Students and community members gathered to recognize the Chumash land and unveil the new addition to California Lutheran University’s SEEd Project Garden on Thursday, March 20.
“The Native Microforest is the seed project’s effort to mimic the different layers that naturally occur in the wild of a forest. So you’re gonna have your canopy layer, your shrub layer, and your ground layer,” junior environmental science major Cristiann Dipietrantonio said. “It is also a project work or focused on building connections between the local tribes and the native plants around.”
Dipietrantonio said that once individuals learn about the plants and animals around them, people can form a deeper connection with the environment.
“I think it’s vitally important for the local community to know our plant relatives,” ethnobotanist Julia Samaniego said.
Samaniego, who is of Chumash and Tataviam descent, said she designed the microforest based on the Japanese Miyawaki method. With this method, native plants are planted close to one another in order to make a forest grow in a short period of time. Samaniego said she then implemented native plants symbolic of her two cultures.
“Coming from the two villages, I kind of combined plants that we would traditionally utilize. Definitely we would trade amongst these plant relatives. So I have a different relationship with almost every single plant that was chosen,” Samaniego said.
Sophomore environmental science major Mia Erikson said that immersing students in other cultures is important in furthering diversity and inclusion at Cal Lutheran.
“We should be immersed in the culture that we are sitting on as a school, and also just to keep the traditions alive and the plants and the history about it,” Erikson said.
Ventureño Chumash and Fernandeño Tataviam Tribal Elder Alan Salazar burned sage as he led the grand opening with a blessing to the land.
“He’s actually been a huge mentor to me, so having him come means a lot because this is like my baby, so he’s like seeing my baby be born,” Samaniego said.
Samaniego said that having Salazar, who is her Elder, be a part of this opening has been an incredible experience.
Dipietrantonio said that involving the Indigenous community in the grand opening of the Native Microforest was important to students.
“It’s important to not only acknowledge that this land belonged to the Indigenous tribes but also to give back and allow the tribes to come and use this land,” Dipietrantonio said.
Samaniego said that she hopes the opening of the microforest “draws more curiosity for education”, and that local schools will have the opportunity to come to the microforest and be introduced to native plants and Chumash culture.
The event also featured catered food and beverages that contained plants that were grown in Cal Lutheran’s SEEd Garden.
Erikson said that seeing plants being grown and understanding where and how the food is grown is important, as it can expand the knowledge surrounding how fruits, vegetables, and herbs go from the garden to the table.
“People don’t really fully know where their food comes from,” Erikson said.
Dipietrantonio said that students can get involved in the SEEd garden by going to visit whenever the gates are open, or participating during the garden’s volunteer hours.
“Everyone is welcome and it would just be amazing to have people stop by,” Dipietrantonio said.
Samaniego said she hopes people will come to the SEEd garden and get to know their plant relatives, as well as the hummingbird who watches over the garden.
“I hope the takeaway from all this is learning to adapt in discomfort to grow. Just like a seed,” Samaniego said.
