In an environment usually considered devoid of beauty, one man at San Quentin has made it his mission to change the narrative.
Adan “Pablo” Sanchez, a resident at the Q, is the gardener in the education area. In the hustle and bustle of work, education and rehabilitative self-help programs, Sanchez can be easy to miss. Yet, his work as a landscape architect is admired daily.
“I think it’s cool to see flowers and plants around here,” stated a resident.
“I’ve been down a long time and on many different yards where nature like this is non-existent. It’s soothing.”
What is so interesting about Sanchez is his love for nature and living things, and his care and concern for his surroundings. Over the past few years, Sanchez has not just picked up excess trash and watered grass. He has worked to beautify the education garden area on the prison’s Lower Yard. Tapping into his experience as an agricultural architect, Sanchez is an artist who designs, grooms and cultivates this area.
“I love to plant and nurture the seedlings I acquire,” he said. Sanchez said he likes to strategically move and replant certain flowers and plants in different areas according to their needs. This helps the plants grow and stay healthy and strong.
He went on to explain in detail his love for botany. “When I was ten years old, some people came to my country of Oaxaca, Mexico,” he said. “They came to teach us how to grow seedlings and that’s when I fell in love with nature.”
Pointing to the dismal pay he receives for his work, Sanchez was asked why he did what he did. “It’s not about the money,” he said. “It’s what I get out of it. It’s calming and relaxing; its therapeutic.”
Sanchez is special – he cares so much about what other people take in and experience when they walk through this area, and that is a selfless act of kindness.
He is a shining example of what one can do to bring light to an otherwise dark place. So hopefully, the next time someone walks by his garden, it will sprout in them a bit of joy.
