This Bird Lover Turned His Garden Into A Thriving Sanctuary

Jayant Tendulkar, a bird lover, finds time from his busy schedule to make arrangement for food and water in specially designed bowls for his winged guests. A flock of about 40-45 Indian silverbills is the first to reach the sanctuary for food. House sparrows, Magpie Robbin, Green bee-eater, Coppersmith Barbet, and Red-vented Bulbul are also regular visitors.

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Lost Dog Travels 1,300 Miles; Reunites With Family After Police Care

For two years, Koko was gone. Then a small dog from Texas turned up wandering near a shopping mall in New Jersey, and a phone call changed everything. Koko, who lives with her family in Glenn Heights, Texas, was spotted on March 4 in Clark, New Jersey, about 1,300 miles from home. A passerby saw the little dog roaming around the shopping center and called the Clark Township Police Department. Officer Nick Kurus responded and brought Koko back to police headquarters. Staff there started trying to find out where she belonged. Police were able to locate a pet-finder service connected to the dog and eventually got contact information for the last recorded owner. When Kurus made the call, the reaction on the other end was shock. Koko’s owners had been looking for answers since she disappeared in Texas two years earlier. Over time, they had started to believe they might never see their dog again. That changed with the call from New Jersey. The family quickly made plans to fly there, and a reunion was set for March 7, just a few days after Koko was found. While they waited, officers at the Clark Township Police Department decided not to send Koko to a shelter. Instead, they looked after her themselves at the station. “Rather than being sent to a shelter, members of the Clark Police Department cared for the dog the next 3 days,” the department explained. During that time, officers bathed Koko, gave her treats, took her on regular walks, and kept her comfortable with blankets and toys. Some of those supplies were bought by staff members with their own money. Police Director Patrick Grady said the choice was simple. “As a dog lover amongst many other dog lovers, we were not going to make that puppy wait in a shelter or pound,” he said. Koko settled into station life while the officers kept up with their regular duties. Grady said she was especially comfortable in one part of headquarters. “Koko was living her best life inside the dispatch room the last 3 days,” said Grady. “Hopefully it will get even better being reunited with her family again.” By the time March 7 arrived, Koko had become something like an honorary member of the department. But the focus stayed on getting her back to the people who had spent two years without her. When the reunion finally happened, police said Koko ran straight to her mom as soon as she arrived. Her owners thanked the department for the kindness and compassion officers showed while Koko was waiting to go home. For the police officers who had cared for her over those three days, the goodbye was hard too. “We will miss you, Koko,” the department wrote on Facebook. One question still has no answer. No one knows how Koko traveled from Texas to New Jersey during the two years she was missing. 📸 credit: CBS Evening News

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Naples Museum Invites Visually Impaired Visitors To Experience Art Through Touch

At the Sansevero Chapel Museum in Naples, visitors are usually kept behind a protective barrier. But next week, about 80 blind and partially sighted people will be invited to step closer and touch the marble works inside the chapel. The museum will host a day of guided tours called La meraviglia a portata di mano, or Wonder within reach, in partnership with the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Naples. The initiative will give dozens of visually impaired visitors access to a tactile experience with some of the chapel’s best-known sculptures, including Giuseppe Sanmartino’s Veiled Christ. The work is widely regarded as one of the most striking masterpieces in the history of sculpture. For the event, the protective barrier around the sculptures will be removed. Participants will wear latex gloves as they explore the surfaces of the marble by touch. The tactile route will include the Veiled Christ, which depicts Jesus covered by a transparent shroud carved from the same block as the statue. It will also extend to the reliefs at the feet of the sculptures La Pudicizia and Il Disinganno. Visitors will be guided through the chapel by guides who are also visually impaired. The programme is designed to place accessibility at the centre of the museum experience. Chiara Locovardi, a guide, told the state agency Ansa: “The veil covering Christ is extraordinary. It’s impossible to understand how Sanmartino managed to create it. The veil defies explanation, for those who can see and for those who cannot. When you touch it, you can feel the veins pulsing beneath.” Completed in 1753, the Veiled Christ is described as one of the most astonishing achievements in marble. The transparency of the shroud over Jesus’s body appears so real that many still believe it must be the result of a lost alchemy capable of turning fabric into stone. Maria Alessandra Masucci, the president of the Sansevero Chapel Museum, said the event sits within a broader plan by the museum to make its spaces more open to different visitors. “This initiative forms part of our wider programme to create a cultural space that is inclusive and accessible through dedicated pathways and tools tailored to the different needs of museum visitors,” she said. Giuseppe Ambrosino of the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired said the project reflected a wider idea about who art is for. “That the enjoyment of beauty should be a universal right,” he said. He added: “Art must not be a privilege reserved for sight. Accessibility projects such as this transform a museum into a place of genuine inclusion, affirming that art belongs to everyone. In this case, visitors will not only be allowed to touch the marble sculpture; beauty itself will be able to flow through the hands and reach straight to the heart.” The event centres on one of the chapel’s most celebrated works. The Veiled Christ has long drawn attention for the way Sanmartino rendered the cloth over the body of Jesus from the same block of marble as the figure itself. For this initiative, that effect will be experienced through touch rather than sight. The museum says the guided route has been built around accessibility, with visually impaired guides leading blind and partially sighted visitors through the chapel and to the sculptures and reliefs included in the programme. About 80 visitors are expected to take part in the day. They will be able to feel the intricate marble surface of works that are normally viewed at a distance, including the Veiled Christ and the reliefs at the feet of La Pudicizia and Il Disinganno. Masucci said the museum’s aim was to create “a cultural space that is inclusive and accessible through dedicated pathways and tools tailored to the different needs of museum visitors.” 📸 By David Sivyer - https://www.flickr.com/photos/argyle64/15225084721/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44683709

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Researchers Say They're Turning Fish Scales Into a Promising Eye Implant

What usually gets thrown out at the fish market could end up helping repair damaged eyes. Researchers at the University of Granada say they have developed corneal implants from fish scales, with promising results so far in laboratory tests and in animals. The work points to a possible way to reduce reliance on donor corneas, which remain in short supply. Scientists at the university's Department of Histology have spent years studying fish scales as a waste material with medical potential. By analysing the scales of carp and other commonly eaten fish, the team developed what they describe as a biocompatible, durable and transparent implant that can repair damaged corneas. The cornea is the clear layer at the front of the eye. When it is seriously diseased, treatment can be difficult. The tissue heals poorly and has no direct blood supply, leaving doctors with limited options beyond a full transplant. Donor tissue is scarce, and demand exceeds supply. "It is necessary to develop new effective methods of regeneration that do not depend on organ donation," said Miguel Alaminos, professor of Histology at the University of Granada and one of the study's lead authors. The findings were published in the journal Materials & Design. According to the study, an exhaustive analysis of the scales made it possible to develop a biomaterial with properties suitable for corneal repair. Tests carried out in laboratory conditions and on experimental animals produced good functional results. The researchers also point to the cost and availability of the material. Fish scales are a by-product of the fishing industry and are often discarded. Using them as a raw material for medical implants could also create an economic use for that waste. "This product is very accessible, easy to obtain and inexpensive, and could contribute to boosting the fishing sector in an area that is being affected by numerous restrictions and conditioning factors," said Ingrid Garzón, professor of Histology at the UGR and researcher at the ibs.GRANADA Biosanitary Research Institute. The work was funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, within the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, through project PI23/00335. The research was presented in the presence of Manuel Reyes, manager of the Hospital Clínico San Cecilio de Granada. His attendance reflected clinical interest in the development of this line of research. For now, the results remain preliminary. The laboratory phase and animal testing have cleared the first steps, but the implants still need clinical trials in humans before they can reach operating theatres. That process usually takes years and is subject to strict regulation. At this stage, the Granada team says it has shown that the material works at a biological and structural level. The idea that carp scales can be turned into a viable cornea is still short of clinical use, but the researchers say the hypothesis is supported by data. The study describes the implants as having properties suitable for corneal repair, and tests carried out both in laboratory conditions and on experimental animals yielded good functional results.

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A Legendary Broadcaster Just Returned To Calling College Basketball After a Battle With Cancer

College basketball has changed plenty, but one familiar voice is back on the call. After a years-long fight with several types of cancer, Dick Vitale has returned to the headset for the 2025-26 season and is back to calling games with something close to his usual rhythm. For a long stretch, that did not look possible. The 86-year-old went through periods when he could not talk, leaving him unable to use the catchphrases that made him one of the sport’s most recognisable broadcasters. Now, Vitale is cancer-free and back working on games. “I'm still doing games,” Vitale told USA TODAY Sports. “It's a miracle. It's absolutely a miracle. I get emotional about it sometimes.” Vitale spoke with USA TODAY Sports as part of his partnership with Planet Fitness. The promotion is tied to helping college basketball fans handle the excitement and intensity of March Madness, with the company’s black card pitched as a way to help with recovery because it “is really important in your life.” Recovery has been a major part of Vitale’s past two years. He had three battles with cancer in that span, which kept him away from the sport he has long said he loves. He said getting back took time. “I've had to recover quite a bit,” he said. “It's been a tough ride.” In a text conversation with USA TODAY Sports in March 2024, when he still could not speak, Vitale set a goal of calling games in the 2024-25 season. He got there, returning to the booth in February 2025 for Duke’s game against Clemson. USA TODAY Sports described that night as incredibly emotional. But Vitale was not ready to leave it there. After calling more than 1,000 games, he signed an extension with ESPN in June that runs through the 2027-28 season. The deal means he is still going as he approaches 50 years with the company. He did not call games every week this season, but he made it through the full year. Vitale worked the opener between Duke and Texas and the regular-season finale between Kentucky and Florida. His schedule will continue into the NCAA Tournament. Vitale will work as an analyst for the First Four and call the second game on Tuesday, March 17, alongside Brian Anderson and Charles Barkley. USA TODAY Sports reported that, while Vitale has covered the Final Four on radio, this will be his first time serving as a TV analyst for an NCAA Tournament game. “I always believe in one thing, that if you think positive and have faith, and you got good people,” Vitale said, “a lot of good things are going to happen.” With March Madness here, Vitale said he is already looking ahead to what he called “a wild time of the year.” He told USA TODAY Sports it is too early to say how the bracket will play out because the matchups are not set yet, but he said teams playing well heading into Selection Sunday can shape how far they go in the tournament. Vitale pointed to Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida as likely No. 1 seeds. “The team's up on top, the heavyweights, they're going to be tough to beat,” Vitale said. “Duke right now is playing incredible. So is Florida, so is Michigan, so is Arizona, Connecticut.” He also highlighted Miami (Ohio), which USA TODAY Sports said is the only undefeated team in the country. The RedHawks have become part of a debate over the NCAA Tournament field, with questions about if the mid-major would get in without winning the Mid-American Conference tournament because of its resume. Vitale said Miami (Ohio) should make the field regardless. “If they're denied an opportunity to play, it would be criminal, because those kids have earned the right,” Vitale said. “We have a tendency to go for mediocrity out of the elite conferences, teams with 11, 12, 13 losses. But because they play a tougher schedule, they get the edge. All the metrics that are done in picking teams really favor all the elite conference teams.” For Vitale, the return to March is personal as much as professional. After a long stretch away, he is back in the sport during its busiest month and still doing the job he wanted to return to. “I really love what I'm doing. I think when you love something and have a passion for it, it's really super,” he said. 📸 credit: Dave Hogg, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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NASA Plans To Grow Chickpeas On The Moon In Historic Experiment

The Moon mission plans are getting closer, and scientists are already working through a basic question for the astronauts who go there: what will be on the menu? New research from The University of Texas at Austin suggests chickpeas could be part of it. In a recent experiment, scientists successfully grew and harvested chickpeas using simulated "moon dirt," the first time the crop has been produced in a material designed to mimic lunar soil. The research was carried out with collaborators from Texas A&M University and published in the journal Scientific Reports. Sara Santos, the project's principal investigator, said the work is aimed at a practical problem on the lunar surface. "The research is about understanding the viability of growing crops on the Moon," said Santos, who is a distinguished postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics at the Jackson School of Geosciences. "How do we transform this regolith into soil? What kinds of natural mechanisms can cause this conversion?" Lunar regolith is the dusty material that covers the Moon's surface. Unlike soil on Earth, it does not contain microorganisms or organic matter that plants depend on to grow. Regolith does include minerals and nutrients that plants can use, but it also contains heavy metals that may harm plant development. To test how crops might grow in those conditions, the researchers used a simulated lunar soil produced by Exolith Labs. The mixture is designed to closely resemble the composition of moon samples brought back during the Apollo missions. The team then tried to improve the growing environment by mixing the simulated moon dirt with vermicompost. This nutrient rich material is created by red wiggler earthworms as they digest organic waste. Vermicompost contains plant nutrients and a diverse microbiome that supports plant health. The researchers said that in a space mission setting, worms could generate compost from discarded materials such as food scraps or cotton clothing and hygiene products that would otherwise be thrown away. Before planting, the scientists coated the chickpea seeds with arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi. These fungi form a symbiotic relationship with plants. They help plants absorb key nutrients and reduce the amount of heavy metals taken up from the soil. Santos and her team planted the chickpeas in different mixtures of simulated moon dirt and vermicompost. The results showed the plants could grow successfully in mixtures containing up to 75 percent simulated lunar soil. When the amount of moon dirt went above that level, the plants showed stress and died sooner. Even under those conditions, the plants treated with fungi survived longer than those that were not inoculated. The researchers said this showed how important the fungi were in supporting plant growth. They also found the fungi were able to establish themselves in the simulated lunar soil. That suggests they might need to be introduced only once in a real lunar farming system. The study comes as NASA prepares for the Artemis II mission and a renewed push to explore the Moon. The researchers said the findings mark a step toward understanding how crops might be grown there, but they also said key questions still need answers before chickpeas could become food for astronauts. Scientists still need to determine if the plants absorb harmful metals from the soil and if the chickpeas provide the nutrients astronauts would need. "We want to understand their feasibility as a food source," said Jessica Atkin, the first author on the paper and a doctoral candidate in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University. "How healthy are they? Do they have the nutrients astronauts need? If they aren't safe to eat, how many generations until they are?" The project was originally funded by Santos and Atkin themselves. It has since received additional support through a NASA FINESST grant, which will help advance research on growing food for future missions to the Moon. 📸 credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com

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New Study Finds This Simple Drink Choice Helps Gamers Stay Focused For Hours

For anyone trying to stay sharp through hours at a screen, the latest suggestion is pretty simple: reach for sparkling water. A new study led by researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan found sparkling water outperformed still water in helping casual esports players maintain attention and reduce fatigue during long gaming sessions. The researchers looked at a familiar problem for gamers. To keep concentration and alertness up over long stretches, many turn to coffee or energy drinks loaded with caffeine. The study team wanted to test a healthier option and see if sparkling water could help. The experiment involved 14 casual gamers, who played virtual soccer for three hours on two separate occasions. In one session they drank plain water. In the other, they drank sparkling water. The researchers then compared several measures, including reaction times, pupil size as an indicator of fatigue, physical stress and players' own reports of tiredness. Sparkling water came out ahead. "Compared to plain water, sparkling water significantly attenuated increases in subjective fatigue, enhanced enjoyment, and preserved executive function, along with preventing pupil constriction," the researchers wrote in their published paper. They also reported no difference in some other physical measures. "Heart rate, blood glucose, and salivary cortisol levels did not differ between conditions." The study was based in part on an existing hypothesis about carbonation and cognition. According to the source text, sparkling, or carbonated, water has already been shown to improve performance in some cognitive tasks. Researchers think the carbon dioxide in the drink may act on sensory receptors in the mouth known as transient receptor potential, or TRP, channels, which may increase brain arousal. This study did not test that mechanism directly. But the findings add to evidence that carbonated water may improve cognitive function in at least one real-world setting, such as prolonged gaming sessions. The benefits did not appear to come at the expense of game performance. Players said they felt more alert and focused when drinking sparkling water, and the researchers also saw signs they had better control over their virtual teams. "Notably, players committed fewer in-game fouls with sparkling water, while offensive and defensive performance remained unchanged," the researchers wrote. They said the overall pattern matched what they had expected to see. "These findings demonstrate that sparkling water contributes to alleviating both subjective and objective signs of cognitive fatigue during prolonged esports play, consistent with our hypothesis." The researchers also pointed to uses outside gaming. The source text says there are many modern activities people try to do while tired, including driving and late-night office work. A healthier drink option that may help focus could appeal beyond esports. Still, the paper comes with an important caveat around funding. The study was partly funded by a soft drinks company that makes sparkling water, including the brand used in the experiments. Two of the study's authors also work for that company, which could benefit if sparkling water gains a higher profile. The authors collectively said the funding sources had "no involvement" in the study design, data collection, data analysis or data interpretation. They also said the writing of the study and the decision to publish were made independently. The findings may prompt gamers to try sparkling water the next time they need to stay focused for a long stretch, but the study did not compare the drink directly with coffee or energy drinks. The researchers said more work is needed to test sparkling water against a wider range of drinks and in a broader group of people. They also said more detailed research could examine the biological effects behind the results. "The physiological mechanism underlying the observed effects of sparkling water was not directly examined," the researchers wrote. "While we discussed that carbonation-induced stimulation of pharyngeal TRP channels contributed to the effect, this was not examined directly." They said answering that question would need a different type of research. "Investigating this would require foundational studies, distinct from applied research in esports contexts, using approaches such as pharmacological interventions or TRP knockout animal models." The research has been published in Computers in Human Behavior Reports.

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Italy Shocks USA in World Baseball Classic with Dugout Kisses and Espresso Shots

Team Italy has found its own way to mark a home run, and it comes in a tiny cup. At the World Baseball Classic, the team has turned espresso into a dugout ritual. After a player goes deep, he gets handed a shot of coffee instead of a jacket or a string of handshakes. The espresso machine has been part of Italy’s setup since 2023, according to MLB.com, and it is still going strong as the team opens this year’s tournament 3-0. Team USA felt the effect Tuesday night in Houston, when Italy beat the Americans 8-6 in Pool B play at Daikin Park. Italy had already beaten Brazil 8-0 and Great Britain 7-4 on Sunday. Against the United States, catcher Kyle Teel, shortstop Sam Antonacci and right fielder Jac Caglianone all homered. Team captain Vinnie Pasquantino met each of them with a shot of espresso, then kissed them on each cheek. Italy manager Francisco Cervelli said the coffee celebration is no gimmick. "It’s something normal,” Cervelli said. “We got it on the bus. We’ve had it in the dugout, everywhere." Cervelli also said the tradition connects players to their ancestry. "In Italy, we drink coffee about 20 times a day," Cervelli, a former MLB catcher who won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009, said. "It’s a tradition. You’re walking down the road. You see a coffee spot, get some coffee. Then you chitchat, and then keep walking and do the same thing all over and over again. That’s how Italy is." Drinking hot coffee in a humid Houston dugout might seem unusual, but for Italy, it has become routine. The win over the United States put Italy in a strong position, playing Puero Rico in the quarter finals on Saturday. For now, Italy has the wins, the momentum and the espresso machine in the dugout.

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Pokémon Fossil Museum Draws Huge Crowds And Overwhelms Ticket Sales In Chicago

It did not take long for ticket buyers to jam the line. When tickets for the “Pokémon Fossil Museum” went on sale on March 3, thousands of fans logged on at the same time and overwhelmed the Field Museum’s website, NBC Chicago’s Izzy Stroobandt reported. At one point, more than 23,000 people were waiting in the virtual line for tickets. Chicagoan Genevieve Bookwalter was one of them. She eventually got tickets for her family, but only after waiting in a virtual line for eight hours, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Stefano Esposito. She said she knew the exhibition would be popular, but “didn’t expect it to be so crazy.” “This isn’t Taylor Swift,” she says. “This is Pokémon at the Field Museum.” The museum acknowledged the demand in an Instagram post and said it was troubleshooting issues with its ticketing platform. “Thank you all for your patience,” museum officials wrote in the post. “Even with additional web infrastructure, our site was overwhelmed from the enthusiastic response from all of you.” According to the museum, tickets from the initial batch are still available, and more will be released on a rolling basis. Fans need a separate timed-entry ticket for the exhibition, along with a general admission ticket for the museum. The exhibition opens in Chicago on May 22. It was created by the Field Museum, Japan’s National Museum of Nature and Science, and the Pokémon Company International. After debuting in Japan in 2021, the Chicago run marks the first time the show will be staged outside the country. The experience pairs creatures from the Pokémon video games, animated series and trading cards with the real fossils that inspired them. Visitors will see “fossil Pokémon,” including Tyrantrum and Archeops, displayed alongside real fossils and casts of dinosaurs and other creatures. The casts on view include Sue, a 40-foot-long Tyrannosaurus rex, and the Chicago Archaeopteryx, a fossil that sheds light on the evolution of birds. The exhibition also uses characters from the franchise and museum staff as guides. “Professors” from Pokémon and “Excavator Pikachu” will lead visitors through the show. Illustrations of Field Museum scientists, including chief fossil preparator Akiko Shinya, will also help guide people through the exhibition. Shinya said her favorite fossil Pokémon is Shieldon, which she compares to ceratopsids, a group of beaked, plant-eating dinosaurs that often had frills and horns on their heads. “Baby ceratopsids would’ve had shorter, narrower frills than adults’ broader, squared versions, kind of like the differences you see when Shieldon evolves into Bastiodon,” Shinya says in a statement. In a statement announcing the exhibition last year, Jaap Hoogstraten, the Field Museum’s head of exhibitions, said Pokémon sparks interest among fans in a way that connects with the museum’s work. Pokémon, created in 1996, stokes fascination and curiosity among fans “much in the same way the Field Museum encourages wonder and learning for its visitors,” Hoogstraten said. “Aligned with the Field Museum’s mission to connect us to the natural world, the ‘Pokémon Fossil Museum’ will inspire visitors to make new discoveries about some of their favorite Pokémon while offering a pathway to science, especially budding paleontologists,” he added. “Pokémon Fossil Museum” will be on view at the Field Museum from May 22, 2026, to April 11, 2027.

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The Bank Of England is Set to Put Nature On New Bills After a Public Vote

More than 26,000 people have voted to feature nature on UK sterling notes, replacing historical figures like Winston Churchill. This decision emerged from a public consultation conducted by the Bank of England, where nature was the top choice among 44,000 respondents, capturing 60 percent of the vote. The specific plants and animals to be depicted will be selected later this year. Scottish wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan, part of an expert panel compiling the list of potential wildlife images, emphasizes the importance of this change. "Nature is more than just scenery," he told euronews. "It is the living thread that binds our landscapes, our history, and our future together." The new banknotes are expected to inspire wildlife conservation efforts while also enhancing economic security. Victoria Cleland, chief cashier at the Bank of England, explains that introducing a new banknote series aims to increase counterfeit resilience. "Nature is a great choice from a banknote authentication perspective," she adds, noting its potential for developing security features that are easy for the public to recognize. Ali Fisher, founder and director of sustainability consultancy Plans with Purpose, views this shift as significant. "This is a powerful reminder of how deeply people feel connected to and value British wildlife," she says. "It’s a beautiful opportunity to put biodiversity literally in all our hands." The theme of Architecture and Landmarks was the second most popular in the consultation at 56 percent. Other themes included Notable Historical Figures (38 percent), Arts, Culture and Sport (30 percent), Innovation (23 percent), and Noteworthy Milestones (19 percent). Wildlife presenter and activist Nadeem Perera highlights the cultural significance of this change. “The wildlife of the UK is not separate from our culture,” he states. “Giving it space on something as symbolic as our currency feels both overdue and significant.” The UK isn't alone in celebrating nature on its currency. Scottish notes already feature animals like mackerel and otters. Norway's krone series includes wave motifs alongside Atlantic cod and herring. Switzerland shifted away from famous personalities in 2016; its banknotes now showcase elements like wind and water. In addition to these changes in Europe, future euro banknotes might also spotlight nature by featuring birds and rivers across Europe. The European Central Bank is considering these designs following a contest for EU designers in 2025. Fisher believes such cultural shifts are important during challenging times. “In a cost‑of‑living, climate and nature crisis,” she says, “small cultural shifts like this matter.”

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Altadena Musician Helps Fire Survivors Replace Lost Instruments

When Michelle Bellamy fled the Palisades Fire, one item pulled at her attention: Gretchyn, the acoustic Martin guitar a neighbor had given her years earlier, and the one she wrote all her songs on. She left it behind, thinking she would be back. Instead, the fire took the home she shared with her three children in January 2025. Months later, Bellamy got another guitar, this one from Pacific Palisades resident Abby Sher, who had stopped playing one of her “prized possessions.” The donation came through Altadena Musicians, a nonprofit started by composer Brandon Jay after the Eaton Fire destroyed his home and recording studio, along with the instruments he and his wife had collected. “The loss has led to this beautiful story,” Bellamy told USA Today, referring to the gift of “this amazing guitar that I’m forever grateful for from Abby.” Bellamy calls Jay a “matchmaker.” He has spent the months since the Los Angeles fires helping people replace instruments and audio equipment through donations. Jay said the idea took shape quickly after his own loss. No more than two weeks after the Eaton Fire started, he had a gig at Pasadena Neighbor Day. He posted on Facebook about the instruments he needed, and people he knew brought them to the show. That moment also sharpened what he wanted from replacement instruments. “I want to replace them with ones that I get from friends or from people in the music community,” Jay said. “I don’t want to just get some money from my homeowner’s insurance and then buy instruments that don’t have a story behind them, because it’s just going to make me sad that I don’t have the first guitar that I learned how to play on, or the harmonium that my mother-in-law gave us that my daughter wrote her first song on.” Altadena Musicians launched less than a month after the Eaton Fire broke out. Bellamy said she reached out over social media last year and heard back almost immediately. “And within 20 minutes after messaging them, Brandon texted me and was like, ‘Oh my God, I'm so thankful you messaged us,’” Bellamy said. She said Jay told her, “We've been looking for someone that lost a Martin that is the same description as the one you lost in the fire.” That led Bellamy to Sher. Jay said he likes donors and recipients to meet directly. When the two met in April 2025, they hugged, and Sher handed over the guitar, an instrument her brother had given her and one she had not played for years. “I would have sold it, as I had planned to,” Sher said. “But if I could help to restore her loss, that was the motivation for me in giving it,” she said. Altadena Musicians has also helped Sunny Lu, who lost her home and basement studio in the Eaton Fire. Lu narrates audiobooks, and on a Sunday in January, during an instrument drive for the nonprofit, she received an Apollo Twin X audio interface. Lu said the device allows for professional-level, quality sound output, and it was something she could not have justified replacing for herself anytime soon. “Because it's been donated and has its story, it also has been imbued with this new importance,” Lu said. “There's something about it reentering my life in this very special way where I feel like I need to give it the extra respect that it's due, because now I have like a duty and responsibility as the next, the next user, the next owner,” she said. The group has also inspired others. Gayle Nicholls-Ali, whose husband Rasheed Ali lost his recording studio in the Eaton Fire and who also lost her photography studio, said seeing Altadena Musicians pushed her to ask who was helping photographers. After talking with Jay in 2025 about how he built the group, she started Altadena Photographers, which also works to help people replace lost equipment through donations. Nicholls-Ali said that work also includes mental health support, connecting people to jobs, and helping with needs such as computers or access to a printer for photos. “We're thinking about holistically, how can we help beyond the camera gear?” Nicholls-Ali said. “How can we help?” Jay called her work “incredible.” Altadena Musicians launched an app in 2025 called Instrument Giving, described by the organization as a “wedding registry for musicians” that lets people list what they lost in the Los Angeles fires. Jay said he wants to expand it so people affected by disasters anywhere in the country can use it to replace lost instruments and equipment. He is also building something closer to home with the recently rebranded Altadena Music Center in Pasadena. Jay said the space has already hosted open mic nights, live music and a guitar repair evening. He plans to hold a grand opening later this year and said the site will also include a place for people affected by the fires to rebuild their record collections and a recording studio for community use. “The one super cool thing in all this is just people meeting each other and building a bigger music community, both people that are fire impacted and then other people that are just donating instruments and just meeting people that they're giving them to and staying in contact and coming and seeing them play live,” he said.

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