Classes at South Coast Botanic Garden

January & February Classes

Mindrop Meditation: Music Hypnosis & Mindful Meditation

11 a.m. – Noon February 1 and 15

Welcome to Wellness Wednesdays with Gina Hemmings. Gina is a meditation teacher and hypnotherapist, her work helps people to connect back to themselves, by taking them on meditative visual journeys through the imagination, using sound, nature and positive suggestions for lasting change, healing and growth. Taking you on a deeply relaxing, musical, restorative & hypnotic journey through the subconscious mind – helping to clear old blocks & limiting beliefs, as we replace them with new positive suggestions. Using state of the art wireless headphones. As the mind and body deeply relaxes, we will help short circuit any looping thoughts or negative thinking, as we return to a state of presence, allowing for deep relaxation helping to bring balance to your overall well-being. Bring your own mat.

More on Gina here – https://www.mindropwellbeing.com/about/ 

Price: $35 for Members, $45 for non-members

Nature Walk: Journaling and 1 Mile Garden Stroll

10 – 11:30 a.m. January 27, 2023
10 – 11:30 a.m. February 10 and 24

Join our team in a therapeutic 1 mile nature walk and journaling session that will allow you to reflect on your relationship with yourself and with the natural world. During our walk build on your observation skills exploring our Garden and leave with an expanded perspective of the world around you. All materials will be provided. Wear comfortable and closed toed shoes. Price: $25 for Members, $30 for non-members

Fungal Microscopy Workshop with Alan Rockefeller

10 a.m. – 1 p.m. February 4, 2023

Join mycologist Alan Rockefeller for a workshop on fungal microscopy. This workshop will cover basic and intermediate use of a microscope for mushroom identification. Learn how to prepare slides and look at microscopic features of mushrooms and, more importantly, how to turn what you see into useful information.

Alan Rockefeller is a mycologist living in Oakland, Calif. He spends half the year hunting mushrooms in Mexico where he documents a wide variety of fungal species. His experience in the field focuses on mushroom identification, DNA analysis, microscopy and photography.

Alan sequences the DNA of mushrooms from all over the world, gaining new insights into existing species, discovering new ones and eliminating duplicates in the taxonomic record. Price: $25 for Members, $35 for non-members

Demystifying Spawn Workshop with Sam Shoemaker

2 – 4 p.m. February 4, 2023
1 – 3 p.m. February 5, 2023

Mushroom spawn production is one of the most challenging and misunderstood aspects of mushroom cultivation. Contaminated spawn can destroy months of work, pre-made spawn is costly, and the most popular cultivation books provide only a single 36-hour recipe!

What is spawn? Spawn, typically made from sterilized grains, is defined as any material that can transfer living mushroom mycelium to a larger mushroom growing medium, such as sawdust. We can think of spawn as the mushroom cultivator’s “seeds.” “Planting” spawn on a mushroom substrate is known as “spawning” or “inoculation.” Spawn can also be used to produce more spawn. In theory, one jar of healthy mushroom spawn can produce hundreds of pounds of harvestable gourmet mushrooms! This workshop will survey the fundamental principles of mushroom spawn in order to tailor our production for every scale, budget, timeframe and application. We will cover time-saving hacks and no-cleaning “teks” you won’t find in publications. We will discuss added precautions available for sensitive contamination-prone mushroom species. We will conclude with a live demonstration of how one might prepare the different grains commonly used by mushroom cultivators: millet, wheat berries, rye, birdseed, and milo. All materials will be provided. Recommended for new and intermediate mushroom cultivators.  Price: $20 for Members, $30 for non-members

Mushroom Identification…Unlocked! Using Dichotomous Keys with Christian Schwarz

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. February 5, 2023

Dichotomous Keys… love them or hate them, they are one of the most powerful tools for identifying unknown organisms (not just mushrooms!) and structuring your knowledge so that when someone asks you how you recognize a species, you know *why* you know. We’ll work through some of the dichotomous keys in David Arora’s magnum opus Mushrooms Demystified; and contrast them to a few other styles of identification, including the Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast (MoRC) Method, as well as synoptic keys, iNat machine vision and technical literature. 

Christian has been teaching this content to groups of all ages for more than a decade and has seen all the common pitfalls that snare and entangle new identifiers. With his instruction, you’ll soon become an expert Dichotomous Key practitioner! Price: $20 for Members, $30 for non-members

Mushroom Photography with Alan Rockefeller

11 a.m. – Noon February 5, 2023

Learn how to photograph mushrooms with accomplished mycologist and photographer Alan Rockefeller. This class will cover the basics of photographing mushrooms with a DSLR camera or a phone to capture features critical to the identification of the mushroom and take beautiful photos. Alan will also discuss more advanced topics such as focus stacking. Price: $20 for Members, $30 for non-members

Aromatherapy and Candle Making

2 – 3:30 p.m. February 11, 2023

Join our team in a health and wellness class that explores the power of aromatherapy through an interactive candle making class. In this class, you will learn the basics behind aromatherapy and essential oils, why plants have evolved to produce essential oils over time, and how these essential oils change the biochemistry of the human brain to enhance both physical and emotional health. All materials are provided along with a take home aromatherapy guide.  Price: $40 for Members, $50 for non-members

Spilling the Tea: Tea Leaf Blending

10 – 11:30 a.m. January 29, 2023
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. February 12

Join one of our educators in this new and delightful class where you can make various blends of tea – noting each unique flavor and plant. Discover some interesting bits of tea history in this fun and light class that shares the love of tea and gardens. This class includes 3 personal blends. Price: $40 for Members, $50 for non-members

GYM: Goat Yoga and Matcha 

10 – 11:30 a.m.  February 18 and 19

Hit the G.Y.M. this new year at the Garden – goats, yoga & matcha! Take part in this fitness craze and practice your flow in the presence of live goats followed by matcha. Bring your mat, camera and good humor for an outdoor yoga practice you won’t soon forget, held in a fenced-in area with four furry farm companions. Your purchase for goat yoga includes a 60-minute yoga session followed by a delicious cup of hot matcha, and admission to the Garden all day. No experience required. Space is limited, advanced registration required. Participants must be at least 10 years old, participants under 16 must be accompanied by a ticketed adult. Price: $49 for Members, $59 for non-members

Dry January: Mocktails- How to Grow a Cocktail Inspired Garden 

2 – 4 p.m. February 12

Join our team for a spirited afternoon that is kind to your body! Come learn how to grow and harvest your own herbal ingredients and turn them into seasonal infusions and syrups perfect for delicious mocktails for the new year! Guests will also be treated to a seasonal mocktail happy hour with topic-inspired libations to get into the spirit. Ticket includes General Garden Admission and 2 craft mocktails. This class will be held outdoors. Price: $40 for Members, $50 for non-members

Habitats and Homes! Kindergarten & 1st Grade Parent & Me Exploration Class

11 a.m.- Noon February 4

Homes and habitats of bugs!  Kids and their caregivers will go on a journey and find all the places in the Garden where bug families live.  Then build a bug house of your very own using garden finds. Come explore and learn with us! This class is suitable for Kindergarten and 1st grade children. The class is for one adult-child pair only; no siblings or additional adults without additional ticket. please. Price: $20 for Members, $25 for non-members

Monarch Migration: 2nd & 3rd Grade Parent & Me Class

2 – 3 p.m. February 25

Did you know that butterflies have a fascinating life cycle? Come learn all about the Mighty Monarch and the journey this butterfly takes. Using games and interactive materials, kids will discover new fun facts about butterflies and take home ways they can protect the Mighty Monarch! This class is suitable for 2nd and 3rd graders.  The class is for one adult-child pair only; no siblings or additional adults please. Price: $20 for Members, $25 for non-members

Backyard Bugs and Biodiversity: 4th & 5th Grade Parent & Me Class

11 a.m. – Noon February 25

Come and be an explorer at the Garden!  Using a local insect guide, the group will catch, observe and document specimens found. Make your own field journal notes and build on observational and identification skills for insects that you can discover in your own backyard! This class is suitable for 4th and 5th graders. The class is for one adult-child pair only; no siblings or additional adults please. Price: $20 for Members, $25 for non-members

Four Seasons of Pruning: Seasonal Pruning Class with Terry Huang

1 – 2 p.m. January 29, 2023
1 – 2 p.m.  February 26

In with the new, out with the old! The new year is an excellent time to start preparing your garden for spring, so what better time to learn how to give your garden a new ‘do? This isn’t just for looks, but to help your plants live their best lives. If you are not sure where to start, this class is for you. From herbaceous perennials to woody plants, we will cover general terminology, pruning techniques, and timing, so that you will be ready to take on almost any plant. Price: $25 for Members, $30 for non-members