena Green, and Nina Raj, of the Altadena Seed Library, tie themselves to American sweetgum trees to stop tree trimmers from cutting them down at John Muir High School in Pasadena on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 after Raj found tree trimmers had taken down four trees, including three oaks. PUSD’s plan to remove toxic soil from 11 sites has come under scrutiny from local community advocates as they remove established shade trees. “I think it’s particularly obscene to cut protected tree species at a school named after John Muir,” said Raj. “He would be rolling over in his grave.” (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Nina Raj, of the Altadena Seed Library, ties herself to an American sweetgum tree to stop tree trimmers from cutting them down at John Muir High School in Pasadena on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 after Raj found tree trimmers had taken down four trees, including three oaks. PUSD’s plan to remove toxic soil from 11 sites has come under scrutiny from local community advocates as they remove established shade trees. “I think it’s particularly obscene to cut protected tree species at a school named after John Muir,” said Raj. “He would be rolling over in his grave.” (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Arborist Sabine Hoppner, of Altadena Green, and Nina Raj, of the Altadena Seed Library, tie themselves to American sweetgum trees to stop tree trimmers from cutting them down at John Muir High School in Pasadena on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 after Raj found tree trimmers had taken down four trees, including three oaks. PUSD’s plan to remove toxic soil from 11 sites has come under scrutiny from local community advocates as they remove established shade trees. “I think it’s particularly obscene to cut protected tree species at a school named after John Muir,” said Raj. “He would be rolling over in his grave.” (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
“The city notified PUSD that they are subject to our Tree Protection Ordinance, which requires a permit to remove a protected tree,” city of Pasadena spokesperson Lisa Derderian said in a statement. “PUSD continued removal activity at various sites which has resulted in the posting of stop work orders. The city must conduct inspections to determine what trees are protected and therefore subject to the ordinance. The city has not been granted permission to conduct the inspections, and the stop work orders remain in effect.”
Derderian added that the city has not taken up any legal action against the district as of Tuesday morning. At a City Council meeting last month, multiple council members asked why the city’s ordinance did not apply to PUSD’s work.
In response, crews have set up fences around trees marked for removal to prevent incursions by advocates. Hill gained national notoriety when she lived in a California redwood tree for 738 days between 1997 and 1999.
Friends of PUSD Trees is the community-led organization that is hosting Wednesday’s fundraiser event at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the event scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit bit.ly/pusdtrees. In addition to Hill, the event will include youth speakers, live music, artwork and a community raffle.
The proceeds will support advocacy and legal efforts to preserve PUSD trees, according to organizers.
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