Noah Martin, who has revitalized Palisades Beautiful, hand waters plants in the Palisades, such as the median on Bowdoin Street.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
The original Palisades Beautiful, which was formed in the 1970s, planted more than 1,500 trees in Pacific Palisades. Starting with the Jacarandas on Northfield, it grew into a project that spanned across the Palisades. That organization shut down in the early 2020s.
The new version of Palisades Beautiful was started by Noah Martin in February because he said he was inspired by the initial group. He’s joined by new generation of Palisadians Rachel Martin, JJ Amis, Chetan Munugala and Orestis Lykouropoulos.
Noah said, “We’re a team of multi-generational Palisadians, we went to Pali, hiked to the waterfall, surfed at Will Rogers, were sustained by Gelson’s pizza and PGC [Pacific Garden Café] burritos, and in 2025 our homes and community burned.
Noah and his roommate lived on Northfield. “It was a house my mom inherited from her dad,” and it, like many, burned.
“It was the fire that led to this new Palisades Beautiful to help build back even more resilient than before,” Noah said.
He attended Marquez, Paul Revere Middle School and graduated from Palisades High School before attending UC San Diego where he studied computer engineering. He completed his master’s degree from the University of Southern California and is working on a computer science doctorate from Tufts.
Martin worked with Airbnb before he started his own company, Emerge Tools, which created software for developers of mobile apps so they could understand and improve their app performance.
Last week his company, which had grown to 10 employees, was acquired by Sentry, which also creates software for developers. click here.
In addition to completing his doctorate and working on a house replacement, his attention is on Palisades Beautiful.
“We are focused on restoring natural spaces right now, and that’s taken two forms, planting trees/shrubs and cleanups,” he said and added he is watering plants/trees in some of the areas/parkways that desperately need a “drink” in this below average rainfall season.
On Earth Day 2025, the group worked on a trash pickup at Bowdoin Street off Temescal Canyon Road. The group picked up 14 bags and planted four native species including a Coast Live Oak and a Toyon at the Bowdoin median that had burned. Initially, Palisadian Scott Cullum had planted and hand watered the area. click here.
Photo: Instagram
On May 10, the group was joined by about 35 volunteers that scoured the streets and sidewalks in the Palisades Village. When the half-day cleanup was completed 25 big garbage bags of trash had been collected.
Palisades Beautiful cleaned up Bowdoin on Earth Day.
Photo: INSTAGRAM
Palisades Beautiful states “Our focus is on plants that are a natural fit for the community. Requiring little water, tolerant of our coastal fog and droughts, fire resistant, and enhancing the beautiful landscape.” And they offer recommendations on their site https://www.palisadesbeautiful.org/catalog
Noah said, “We are entirely funded by donations which go to the supplies for these cleanups and also to buy plants. Anyone can contact us through the website if they have a location where plants were destroyed that they want to have replaced. Donations can also be made on the website.”
(Editor’s note: A big shout out to the next generation of Palisadians, who are helping to shape what and who this community will become after the fire.)
I was sad to see that DWP cut down a young magnolia tree near the corner of Bowdoin and Swarthmore in order to use the easement as a staging area for telephone poles.
I 2nd the Editor’s shout out on steroids!!! I witnessed 1st hand how Noah is spearheading Palisades Beautiful on all levels . . . first with the visual which translates to calm the nervous system which in turn helps to fight the gov’t to bring the Palisades back, etc., etc. BRAVO!!!