On Earth Day 2026, ancient trees meet inner-city youth at a wolf sanctuary scarred by wildfire.
On April 22, 2026, 100 young people from Watts and Antelope Valley will plant hundreds of seedlings cloned from some of the world’s oldest trees on the grounds of Wolf Connection — a 165-acre wolf sanctuary in the mountains above Los Angeles, devastated by the 2009 Station Fire and threatened again by the Eaton Fire in 2025.
For many of the participants, it will be their first time outside the city.
Register to attend the ceremony at Rite of Passage in the Angeles National Forest north of Los Angeles. Donate, too!
The Trees
Archangel Ancient Tree Archive (AATA) has spent decades cloning “Champion” trees — ancient redwoods, sequoias, and other significant species — and reintroducing them to landscapes where they’re needed most. Champion trees capture carbon twelve times faster and up to 6,000 times more effectively than ordinary trees. The seedlings planted this Earth Day are direct clones and offspring of the Stag, Waterfall, and Fieldbrook champions.
“We need to preserve and propagate the remaining champions before it is too late. We must reforest the planet with old-growth trees — for the children, grandchildren, and all life on our planet.” — David Milarch, Founder, AATA
As always, you can support Archangel Ancient Tree Archive in the face of daunting environmental challenges.
The Youth
Led by the Guerrilla Community Movement (GCM), participants will move through an immersive Rite of Passage — entering the day as young people from underserved communities, leaving it as stewards of something ancient and essential.
“This is not charity — it’s a covenant: a promise that no one has to face their fears alone.” — Henry Park, Founder, GCM
The Bigger Picture
This is the first of four major 2026 projects — Los Angeles, Kentucky, Chicago, and New York — developed by AATA and the Regenerative World Quest. It builds directly on the success of Detroit’s 2025 “Treetroit” pilot. Each project pairs champion tree genetics with local youth and community healing.
