How nature teaches us to rebuild after the fire | Kristen Ochoa | TEDxAltadena
When the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena’s wildlands, Kristen Ochoa lost more than trails—she lost her sanctuary. Through her work with the Chaney Trail Corridor Project, she documents the land’s astonishing recovery and the wildlife’s return, reminding us that nature doesn’t just endure—it heals. In this poetic and powerful talk, Kristen shows how resilience is written in every seed, every paw print, and every sunrise over a regrowing mountain. Kristen Ochoa is a physician, a UCLA associate professor, and the founder of the Chaney Trail Corridor Project. She leads community- and science-driven efforts to monitor wildlife recovery and protect land in the Altadena foothills, especially after the Eaton Fire. Through trail cameras, ecological partnerships, and public engagement, Kristen and the Chaney Trail team are building data to support local conservation and resilience. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
More from TED
- 18:43O que vem depois da Ciência? | César Lenzi | TEDxSãoJoséDosCamposProf. Dr. César Lenzi fala sobre o desenvolvimento da ciência, suas narrativas e o que vem depois dela. Professor do ITA (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica), Doutor em Física Nuclear, astrofísico e divulgador científico nas redes sociais. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 13:00Как да опазим рибите, надживели динозаврите? | Stoyan Mihov | TEDxVitoshaStoyan Mihov unveils the story of the sturgeons, the Danube’s prehistoric guardians, and the urgent fight to protect them from extinction. Long walks in nature and observation of wild animals - that’s how many imagine the romantic life of an ecologist. But for Stoyan Mihov, the reality looks different: early mornings and long hours at the computer, sifting through piles of documents required for project planning and approval. Fieldwork is rare, and results often take a couple of decades or more to show. Yet Stoyan is lucky to call his passion his job. He's been dedicated to nature conservation since the age of 16 and he holds a degree in ecology. Born in Aytos, he moved to Belene in 2003 for a wetland restoration project and has lived there ever since — on the Danube, where mosquitoes are bigger than sparrows and local fishermen know the river better than any scientist. Since 2008, he’s been part of the WWF Bulgaria team, now leading the “Waters” program focused on protecting and restoring sturgeon populations in the Danube River and the Black Sea. Why does he do it? Simply: because it is needed. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx




