Elisa Solis Chavez

My relationship with the outdoors has been one of landscaping, exploring, playing, and grounding. I grew up in Escondido, CA where I spent lots of summer days happily accompanying my dad to work. He was a landscaper for many years and is easily responsible for my early interest in a life that revolves around plant care and companionship. When the elements embrace me, I feel connected to the earth, which is such medicine in a world where we sometimes have trouble finding our place. For enjoyment and rejuvenation, I like to paint, swim, kayak, cook, camp, tidepool, photograph plants/critters, and stare at the sky. 

Planting Justice’s work is important to me because we’re all we’ve got, so being immersed in a space that priorities people over policy is so special. Getting to be around the process of incarcerated folks coming home and continuing their healing journey in the communities where they belong is such a beautiful thing. Getting to contribute to my own food sovereignty and that of my community’s is also so fulfilling. Experiencing hope and healing in this space is simply inevitable. Justice to me means autonomy and liberation for all my relatives, human and non-human.