ArtPlantae Today

There is SO much going on at the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley this summer. Here is what’s new at Classes Near You > Northern 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.
• Hands-on Plant Activities for Kids – Thursday, July 5, 2012; 10 AM – 3 PM. Free admission and walk-up, hands-on plant activities for the whole family! We’ll explore a diversity of plant life up-close and get crafty. First Free Thursday!
• Botanical Art with Catherine Watters: Summer Flowers – Friday, July 20, 2012; 10 AM – 4 PM. Capture on paper what nature does so beautifully! Students will be instructed to observe, compose, draw and paint in great detail these wonderful subjects. Vibrant flowers from the Garden are sure to inspire your flower portrait masterpiece. All levels are welcome and students may use watercolor, colored pencils or graphite. Advance registration required; $80, $75 members.
• Sunset Stroll – Tuesday, July 31, 2012; 5 – 8 pm. Experience a special evening docent-led tour of the Garden or enjoy the Garden on your own after hours. Free with admission.
• Summer Birding Walk – Saturday, August 4, 2012; 9:00 – 10:30 AM. Join Phila Rogers, expert birder, and Chris Carmichael, the Garden’s Associate Director for Collections and Horticulture, on a morning walk to discover the Garden’s bird life. Advance registration required: $20, $17 members.
• Blue Chair Fruit Company: Sweet Summer Strawberries – An Introduction to Jam Making – Sunday, August 19, 2012; 10 AM – Noon. Taught by Rachel Saunders, founder of Blue Chair Fruit Company. In this two-hour demo-style class, students will cook two different jams, one single-fruit and one mixed-fruit. Special attention will be paid to the preparation of raw fruit, the cooking process, and how to safely jar your jam. Participants will receive two take-home jars of jam and a set of class notes. Blue Chair Fruit Company is the premier artisanal jam and marmalade company in the United States. Advance registration required: $85, $80 members.
• Dinosaur Plants & Terrariums for Kids – Saturday, August 11, 2012; 11 AM – 12 PM. Explore “living fossils” on this Garden tour and create your own terrarium! Youth must be accompanied by an adult. Advance registration required; $15, $12 members.
• The PhotoBotanic Workshop with Saxon Holt – Saturday, August 25, 2012; 9 AM – 5 PM. Award-winning photographer Saxon Holt brings his PhotoBotanic workshop to the Garden and will help you “find your photo.” This all-day workshop with critique will begin with visualization exercises in the Garden and then concentrate on framing and focal points. Saxon will provide follow-up critique through the Flickr group created by students attending the workshop. Advance registration required: $95, $90 members. Learn more about Saxon Holt at www.photobotanic.com.
• Pine Needle Basketry – Saturday, September 1, 2012;
  9:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Judith Thomas, master weaver, and Waldorf, handwork teacher, will instruct students how to craft a pine needle basket. Learn how to work with pine needles to create a small coiled basket, using a needle and waxed linen to bind the bundles of needles together. At the end of the workshop you will have a basket started and the knowledge to complete it on your own. Bring a lunch to enjoy in the Garden during the break. Coffee & tea will be provided. Advance registration required. $50, $45 members.
• Kids Cook from the Garden – Saturday, September 22, 2012;
  1:00 – 2:30 PM. Join Garden Education staff to discover foods growing in the Garden’s Crops of the World Collection where you’ll harvest ingredients and learn to create delicious snacks. For budding chefs aged 7-12. Space is limited, registration required. $18, $15 members.
• Small Space Orchards: Growing Fruit Trees in Small Gardens
  Sunday, September 16, 2012; 11 AM – 12 PM. Enjoy a special presentation and book signing by Bay Area author Claire Splan. Claire is a member of the Garden Writers Association and Alameda Backyard Growers and the author of California Fruit and Vegetable Gardening. Learn how you can work with the Bay Area’s urban landscape and Mediterranean climate to grow your own small space orchard. Advance registration required; $15, 10 members.

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