There is plenty to learn at UC Berkeley’s botanical garden this Fall. Learn how to draw, how to paint and how to compose a botanical drawing in classes taught by Catherine Watters and Lee McCaffree. Learn a bit about Latin, immerse yourself in economic botany and even learn how to make a bike out of bamboo.
The following has been added to Classes Near You > California:
University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/
This 34-acre garden was established in 1890 and is now a non-profit research garden and museum. The botanical art classes below are taught by Lee McCaffree and Catherine Watters. View a detailed schedule and register on the Garden’s website.
- Sick Plant Clinic – First Saturday of Each Month, 9 AM – 12 PM. Free. No reservations required.
- Monthly Butterfly Walks – Fourth Tuesday of each month (March – October); 3 – 4 PM. Garden volunteer, docent, and caterpillar lady, Sally Levinson, will lead walks through the garden in search of butterflies. Space is limited. Children welcome. Free with admission.
- Garden Strollers – Second Wednesday of Each Month,
11 AM – 11:45 PM. A 45-minute tour of the garden for adults with young children (3 and under). Tour will end on the lawn for play and snacks (bring your own). Children must be in a stroller or carrier during the tour. FREE with garden admission. Meet in front of the Garden Ship. For more information, call (510) 642-7082 or email garden@berkeley.edu. - Botanical Latin: It’s a dead language but it’s still aliiiiive – Tuesday, September 13, 2011; 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM. Back by popular demand! During this brief introduction to Latin, you will learn the names for plants and the way the names are constructed. You’ll also learn Latin and Greek word roots for plant names and botanical terms, and use some simple rules of thumb to pronounce plant names with confidence. Al Luongo originally developed this course for the New York Botanical Garden. Refreshments and a full copy of course notes included. Pre-registration required; $30, $25 members.
- Botanical Art: Painting Apples, Pears, Quince – Friday, September 16, 2011; 10 AM – 4 PM. These beautiful fruits are wonderful botanical art subjects! Celebrated botanical artist Catherine Watters will teach you how to compose your painting and capture their elegant shapes and rich colors. Students will be instructed on the use of shadows, highlights and the mixing of colors. All levels are welcome and students may use graphite, colored pencils or watercolor. Pre-registration required; $80, $75 members.
- Native Bees with Dr. Gordon Frankie – Sunday, October 2, 2011;
11 AM – 1 PM. Dr. Frankie is a UC Berkeley professor, research entomologist and a native bee expert. His specialty is the behavioral ecology of solitary bees in wild lands and urban environments of California and Costa Rica. Dr. Frankie will discuss some of the more common species of native bees, as well as, the plants and gardening practices, that will encourage them to take up residence in your garden. He will talk about current projects and share stories from the field. Pre-registration required; $25, $20 members. - Foods of the Americas Exhibit Docent-led Tours – October 6 – 20, 2011, 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM. Pre-pre-registration required by September 15. Feast your eyes on the vibrant textures and colors of the fall harvest in our Foods of the Americas exhibit. Visit our marketplace filled with produce from ancient Indian cultures, from the well-known corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and chocolate to the less familiar amaranth, quinoa and oca. See them growing in our Crops of the World Garden, Tropical House, and the Mexico/ Central American and South American collections. Free with Garden admission. Schools may schedule a special 75 minute program for their classes.
- Bamboo Workshop with Stalk Bicycles – Saturday, October 8, 2011;
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM. Stalk Bicycles of Oakland will be on-site to show you how they hand-craft custom bicycle frames from bamboo and other sustainable materials. They will demonstrate how bamboo is a sustainable, versatile and sculptural material – perfect for bike construction and many other design projects. Join us as we learn about bamboo, sustainable manufacturing, bamboo construction, and see their one-of-a-kind, custom artisanal bikes. $15, $10 members; registration required. - Film Screening: Queen of the Sun – Wednesday, October 12, 2011;
6:00 – 8:00 PM. Queen Of The Sun: What Are The Bees Telling Us? is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis from Taggart Siegel, director of The Real Dirt On Farmer John. Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature. Pre-registration required; $12, $10 members. - Foods of the Americas Family Day! – Sunday, October 16, 2011;
10:00 AM & 1:00 PM. Spanish and English Docent Led Tours of the Exhibit; 2 PM Native Food Tastings & Crafts. Free with Garden Admission. - Fall Bird Walk – Saturday, October 29, 2011; 9:00 – 10:30 AM. Observe resident, migrant and vagrant birds in the Garden’s many bird-friendly microhabitats with birding expert Phila Rogers and Associate Director of Collections & Horticulture Chris Carmichael. Pre-registration required; $20, $17 members.
- Botanical Art: Autumn Leaves with Lee McCaffree – Sunday, November 13, 2011; 10 AM – 4 PM. Fall foliage offers a brilliant color palette to catch our eye, but a graphite drawing or green leaf can be just as fascinating. Expert Lee McCaffree will instruct students on the structure of leaves as students to draw and paint them. The class will consider many types of leaves from the Garden before drawing them and closely examine structure and detail. Students may use pencils or watercolor to create an original work using the colors and/or patterns of fall leaves. All levels are welcome. Pre-registration required; $80, $75 members
- California Natives: Plants and People Tour for Kids – Saturday, November 19, 2011; 1:00 – 2:30 PM. How could people get everything they need from the natural environment without stores? Learn about the plants used by California Indians for food, shelter, clothing, tools, medicine, games, and music. Explore the varied customs and skills of California’s earliest inhabitants. Create your very own take-home project inspired by early Californian crafts. Pre-registration recommended; $15 for each adult and child, $12 members; $5 each additional person.
ArtPlantae Today 