SLO Botanical Garden

Nature Journaling at the SLO Botanical Garden
2025-08-19 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Enjoy a morning of quiet observation, sketching and inspired curiosity about plants, pollinators and all the natural beauty that thrives at the SLO Botanical Garden.
This experience will be guided by Mary Sturm of the Central Coast Nature Journal Club. No experience required. Participants will need to bring their own blank, blank journal and a pen or pencil.
Free to members. Enter Coupon code: 10off

Family Free Day: The Scaly Safari
2025-08-10 10:00 - 14:00
Please join us on August 10th from 10am to 2 pm for our almost monthly Family Free Day. August’s “Scaly Safari” is sure to be fun for ALL!
Tell your families, tell your friends friends, garden admission is waived so pack a picnic and stay for the day! This is an all ages event. Dogs on leash are welcome.
There will be crafts and educational activities in our Children’s Garden. The retail nursery, home to our selection of self-propagated native plants well suited for the Central Coast’s Mediterranean climate, will be open for business. Stroll through our “Fire Safe” garden and hike the hill up to the “Human Sundial” or simply meander through our main “Display Garden.”
Please note: there’s a $3 fee to enter El Chorro park. Having cash will speed up park entry!

Founder's Tour with Eve!
2025-08-06 11:00 - 12:30
Join SLOBG founder and Mediterranean plant expert, Eve Vigil, for a behind-the-scenes tour of the SLO Botanical Garden. Eve may talk about the Garden’s history, what’s in bloom, important maintenance, interesting and unique plants, or whatever most interests the group.
Come on out and get your questions answered! Meet new people and learn great tips and tricks for having a stunning water-frugal garden.
Members can tour for free! Enter code: MemberTen
Tour fee includes admission to the Garden for non-members.

Nature Sunday: Citizen Science, Everyday Hide and Seek
2025-07-27 10:00 - 12:00
With cell phones and apps, today’s world is truly at your fingertips. Join us in diving into apps and programs that make it easier to explore the outdoors, learn about nature, and support everyday science. We will be discuss applications such as Merlin, eBird, and CalFlora, with a special focus on iNaturalist. After the discussion there will be time to explore the Children’s Garden and put those apps to the test!
Samantha Vaughan has been a wildlife biologist in the consulting world for the past 10 years. Over those years she has worked on a multitude of project types from construction monitoring to Endangered Species Act species-specific protocol surveys for a full spectrum of species. She has participated in a number of volunteer outreach workshops focused on species like bats, pronghorn, and black-footed ferrets.

Nature Journaling at the SLO Botanical Garden
2025-07-19 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-06-07 10:00 - 11:30
Enjoy a morning of quiet observation, sketching and inspired curiosity about plants, pollinators and all the natural beauty that thrives at the SLO Botanical Garden. This experience will be guided by Mary Sturm of the Central Coast Nature Journal Club. No experience required. Participants will need to bring their own blank, lined journal and a pen or pencil.
Free to members. Enter Coupon code: NatureJournal

Family Free Day: The Garden Express
2025-07-13 10:00 - 14:00
Please join us in July for our almost monthly Family Free Day. On July 13th, the Children’s Garden will showcase “The Garden Express” where we will explore model trains on display by the Central California Coast Garden Model Railroad Society.
Tell your families, tell your friends friends, garden admission is waived so pack a picnic and stay for the day! This is an all ages event. Dogs on leash are welcome.
There will be crafts and educational activities. The retail nursery, home to our selection of self-propagated native plants well suited for our Mediterranean climate, will be open for business. Stroll through our “Fire Safe” garden and hike the hill up to the “Human Sundial” or simply meander through our main “Display Garden.” Don’t forget to visit the “Children’s Garden” which is for children of ALL ages.
Please note: there’s a $3 fee to enter El Chorro Regional Park. Having cash will speed up park entry!

Sound Healing and Nature Meditation
2025-07-10 18:00 - 19:30
Join us for a unique sound healing experience being “bathed” with sounds from alchemy crystal bowls, Koshi chimes, and other sacred instruments. After the sound bath, participants will enjoy a guided walking meditation through the Garden amongst the trees, flowers, and creatures.
Instructor Bio: Jamie, of Harmonic Holistics, is a full-time sound healing practitioner, specializing in trauma-informed stress reduction practices. With a passion for everything meditation-related, she believes everyone can meditate in their own unique way when given guidance, patience, and reassurance. When she isn’t sharing wellness activities, she is hiking, cuddling with her dog, or expressing herself through dance.
SLOBG Members – Enter Member5 for $5 off registration fee.

Founder's Tour with Eve!
2025-07-02 11:00 - 12:30
Join SLOBG founder and Mediterranean plant expert, Eve Vigil, for a behind-the-scenes tour of the SLO Botanical Garden. Eve may talk about the Garden’s history, what’s in bloom, important maintenance, interesting and unique plants, or whatever most interests the group.
Come on out and get your questions answered! Meet new people and learn great tips and tricks for having a stunning water-frugal garden.
Members can tour for free! Enter code: Member10off
Tour fee includes admission to the Garden for non-members.

Experience Sacred Art at SLO Botanical Garden: Tibetan Monks' Mini-Mandala Creation
2025-06-29 10:30 - 13:30
Join us for an enriching cultural and spiritual experience in the form of a profound visual mediation offered as part of a special opening weekend highlight for the three-week Central Coast tour of seven revered Tibetan Scholars/Monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery. Enjoy a mesmerizing demonstration of sand drawing as the Tibetan Monks create a beautiful Green Tara Medicine Buddha mini-mandala with intricate designs, crafted from fine, multi-colored sand.
Guests will have the unique opportunity to experience their sacred practices, which often include their distinct trichord chanting and multi-tonal singing. Stroll through the gardens, visit with the monks, and explore a craft table featuring authentic Tibetan handicrafts for sale. Purchases and donations directly support the monks and their monastery in India.

Watch the full mandala unfold at Art Central from June 30-July 3. For more information, please visit the Drepung Gomang Monastery Tour Page, email: earthtoneswb@gmail.com or call: 805-238-4413.
Free to members. $10 non-member admission fee to SLO Botanical Garden.

Nature Sunday: California's Wildfires and Prevention with Retired Fire Chief Bob Neumann
2025-06-29 10:00 - 12:00
A presentation about California’s wildfires, including the state’s unique topography, weather and fuels that cause them. The building industry, fire hazard mapping and fuel hazard reduction will be discussed along with information about the SLO County Community Fire Safe Council. Participants will visit SLO Botanical Garden’s Fire Safe demonstration garden.
About the Instructor: Bob Neumann retired as Fire Chief from the San Luis Obispo City Fire Department in 2002. He is the founder and coordinator of the SLO County Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). Bob serves on a federal Incident Management Team and is the principal emergency management consultant for Category Five Professional Consultants, Inc.

Family Free Day: Buzzing Beauties
2025-06-08 10:00 - 14:00
Please join us in June for “Buzzing Beauties,” our almost monthly Family Free Day, where we will focus on our local pollinators (bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles and moths).
Tell your families, tell your friends friends, garden admission is waived so pack a picnic and stay for the day! This is an all ages event. Dogs on leash are welcome.
There will be crafts and educational activities. The retail nursery, home to our selection of self-propagated native plants well suited for our Mediterranean climate, will be open for business. Stroll through our “Fire Safe” garden and hike the hill up to the “Human Sundial” or simply meander through our main “Display Garden.” Don’t forget to visit the “Children’s Garden” which is for children of ALL ages!
Please note: there’s a $3 fee to enter El Chorro park. Having cash will speed up park entry!

Nature Sunday: Ocean Drifters: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
2025-06-01 10:00 - 11:30
Learn about the microscopic life that is hidden beneath the waves and is crucial to all of life on Earth. We will explore the diversity of the marine plankton community, what factors keep it in balance, and the critical role it plays in ocean ecosystems. As a group, we will be using a video microscope to view a living plankton net sample. Participants will also have an opportunity to see other specimens through individual microscopes set up around the room.

Karen Watts has a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from UCSB and a Master’s degree in Science Education from Cal State East Bay. She began her career as a molecular biology researcher and then transitioned to a high school biology and biotechnology teacher. She was a California State Parks docent for 15 years, working out of the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History, where she specialized in educational programs for the general public on marine ecology and plankton. She is currently a field trip leader for Audubon and the Morro Bay Bird Festival.

Exploration of Birds and Botany at the Botanical Garden
2025-05-18 09:00 - 11:00
Free for Members!
The SLO Botanical Garden in collaboration with the Morro Coast Audubon Society presents a bird walk exploring the unique relationship between birds and botany. Plant lovers and bird watchers will learn about this delicate and interconnected relationship, from pollination to seed distribution to nesting and shelter. Susie Reddy and Faylla Chapman will lead the two-hour exploration, on mostly flat terrain. We expect to see and hear a wide variety of avian species as they feed, hide, nest, and defend territory in the garden’s lush habitat.
Members, please use code “FREEBIRD” to receive your complimentary ticket. Membership will be verified. Become a member today!
Enrollment special: On the day of the class, the $20 fee can be applied toward SLOBG membership.

Springtime Fused Glass Class!
2025-05-17 10:00 - 12:30
Join our Executive Director, Janine Stillman, to create a beautiful fused-glass panel for your garden, which can be displayed in a metal stand that is provided. This class is for everyone, including those with no experience. Techniques for cutting glass will be presented as well as lots of inspiration for interesting designs. This is a hands-on, fun, and creative way to spend your morning and you’re sure to come away with a treasure that can be displayed in your garden.

Members will get $10 off at registration with the code: MemberTen

Please Note: there will be a $50 materials fee, paid in cash directly to Janine on the day of the class. (includes glass and metal display stake). FYI – Janine is holding a different glass project in the photo below. A photo of the fused glass panel is on our website (that you clicked on).

In addition to being the Executive Director of the SLO Botanical Garden, Janine owns and operates Designs by Ja9 Glass Studio. She’s a local expert and has taught classes around the world and offers glass fusing classes for all levels of expertise. For more information about “Designs by Ja9”, please see: Designs by Ja9 – Fused Glass, Jewelry and Gifts

Family Free Day: Faerie Festival!
2025-05-11 10:00 - 14:00
This is our third annual Faerie Festival and we’d be delighted if you can attend!
This magical Family Free Day is for faeries of all ages! There will be crafts and activities: Make a one-of-a-kind wand, plant some seeds in the Children’s Garden, help create a beautiful faerie mural, and make & take home a mini faerie garden.
The enchanting garden will be filled with music, facepainting, and storytelling and there will be gifts from local artists to purchase for your favorite faerie or the Mom in your life for Mother’s Day.
Faerie attire is welcomed and encouraged. We will have wings, ribbon wands, and other items that we’ll gratefully exchange for a donation. While entry and activities are free for all, your donations help our children’s programs grow and our garden thrive. Thanks in advance!
Please note: there’s a $3 fee to enter El Chorro park. Having cash will speed up your entry!
For more information about his special day, please see our Faerie webpage: Faerie Festival 2025 – SLO Botanical Garden

Nature Sunday: Celebrating Trees
2025-04-27 10:00 - 11:30
Have you ever smelled the grape Kool-aid tree? Or sniffed a fresh bay leaf? Or viewed a tree surrounded by smoke?
In honor of Arbor Day on April 25th, docent Faylla Chapman will lead a tour of the trees in the garden, tell their stories, and point out their blooms. It’s amazing how many trees blossom and we don’t really notice them. Trees in the Mediterranean climate are especially beautiful with blooms big and small, white, yellow, pink and purple, and often fragrant.

Faylla Chapman is a docent at the Botanical Garden, and she has made the trees in the garden her specialty. Blooming or not, she can tell you their stories and allow you to appreciate them in special ways.

Free Day: Guardians of the Green & Seed Swap
2025-04-13 10:00 - 13:00
It’s our April FREE family day at the SLO Botanical Garden!
Learn about seeds and trees, create a nature crown and leaf necklace, plant an acorn to grow an oak tree, and go on a scavenger hunt. There will be storytelling for younger children and a special visit from the Lorax!
The California Native Plant Society will be here to demonstrate how native seeds are cultivated, harvested and packaged. If you wish, bring your seeds that are in good condition and sealed in an envelope and labeled with the plant name and type of seed (native flower, perennial, veggie, herb). We’ll have plenty of seeds that you can take home and plant in your own garden. We’ll give you some tips and tricks to help your seeds grow and thrive.
The Seed Swap and children’s activities are from 10am until 1pm. It’s Free Day for everyone all day – tour the Garden, walk the Discovery Trail, visit our Gift Shop filled with beautiful items from local artists.
We’ll look forward to seeing you there!

Beginning Birding with Morro Coast Audubon
2025-04-12 09:00 - 13:30
This program is especially designed for beginners who would like to learn to recognize the beautiful birds of the Botanical Garden and the Central Coast. Practice making observations and learn to use binoculars, spotting scopes, and field guides. We’ll share resources available for ongoing skill building.
The morning of the workshop we’ll have taxidermy specimens, a slide presentation, and lots of time to ask questions. We’ll provide you with handouts to help you with your notes. There will be a short break for lunch and then we will go on a bird walk around the gardens to practice your new skill. If it’s raining, we’ll practice indoors.
Adults and children 9 and over are welcome to attend.
Bring binoculars if you have them. We will have a few loaner binoculars and a variety of guidebooks to assist you.
Bring a lunch, snacks, and bottled water. Dress for the weather. Your class fee gives you access to the Garden all day.
We offer a $10 discount for SLO Botanical Garden and Morro Coast Audubon Society members. Please enter “member10off” (for SLOBG members) or “audubon10off” (for Audubon Society members). Enjoy!
About your Morro Coast Audubon Society Instructors:

Robbie Revel has always had a love of nature and science and an insatiable curiosity. She had a 48-year teaching career in high school science and was Director of Quest in Science, an elementary hands-on science program. Retired and active in the volunteer community, she loves to share nature and her passion for birds with others. Robbie is the Executive Director of the Morro Bay Bird Festival and serves on the board of the Morro Coast Audubon Society as Field Trip Chair and actively leading bird walks.

Karen Watts has a bachelor’s degree in Biology from UCSB and a master’s degree in science education from Cal State East Bay. She is a former molecular biologist and high school science teacher. When she moved to the Central Coast she re-invented herself as a naturalist and has never looked back. She enjoys the best of two worlds, living part time on the Central Coast and part time at her mountain retreat in north Georgia. She is active in education programs for students of all ages and is a Morro Coast Audubon walk leader. Her special passion is teaching new birders about the tools they need to feel comfortable birding and to improve their birding skills.

Founder's Tour with Eve!
2025-04-02 11:00 - 12:30
Join SLOBG founder and Mediterranean plant expert, Eve Vigil, for a behind-the-scenes tour of the SLO Botanical Garden. Eve may talk about the Garden’s history, what’s in bloom, important maintenance, interesting and unique plants, or whatever most interests the group.
Come on out and get your questions answered! Meet new people and learn great tips and tricks for having a stunning water-frugal garden.
Member's can tour for free! Enter code: Member10off
This tour includes admission to the Garden for the day

Nature Sunday: All about Scat! - CANCELLED
2025-03-23 10:00 - 11:30
Scat – What’s that?! — CANCELLED
No, it’s not music. It’s what’s in the kitty litter box and in the green doggie bag. It’s the droppings in your cupboard from mice or rats. It gives you some evidence that there’s a raccoon in your back yard at night. It’s poop!
Come and learn all about scat: how to identify it, who studies it and why, and what it all means. Then quiz yourself on the identification of over 20 types of scat presented in the demonstration. Bears do it, beetles do it, even dinosaurs did it! There’s a lot to learn
Faylla Chapman, a docent at the Botanical Garden, has studied scat for years with her students and the general public. She has collected many specimens and preserved them to be able to educate others on this important, and often humorous, topic

Single-Use Plastics 101
2025-03-16 10:00 - 11:00
This class is taught by SLO County Citizens’ Education. It’s ‘Single Use Plastics 101″ – for everyone. We’re also calling it ‘Trash Talk’, because that’s where most of our plastics end up – in landfills.
Plastic is choking our biosphere, contaminating the food and water supplies of all living things, and driving climate change. Media outlets are exploding with information and disinformation about plastic: how it is made; what happens to it after use; effects on our planet and on human health. The topic of plastic is extensive and our knowledge about the deleterious effects on human health expanding.
The focus of the 45-minute workshop, Single Use Plastics 101, is designed to inform and support consumers to reduce their single use plastic consumption. The workshop supports participants in understanding:

Why single use plastics are so harmful
Greenwashing and recycling
Microplastics and microplastic pollution
Health effects from microplastics
Single use plastics and climate change
What actions we all can take to reduce single use plastics

Participants will receive SLO County Citizens’ Climate Education informational documents to supplement their understanding and carry the message home.
This will be taught by Kathleen Bond of the SLO County Citizens’ Climate Education (CCE) organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. They’re a nonpartisan, nonpolitical grassroots education and advocacy organization empowering people from diverse backgrounds to educate the public, key stakeholders and policymakers to work for effective solutions to the climate emergency.
For more information, see: Citizens Climate Education – Working to Preserve a Livable Planet

Please note: This class is FREE to members – please use code: member10off during registration

Free Family Day: All about Ladybugs!
2025-03-09 10:00 - 13:00
Free Family Day: Join us for Ladybug Day – Hooray!
Come and celebrate ladybugs and their importance to the Garden. Learn some fun facts that you’re unlikely to forget and help release native ladybugs. If there are some left over, you may be able to purchase a bag to take home to your own garden.
We’ll also have games and crafts and fun in the Children’s Garden. El programa será en inglés y español.
Everyone is welcome! Ladybug attire encouraged.
Please note: Activities in the Children’s Garden will be from 10am until 1pm. Admission to the Garden is free all day. The Gift Shop & restrooms close at 2pm.
A BIG THANKS to some special people and organizations that helped to make this special day free for the community: Farm Supply Company, Central Coast Funds for Children, and Kathy & George Stewart

Raptor Walk at the Garden
2025-03-08 10:30 - 12:30
This walking tour is for those who attend the “Falcons and Eagles and Vultures” lecture and want to practice their skills. Join Steve Schubert to observe raptors and birds at the SLO Botanical Garden, El Chorro Regional Park, and Dairy Creek Road. Space is limited so sign up quickly.
Wear your hiking shoes as some of the terrain may be uneven. Bring water, snacks, binoculars, and identification references/books and dress for the weather.
There may be an optional walk up the Eagle Rock trail at the end. This trail is moderately strenuous and steep, and you may want to bring your hiking poles. If this part doesn’t appeal, you can continue to practice your raptor ID along Dairy Creek Road.
Members will receive $5 off at registration with code: member5
About your instructor:

Steve attended college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and received a Master’s degree in Field Biology and a Life Sciences Secondary Teaching Credential. He taught high school biology and earth sciences for several years, has taught natural history courses for Cuesta College Community Programs more than 25 years, and he works as a naturalist instructor at a local residential outdoor school program called Camp KEEP (Kern Environmental Education Program), attended by more than 3,000 6th grade students each school year.

Falcons and Eagles and Vultures - Oh My!
2025-03-08 09:00 - 10:15
Have you ever wondered… what type of bird is that soaring overhead? Here’s your chance to learn from a local expert, Steve Schubert!
Learn to identify hawks, eagles, falcons, ospreys, kites, harriers, accipiters, vultures, and owls by the visual field marks and vocalizations.
In this lecture, you’ll learn about the biology, classification, migration, flight characteristics, and predatory adaptations of locally occurring birds-of-prey. Information about both year-round residents and seasonally overwintering raptors are included.
In addition to the lecture, you can sign up separately to join on a walking raptor field trip at the SLO Botanical Garden and El Chorro Regional Park (2 hours) on March 8th immediately following the lecture. Or, sign up for a longer carpooling raptor and bird search field trip around Morro Bay on March 9th to some of Steve’s favorite locations.
Members will receive $5 off at registration with code: member5
About your instructor:

Steve attended college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and received a Master’s degree in Field Biology and a Life Sciences Secondary Teaching Credential. He taught high school biology and earth sciences for several years, has taught natural history courses for Cuesta College Community Programs more than 25 years, and he works as a naturalist instructor at a local residential outdoor school program called Camp KEEP (Kern Environmental Education Program), attended by more than 3,000 6th grade students each school year.
He served on the committee that published the book “Wildflowers of San Luis Obispo” and the eBook “Plants of the Carrizo Plain”. Steve authored the book entitled “The Peregrine Falcons of Morro Rock – A 50-year History”, available at Amazon.com. He is past-President of Morro Coast Audubon Society and is the Volunteer Coordinator of the Hi Mountain Lookout Project (www.facebook.com/condorlookout), a restored fire lookout in Los Padres National Forest where volunteers and college interns radiotrack the movements of California Condors and conduct biological field research projects. He has been a speaker and field trip leader for the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival each year since its inception more than 25 years ago.
Steve enjoys kayaking, running, biking, hiking, playing basketball, and wildlife and landscape photography (photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12571965@N07

Nature Sunday: Fungi with a Fun Guy
2025-02-23 10:00 - 12:00
Join fungal enthusiast Dennis Sheridan for a short introductory lecture on fungi and observe fresh mushrooms specimens found locally,
Then take a walk through the garden to see what fungi can be found. Bring some samples of your own if you wish for identification.

Dennis is a local Renaissance man with a love of just about all thing’s nature, including insects, amphibians and mushrooms in particular, but many other living things too! His travels and collecting trips have made him very knowledgeable in these areas and he has lots of fun things to add every time he speaks.

Mushroom Discovery - Monday Field Trip
2025-02-10 09:00 - 14:00
As part of our Mushroom Discovery series, this Monday Field Trip is an opportunity ONLY for individuals who participated in the Saturday and Sunday workshops. You may also sign up if you’re an alumni of a previous Mushroom Discovery program at the SLO Botanical Garden.
On Monday, Christian will lead us at offsite location to search for and identify mushrooms in their natural habitat. The location will be local and revealed closer to the day of the event, as our instructor needs to find the ideal spot for a good variety of mushrooms. This will be a rain or shine event, a fabulous experience, and a great way to learn even more about fungi.
Please dress for the weather and bring your own lunch and water bottle.
Note: Sign up for the Friday night lecture and the Mushroom Discovery Two-Day Workshop separately. Thanks.
Instructor Christian Schwarz studied Ecology and Evolution at UC Santa Cruz, where his interest in the world of fungi became irrevocable. Although he is passionate about ecology and biodiversity in general, Christian is most well-known as a field mycologist. He has co-authored two field guides — Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast and the upcoming Mushrooms of Cascadia, both with Noah Siegel. He primarily spends his time seeking, photographing, collecting, teaching about, and publishing research on North American macrofungi, and has served on the IUCN Red List Working Group for North American Fungi. He is a research associate of the Ken Norris Center for Natural History at UC Santa Cruz, where he teaches undergraduate courses in mycology and community science.

Mushroom Discovery Two-Day Workshop: Exploration and Identification
2025-02-08 - 2025-02-09 | San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Road, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93405, United States
As part of our Mushroom Discovery series, this hands-on and experiential learning program will happen over two days:
Saturday, February 8th from 10am to 4pm and Sunday, February 9th 2025, from 10am to 4pm.
Doors open at 9:30 – please plan to arrive on-time for these two full days of learning.
The course will begin in the classroom with Christian teaching the basics of mushrooms and mushroom identification. Then the class will move outside through a portion of the SLO Botanical Garden. Tips and instructions on collecting mushrooms will be given. Participants will gather specimens for closer examination and discuss identification techniques and citizen science tools. This workshop will emphasize a dynamic sensory awareness of the mushrooms via close observation, touching, and smelling.
The Sunday hands-on workshop will be a deep dive into mushroom identification. We’ll organize into small groups and under Christian’s guidance, we’ll practice systematically identifying mushrooms. Midday, there will be a fun break introducing students to edible mushrooms. This will include an optional tasting of multiple species prepared in a variety of ways by local mushroom enthusiasts, Lindsay Best, Michelle Torres-Grant, and Leonard Grant. The mushroom identification workshop will continue after the lunch break. Finally, the course will end with time to ask questions.
The class size of this workshop is limited to a small size of 22 participants in order to ensure a high quality learning experience.
Register today to ensure your place as it will fill up!
Note: There is a separate sign-up for the Monday Mushrooming Field trip and it’s only open to participants of this Two-Day Workshop. Register here: Mushroom Discovery – Monday Field Trip – SLO Botanical Garden
Dress for the weather and bring your own lunch.
Please enter code: Member40 for your SLOBG member’s discount / membership will be verified
Instructor Christian Schwarz studied Ecology and Evolution at UC Santa Cruz, where his interest in the world of fungi became irrevocable. Although he is passionate about ecology and biodiversity in general, Christian is most well-known as a field mycologist. He has co-authored two field guides — Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast and the upcoming Mushrooms of Cascadia, both with Noah Siegel. He primarily spends his time seeking, photographing, collecting, teaching about, and publishing research on North American macrofungi, and has served on the IUCN Red List Working Group for North American Fungi. He is a research associate of the Ken Norris Center for Natural History at UC Santa Cruz, where he teaches undergraduate courses in mycology and community science.

Fungi of the Central Coast with Christian Schwarz
2025-02-07 18:30 - 20:00
The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden is excited to welcome Christian Schwarz back to the Garden! Christian is a well-known expert in the field and author of ‘Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast’ and the newly released, ‘Mushrooms of Cascadia’. If you’ve heard Christian speak before, you know he’s a fascinating and knowledgeable speaker. And if you haven’t heard him before, you’re in for a treat!
Over the past two years, the California Institute for Biodiversity has funded and supported the California Fungal Diversity Survey — a conservation-focused initiative to document fungi across the state with a very high level of systematic rigor. During the course of this project, non-professional collectors have generated a huge amount of information, yielding fascinating new discoveries, and suggesting areas for future research. Christian will provide an overview about what we’ve learned, what we hope to learn, and what the future holds for California’s fungi.
Schedule for the evening:
6:00 Doors Open
6:30 Lecture Begins
8:00 Book signing – there will be books for sale at the event or order ahead for yourself
Member’s please enter: “memberten” for $10 off / membership will be verified
Students please enter: “studentten” for $10 off with photo ID at the door
Instructor Christian Schwarz studied Ecology and Evolution at UC Santa Cruz, where his interest in the world of fungi became irrevocable. Although he is passionate about ecology and biodiversity in general, Christian is most well-known as a field mycologist. He has co-authored two field guides — Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast and the upcoming Mushrooms of Cascadia, both with Noah Siegel. He primarily spends his time seeking, photographing, collecting, teaching about, and publishing research on North American macrofungi, and has served on the IUCN Red List Working Group for North American Fungi. He is a research associate of the Ken Norris Center for Natural History at UC Santa Cruz, where he teaches undergraduate courses in mycology and community science.

Family Free Day: I Love Nature
2025-02-02 10:00 - 13:00
It’s Family Free Day – and you’re invited!
In the Children’s Garden, we’ll be celebrating Nature with crafts and activities, child friendly learning opportunities, and fun for the whole family.
We have some special guests coming! There will be two animal visitors to meet from Pacific Wildlife Care.
Also, SLO County Waste Management will be sharing information about how to compost at home. Come and meet some worms!
We have a Nature Passport for children to get stamps and earn a prize, while learning here at the Garden.
We hope you’ll join us!
Our next Free Family Day will be our Ladybug Day in March. Please keep an eye on the calendar for that.
