Through poems and photos, The Canyon meditates on Eaton Canyon, a unique ecosystem nestled adjacent Pasadena and Altadena, California.
In January 2025, the Eaton Fire devastated the canyon, along with parts of Altadena and Pasadena. The Canyon reflects on the resilience of this environment, recalling how its wildlife, plants, and terrain rebounded after the 1993 Kinneloa Fire. Shaped by fire and now increasingly by human-driven climate change, Eaton Canyon is part of a larger story-one that climate scientists place within the evolving Earth System.
A celebration of Eaton Canyon’s beauty and endurance, The Canyon invites readers on a journey through an ever-changing landscape.
About the Author and the Photographers
Susan Hopkins has been an Eaton Canyon Docent Naturalist since 2018 and a UC California Naturalist since 2019. Susan’s passion is taking long in duration, very short on distance hikes in Eaton Canyon. The slower you go, the more you see. She is also a nature gossip.
Edgar McGregor is a meteorologist and environmentalist living in Southern California. He takes daily walks at Eaton Canyon to pick up litter, speak about environmental issues, and monitor changes to the park. He specializes in forecasting Santa Ana windstorms and aided in warning the Altadena community in the days before the 2025 Eaton Fire.
Tom Mills is an amateur nature and wildlife photographer who is one of many volunteer docents at the Eaton Canyon Natural Area. Born and raised on the North Shore of Long Island, N.Y., Tom relocated to California in 1988 and has lived in Pasadena, California with his wife, Simone, for over thirty years. Tom is also a member of the Pasadena Audubon Society, with whom he also volunteers his time and photographs for use in the Society’s publications.
Robert Savino Oventile hikes Eaton Canyon regularly. He is coauthor with Sandy Florian of Sophia Lethe Talks Doxodox Down (Atmosphere, 2021).
Events listed are subject to change according to local health officer recommendations pertaining to COVID-19. If you have questions, please check with the event organizer.
Information on our events calendar is provided as a free service for the public, and events being displayed are not endorsed by Playhouse Village Association, unless otherwise noted. We strive to ensure that the information is as complete and accurate as possible; however, due to circumstances beyond our control, event information may, on occasion, change or be omitted. If in doubt, check with the organizer of an event to confirm its information.
