Our garden is a place to tune out of the busy, modern world and back into the timeless state of nature and childhood. It’s a neighborhood haven and respite from the technological tunnel vision Silicon Valley that we live in. It is a place to stop and breathe. The garden protects our emotional and physical wellbeing in a society that prioritizes economic stability, helping to lighten the individual self-care burden while we collectively devote our time, season after season, to nourish the plants that, in turn, nourish us.

Many of our volunteers have found a place to nurture them and people to lean on. Children have grown up wandering its paths and learning from this corner of native habitat, leaving traces of themselves in artwork and hidden stones, feeding the fish and tasting new foods.

For 27 years, we have learned from the land as we care for it in partnership. For those of us living and traveling around the garden, it would be as inconceivable to see the Race St Garden replaced with pavement as it would to see the Rose Garden in such a state.

But now our community cornerstone is threatened. The land has been on the market for a decade, and we never believed someone would buy it out from under us. We thought it too small & ill-suited for redevelopment to appeal to anyone in real estate. But an offer has been made, and PASCA’s landlord has told us that we need to be off the land on October 20th, only 20 days after word broke of the impending sale. That the place we grew from bare rock must return to it, joining a long line of green oases replaced with urban sprawl. This will likely come to pass unless we can make our own offer to buy the land, something we have been working towards for years, despite setbacks.

Our garden is special to us, and though this sale will, if it goes through, require us to relocate, we hope that our community comes together to help us save this place. We hope this land will remain green and growing, not bulldozed and replaced with a private structure. Our goal is to raise enough money to place our own counteroffer on the land. We ask that you contribute in whatever way you can.

Our goal is to raise $2.5 million to place our own counteroffer, but on Oct 10th we learned that the offer had gone into escrow. If this sale goes through, we will have to relocate, but we hope our community comes together to save this place. We hope this land will remain green and growing, not bulldozed and replaced with a private structure. We ask that you contribute in whatever way you can. Any donations we receive will help us relocate and preserve what we can of the garden, rebuilding this place with a new root but the same community anchor, or to place our own offer on the land if that path is available to us. But to give up this place without fighting for it would be turning our backs on the responsibility of caring for it, the stewardship we willingly chose to take up.

If you have volunteered with us, if you have joined us for events, if you have ever walked past and felt your heart lighter to have a green space in your neighborhood, please, help us. Donate if you can. Share our situation with your family and friends. Together our community is larger than it first appears. There are plenty of parking lots in San Jose, and not enough green spaces. Not enough places to come together and engage with your neighbors. We would be grateful for any help preserving this one.

Learn more about us: https://plantandsoul.org/

Words from the community:

“At a time when I had no sense of purpose, community, or clarity about how to address my despondency about climate change and its impact on my child, PASCA provided me with a space, skills, and connection, and an opportunity to build roots and deep connections in this neighborhood. On smoky, smoggy days, the air here feels cleaner; on hot days, the plants give us shade, and on lonely days, the bees, butterflies, birds, and lizards -and friends, of course - give us hope and connection.” - Melissa Blum, board member

“PASCA has been such an important place for me to find community and will likely continue to give countless others the community so critical to a healthy and good life if given the chance to keep going.” - Camila Alondra De la Calle, community member

“I work in tech, where conversations are dominated by AI, momentum and moving fast. The garden provides a place to slow down, help put down roots (pun intended) in my community, understand nature & our connection to it, and understand myself & the people around me better. We need more spaces like this in the world.” - Azimuth Bouché, software engineer/volunteer

"My time at PASCA has allowed me to personally develop in ways I never expected, and the people there have taught me the beautiful and valuable things that come with the gift of serving nature, people and life." - AY, volunteer

“The Bay Area in general and San Jose in particular is an ecological paradise. There is no other place in San Jose to commune in a beautiful native garden, grow food, make pizza in a wood-fired oven and be with community and away from technology for as long as you like. If we were in a city like NYC, the community would be protesting, it would be national news, and the city would be stepping in to make sure the garden stays what it is for years to come.” - Jessicka Chamberlin, board member

Plant and Soul California is more than just a garden and community space. After my mother passed away, I learned firsthand how healing the beautiful interconnected web of nature in this garden could be. I would bring my son to his preschool program here at PASCA and while the children learned and played, I sat in quiet corners of the garden. I watched spiders spin webs, listen to the birds sing, and feel the gentle wind and warm sun. The tears would inevitably flow, but little by little the beauty of the little natural wonders, the community of kind, loving people, and the sound of children’s laughter brought little smiles to my face for the first time since my mother’s sudden passing. It was here that I first started to feel some happiness again and it was ok. It was natural: just as natural as the beautiful garden that surrounded and comforted me. Plant and Soul California is a gem that will always have a special place in my heart. - Monica Benavides, community member

“I first learnt of PASCA (formerly CNGF) when I taught a couple of nutrition workshops there in 2022. It was a warm stunning space where I knew I would eventually spend more time. However it wasn’t until Jan 2025 when I felt the urge to volunteer regularly and began showing up on Saturday mornings, helping out where I could - replanting kale saplings, weeding the meadows, clearing the nursery, watering plants. I also cooked for volunteer orientation lunches and other community events.

While my initial intent of volunteering was simple: to put my fingers in dirt, connect deeper with the land, learn more about gardening and contribute to PASCA’s mission wherever possible; what I received from showing up at the garden was so much more profound than I ever expected. I made friends. I spent hours with folks who had diverse lived experiences. I learned about regenerative land stewarding practices and reciprocity. I became more aware of my role in nature and the community - and evolved into a more generous version of myself. I went from valuing my Saturday morning sleep to valuing showing up for the garden regularly. I finally understood what it meant to be a part of something bigger than myself. Even now, having recently relocated to a different country, I feel personally invested in the growth and success of PASCA’s mission, which shows how sacred and special this place is. And I’m so grateful to have listened to my urge to volunteer, even if it was for a short time.” - Mukta Gadkari, former volunteer

Protect the Future of Plant & Soul California