Join Community Education Coordinator Lisa Pritchard for a session or per class of hour morning classes for parents and their preschoolers (ages 3-5) as we explore the fall themes on the garden trails. When you register, please pick per session (includes 4 classes), or per class on selected date.

Wednesdays 10 am-11 am

10/23: Shapes in Nature

10/30: Spiders and Bats

11/6: Underground World

11/13: Migrate & Hibernate

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Learn about the ancient practice of naturally dyeing fabrics with artist Allison Alford using California native and non-native plants. We will discuss how to gather plants to use for dyeing from your backyard garden and your kitchen! Participants will get to naturally dye a silk scarf with a plant-based dye.

Go behind-the-scenes in the Garden’s Herbarium with Executive Director Lucinda McDade, PhD! RSABG’s Herbarium is comprised of over 1.25 million plant specimens, making it the 11th largest herbarium in North America. This invaluable collection, with both centuries-old and freshly collected specimens,helps advance botany, conservation and applied research. Dr. McDade will lead you through this prestigious collection and discuss how the Herbarium works.

Learn how to grow plants from scratch the way we do here at the Garden! We will focus on multiple methods of starting seeds, cuttings and divisions. You will see the tools and materials we use and learn what is practical to do at home. This workshop will be offered twice, once on November 2 and once on November 23.

Join herbalist William Broen for an interactive garden walk and presentation featuring medicinal and edible plants native to California. Participants will learn traditional and modern plant uses of approximately 30 species, as well as relevant folklore.

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Join Chris Verma of Claremont's Wild Birds Unlimited for this family-friendly, free bird walk along the garden trails. Wear comfortable walking shoes, bring your bird guides and binoculars if you have them. Registration required. Limited to 20 participants. Please, no walk ins.

“A fire went through our family’s sage gathering ground, and maybe five acres of white sage just burned to the ground. I was upset, but my uncle said, ‘It’s good—the world just needed saging off.”

—Tima Lotah Link, Shmuwich Chumash

California Indians have been using white sage for food, medicine and ceremony for thousands of years. The contemporary commercialization of white sage has become international in scope. Walmart, Etsy and Amazon all market smudge sticks, sage bundles, and “cleansing” kits, fueling a growing controversy around cultural appropriation. Much of the white sage for the international market is unscrupulously foraged.

We hope you’ll join us in learning how to cultivate white sage in your garden
or nurture the plants in containers on your decks, porches, and windowsills. You’ll attract bees, butterflies, birds, and other beneficial insects. You’ll betterunderstand how the health and well-being of our species is inextricablyconnected with the plants that sustain us. Learn why and how to Sage the Worldwith authors of the Ethnobotany Project, Rose Ramirez and Deborah Small as well as RSABG staff, at this presentation and workshop.

Learn how to grow plants from scratch the way we do here at the Garden! We will focus on multiple methods of starting seeds, cuttings and divisions. You will see the tools and materials we use and learn what is practical to do at home. This workshop will be offered twice, once on November 2 and once on November 23.

Come make a leaf-printed tote bag using the leaves of the Sycamore. One adult and one child pair will help each other create a beautiful gift for the holidays.

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Come make a leaf-printed tote bag using the leaves of the Sycamore. One adult and one child pair will help each other create a beautiful gift for the holidays.

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Come make a simple plant press to use for preserving those flower cuttings that you want to keep. We’ll learn how to set and press three samples to be used later for cards or for framing. Adult chaperones are welcome!

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Learn how native plants support pollinators and about selecting plants that are especially effective at creating food-hubs. Choosing the best plants for your area is the key to success, and we’ll show you how!

Come make a grapevine wreath and decorate it using native cones, pods and seeds from the garden to keep or give away to love ones for the holidays. Bring a favorite bow if you have one, or a raffia one will be provided. Adult chaperones are welcome!

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Learn how native plants support pollinators and about selecting plants that are especially effective at creating food-hubs. Choosing the best plants for your area is the key to success, and we’ll show you how!