Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nina Raj. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nina, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

The idea for the Altadena Seed Libraries came from seeing little free book libraries across the city. After a few years in our new home and restoring the land back to the native plants that had previously inhabited this hillside, I noticed an abundance of seeds coming. Not needing hundreds of new plants myself, I wanted a place to distribute them; I thought it would be a nice resource for neighbors to have a little free library dedicated solely to seeds.

A few visitors asked about specific planting instructions, which inspired me to begin writing, filming, and editing instructional videos that helped others collect and successfully germinate their own seeds.

We’ve now established outposts across the city – from Altadena to Little Tokyo to Glendale to South LA, and are always excited to build more.

Nina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Altadena Seed Library is a network of little free libraries designed specifically for seeds. Our goal is to increase access to green spaces, food sovereignty, and love of tending across Los Angeles. In addition to physical outposts, we provide educational resources to support successful germination of native plants, from videos to zines to graphics.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Although our primary focus has always been to distribute and support the growth of native plants, we’ve expanded our resources to include non-native edibles and naturalized plants. Los Angeles has an incredible amount of inequity when it comes to park access, shade, and fresh produce, so restricting the seeds in the library would be counter to our goals of rebalancing. Further, these libraries are ultimately meant to be community resources – we provide the starter seeds, but each outpost has its own priorities, so its contents will shift and change depending on what nearby residents add.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I draw so often on collaborators in this space. I’ve learned greatly from my volunteer work at Eaton Canyon and Theodore Payne, from my friends at local nurseries like Plant Material, from activists and organizers working to conserve and restore natural spaces across the city, while balancing the very real and pressing needs of LA residents. I probably consult Seed Propagation of Native CA Plants by Dara E. Emery multiple times a week, but also recommend What A Plant Knows by Daniel Chamovitz, The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger, Pollution is Collonialism by Max Liboiron, California Native Gardening by Helen Popper, Iwigara by Enrique Salmon, and The Overview by Willow Defebaugh. I’ve learned so much through the UC California Naturalist program, the UC Master Gardener program, and the Theodore Payne Native Plant Landscaper program, and my docent training at Eaton Canyon.

Contact Info:

• Website: altadenaseedlibrary.com
• Instagram: altadenaseedlibrary