Earth Day
Saturday, April 22 – Sunday, April 23
Small actions can make a big difference in supporting our planet and enhancing our gardens. Bees and other pollinators are vital for plant survival and essential for larger, more flavorful fruits and higher crop yields. A healthy garden starts with healthy soil, and encouraging beneficial microorganisms by composting with worms can improve soil health and reduce waste. Learn from local expert gardeners Suzanne and Sarah about the best plant choices and strategies to attract and support pollinator and discover the benefits of composting and how to reduce your green waste while growing a better garden.
• 10 AM: Pollinators and Their Importance in Our Lives
Located at the Amphitheater
• 11 AM – 2 PM: Massey Honey Tasting
Located at the Garden Theatre
• 2 PM: Composting, Vermiculture and How to Use Your Garden and Kitchen Scraps for Healthier Soil
Located at the Amphitheater
Off-Campus Events
8:30 AM: An Earth Day Wildflower Adventure with Ron Vanderhoff
Celebrate Earth Day in a beautiful natural space with lots of plants, flowers, and the insects and animals that depend upon them. We will meet at the UC Irvine Ecological Preserve. The Preserve is a 60-acre site on the southern edge of the campus and consists of coastal sage scrub and grassland habitats.
The Preserve offers a wide variety of native wildflowers and other plants, offering a rare glimpse of what coastal Orange County was like in earlier times. Over 225 different plants have been identified at the preserve. It also sustains nesting pairs of threatened California gnatcatchers and rare coastal cactus wrens. The Preserve’s panoramic view encompasses much of the campus, with the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island as a backdrop.
Ron is a leading Orange County native plant botanist and ecologist and knows the flora of the Preserve extensively. During this visit we will not only enjoy the beauty of the site, but Ron will identify and discuss the wide array of plants that we will see.
Limited to 25 attendees. Directions and other details will be provided upon reservation. RSVP required. A $10 donation will be forwarded to the Preserve.
Make Reservation Now
11:30 AM: Lunch & Learn with Ron Vanderhoff at Sherman Library & Gardens
Ron is a lifetime horticulturist and botanist in Southern California. In addition to his role as Vice President at Roger’s Gardens, Ron holds leadership roles with groups such as the CA Native Plant Society, CA Invasive Plant Council, Calflora and others. Ron will share examples from his own horticultural and botanical life and explain the impacts from the gardening choices we make.
Ron will simplify such topics as biodiversity, climate change, and invasive species and offer advice so that our garden spaces can have a positive impact on the planet. Prepare to learn about gardens as habitat, organics, California’s water resources, urban forest ecology and other fun, science-based insights. In an urban world, gardens are the window into nature and as garden leaders our opportunity is to help others peer through that window and to ultimately embrace nature.
Sherman Library & Gardens Information