Guaiya (Love) Earth

Please contact us to be in touch about California Coastal Clean-up in San Leandro and/or check for updates on our event's page: here

Guaiya Earth is an intergenerational space for diverse people to gather in community, talk story and touch the earth. The program is dynamic and changing with community interest but we will be living inafa'maolek through growing, tapping into our own roots and and sharing our love for the earth.

Contact us to join our virtual community Guaiya Earth Plant Connection to learn from each other. We share about what we're growing now or want to grow and connect with others that are relearning how to nurture the earth. We're also relearning out to nurture our bodies with plant based foods so you're welcome to share favorite recipes and receive them. Please note that this is a closed group to increase comfort in sharing openly but all are welcome to join us. Guaiya Earth Plant Connection has partnered with Utopia for future environmental (planting and care for the earth) events.

A note from the program coordinator, Meri:

My parents are Samoan. I am rooted in Samoa and I was born in California. As a child living in Samoa, I have memories of my dad going to his Fa'ato'aga plantation with his pelu, machete resting on his shoulder with the blade side facing up while wearing his ie lava, an old shirt and slippers. He would easily climb-up the mountain and soon return with green bananas and taro in a basket weaved from coconut leaves.

In California, my mother would always have plants in and around the house. She enjoyed tending to her plants and would talk about the plants of Samoa to us kids, even if we were not listening. I remember we had green leafy vines all around the house, around picture frames and doorways. I don't ever recall a dead plant in our home. I remembered someone gave my mother some marijana seeds and soon enough with had a 3 foot week blast on top of our stairway leading to our front door. My mother never knew that it was illegal. To her, it was just a plant.

I have lived in Laie, Hawaii for two years and it was my first experience living on a tropical island. My most cherished memories were on the ocean and spending time in the lush rain forest. I also loved the relaxed pace of island life.

Warner, New Hampshire is far from being an island in the South Pacific. I spent over 4 years in Warner after I retired from my career in the City. Here I lived off the land with a garden I planted during the Spring and Summer. I grew tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, squash, peppers, pumpkin and basil. The satisfaction of growing my own food gave me a joyous feeling.

I have watched the maple and birch trees of New Hampshire fill with leaves and turn from green to red to yellow, than orange , dark race to light orange to light yellow. It is one of the greatest wonders of the world to see the fall foliage in New England. Then, the leaves all drop and then came the snow!

My lived experience in California, Samoa, Hawaii and Warner, New Hampshire is how I'm rooted in the earth and

most recently I've been having fun planting and watching nature grow in San Leandro. How are you rooted in the earth or like to reconnect?